California shoppers could eventually get a quick visual cue for healthier options at the grocery store, if Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel gets his way. His new bill would create a voluntary "California Certified" seal for minimally processed foods that meet state standards, expanding his food-policy focus beyond additives and school cafeterias to everyday pantry staples.
As amended March 24, AB 2244 would require the Department of Public Health to accredit third-party certification agents by June 1, 2028, bar those agents from approving products classified as ultraprocessed foods or "ultraprocessed foods of concern," and instruct the department to design a standardized "California Certified" seal. Certifiers would have to register with the department, maintain a public list of approved products, and submit records for inspection, and it would be illegal to slap the seal on any product that is not properly certified, according to Legislative Information.
How the seal would work
Gabriel told The Sacramento Bee that typical ingredient lists are long, technical, and often incomplete, leaving regular shoppers with few practical tools to tell the difference between minimally processed and highly processed foods. The Bee also reported that Melanie Benesh of the Environmental Working Group said the seal could show up on breads, yogurts, snacks, and cereals if the bill advances, and noted that Maria Menounos has publicly thrown her support behind the proposal.
Where this fits in Gabriel’s record
The push for a grocery-aisle seal builds on Gabriel’s recent work on school food. He authored AB 1264, which directs state scientists to identify and begin phasing out especially harmful ultra-processed foods in school meals, according to CalMatters. Gabriel also wrote a high-profile food-additive law that drew headlines as the so-called "Skittles" bill and was signed in 2023, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
What comes next
Under AB 2244, the Department of Public Health would have until June 1, 2028, to accredit certifiers and set up an online registry of products that carry the seal, with authority to audit records and penalties for false certification spelled out in the bill text. The "California Certified" badge would sit alongside existing labels such as the USDA organic seal, which grew out of the National Organic Program rules that took effect in 2002, according to the USDA National Organic Program. Unlike the federal organic mark, the new seal would be a state-backed, voluntary program tied specifically to California’s definitions of ultra-processed foods.
