Rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. have soared in the past few years, with an alarming 19.7% of children classified as “obese” or “morbidly obese” in 2020. As children’s physical and psychological health suffers from this issue, now deemed a public health concern, State Legislatures are beginning to take action. Several states have introduced or even passed legislation to ban “ultra-processed” foods in schools, including artificial dyes, seed oils, and other chemical substances that have been added to manufactured food products. To keep children safe and reduce the risk of childhood obesity and morbidity, states are now insisting that taxpayer-funded meal and snack programs offered to children in schools should be made primarily of nutritious, minimally processed foods.

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Alabama: Bans Ultra-Processed Foods for K-12 Schools Participating in Federally Funded Meal Programs

House Bill 580, known as the “Alabama Healthy Schools Act,” would have banned public K-12 schools that participate in a federally funded or assisted meal program from serving, selling, or allowing a third party to sell ultra-processed food on the school campus. The bill would have required the State Department of Education to issue certification forms and to maintain a list of compliant schools on the Department’s website. As defined by the bill, “ultra-processed” foods subject to this ban will include any items containing one or more of the following ingredients: potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil, yellow dyes 5 and 6, blue dyes 1 and 2, green dye 3, and red dyes 3 and 40. The bill did not advance in Alabama’s 2025 legislative session.

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Arkansas: Statewide Ban on Ultra-Processed Foods in All Schools

Legislation introduced in Arkansas’ 2025 legislative session prohibits schools from serving or selling ultra-processed foods on school campuses during the regular school day. The bill applies to public schools, open-enrollment public charter schools, and private schools. It defines “ultra-processed” foods as a manufactured food product containing one or more of the following ingredients: potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, yellow dyes 5 and 6, blue dyes 1 and 2, green dye 3, and red dyes 3 and 40. The bill authorized the Arkansas Department of Education to create rules to implement this prohibition. The bill did not pass in the legislative session but was recommended for study in the Interim by the Committee on Education. 

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Kentucky: Prohibits the Sale of Ultra-Processed Foods on School Campuses During the School Day

Lawmakers in the 2025 legislative introduced legislation, House Bill 439, that would have prohibited schools from selling or providing ultra-processed foods to students by other means during the school day. The ban would have applied to all foods on the school campus during the school day, including food in cafeterias, vending machines, school stores, canteens, food sold through fundraisers hosted by students, teachers, or groups, or any other mechanism for providing food to students during the school day.

Louisiana: Comprehensive Ban on Ultra-Processed Foods in Schools

On June 20, 2025, Governor Jeff Landry (R) vetoed legislation that would have restricted the sale and service of ultra-processed foods in schools beginning with the 2027–2028 academic year. The bill applied to all public and non-public school boards participating in federally funded or assisted meal programs. It prohibits any food items containing the following additives: aspartame, blue dyes 1 and 2, red dyes 3 and 40, yellow dyes 5 and 6, green dye 3, titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, propylparaben, and potassium bromate. The legislation also endorsed a shift to nutritious foods supplied by local agricultural producers, requiring that at least 20% of school food purchases come from within Louisiana. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Louisiana Department of Education would have issued a standardized compliance certification form and maintain a public registry of schools that are compliant.

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Massachusetts: Initial Implementation of Health-Focused School Meals

Senate Bill 401 regulates the foods that service providers and management companies can sell to Massachusetts public schools. The bill requires that at least 50% of entrees sold and served as school lunches be “healthy,” containing whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and fiber-rich proteins. Additionally, food service providers may not sell or serve entree items that comprise 20% or more of the following: ultra-processed foods, those containing more than 30 milligrams of cholesterol, or those with more than 5% of the total calories coming from saturated fat. The bull also required food providers who sell to Massachusetts public schools to maintain itemized nutrition data that is publicly available monthly, demonstrating compliance with these rules. The bill, as of July 2, 2025, has not advanced.

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North Carolina: Establishing the “Healthy Schools Act”

North Carolina House Bill 874, known as the “North Carolina Healthy Schools Act,” places a comprehensive ban on ultra-processed foods in schools. According to the bill, no school food authority or third party may sell or serve ultra-processed food on school grounds during the school day. However, differentiating from Louisiana’s SB 117, North Carolina’s HB 874 does not include cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, and safflower oil in its list of ultra-processed foods. 

HB 874 dictates that the Department of Public Instruction will create a standardized form to ensure that no ultra-processed foods are being served or sold in any school under the Board’s jurisdiction. The Department will also publish and maintain a list of compliant schools. The bill did not advance as of July 2, 2025.

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Pennsylvania: Prohibits Ultra-Processed Food Sold in Competition with Reimbursable Meals 

House Bill 1132 takes a unique approach to banning ultra-processed foods in schools, requiring that any food offered or sold in competition with reimbursable meals served under the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program be free of ultra-processed ingredients. Additionally, the bill contains a uniquely long list of ingredients that classify foods as “ultra-processed.” According to HB 1132, a food is ultra-processed if it contains one or more of the following: surface-active agents typically used for emulsification and improved texture, stabilizers and thickeners, propellants, emulsifiers and emulsifier salts, flavoring agents and adjuvants, excluding spices and other natural seasonings and flavors, and flavor enhancers. The bill was referred to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

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