Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1826
       
       
        
       By Senator Martin
       
       
       
       
       
       33-01801-25                                           20251826__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to ultra-processed food; creating s.
    3         595.4051, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
    4         prohibiting the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
    5         Services from requiring school cafeteria personnel to
    6         adhere to specified federal guidelines under certain
    7         circumstances; defining the term “ultra-processed
    8         food”; prohibiting a public school from serving or
    9         selling ultra-processed food on school grounds during
   10         the school day; providing construction; authorizing
   11         the department to adopt rules; providing an effective
   12         date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 595.4051, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         595.4051 Ultra-processed foods; definition; prohibition.—
   19         (1) The Legislature finds that:
   20         (a) Childhood obesity, morbidity, and wellness are matters
   21  of public concern.
   22         (b) Ultra-processed, industrially manufactured, nutrient
   23  depleted food containing synthetic additives is not nourishing
   24  to students at public schools and is contributing to childhood
   25  obesity.
   26         (c) A taxpayer-funded meal or snack program offered to
   27  students at public schools in this state should be nutritious
   28  and made primarily of wholesome, minimally processed plant or
   29  animal products.
   30         (d) The United States Department of Agriculture’s 2020-2025
   31  Dietary Guidelines are a product of outdated science and reflect
   32  conflicts of interest that favor the ultra-processed food
   33  industry over the health of this state’s children.
   34         (2) If the United States Department of Agriculture issues
   35  revised federal dietary guidelines on or after January 1, 2025,
   36  the department may not require school cafeteria personnel to
   37  adhere to the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines, but must encourage
   38  school districts to provide meals composed of whole foods free
   39  of the harmful ingredients described in subsection (3).
   40         (3)(a) For the purpose of this section, the term “ultra
   41  processed food” means a food or beverage that contains at least
   42  one of the following ingredients:
   43         1. Potassium bromate.
   44         2. Propylparaben.
   45         3. Titanium dioxide.
   46         4. Brominated vegetable oil.
   47         5. Yellow dye 5.
   48         6. Yellow dye 6.
   49         7. Blue dye 1.
   50         8. Blue dye 2.
   51         9. Green dye 3.
   52         10. Red dye 3.
   53         11. Red dye 40.
   54         (b) A public school may not serve or sell ultra-processed
   55  food on school grounds during the school day. This subsection
   56  does not prohibit a student’s parent or guardian from providing
   57  ultra-processed food to the student for consumption during the
   58  school day.
   59         (c) The department may adopt rules to administer this
   60  section.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.