STAT+: One California politician’s unexpected crusade against ultra-processed food
Article excerpt
California state senator Jesse Gabriel has become an unlikely crusade leader against ultra-processed foods, passing more food policy in three years than most legislators accomplish in entire careers, according to supporters. The article examines how Gabriel's legislative push, which includes restrictions on certain additives and labeling requirements, is reshaping food industry standards not just in California but nationally, as other states watch and consider similar measures. His work has drawn both backing from public health advocates and opposition from food manufacturers concerned about compliance costs. The piece explores what drives Gabriel's focus on this issue and how his California-based efforts could influence broader food regulation across the country.
California legislator Jesse Gabriel has made a name for himself with a suite of bills aimed at reducing the health harms of ultra-processed food. So it might seem counterintuitive that inside his office is a pillow shaped like a bag of Skittles, complete with the brand’s iconic upside-down rainbow and a few oversized felt candies peeking through a clear plastic window.
“It’s an inside joke,” Gabriel explained one recent afternoon over Zoom, speaking from his office in downtown Sacramento. His staff gave him the pillow after he introduced a bill in 2023 that opponents dubbed, inaccurately, the “Skittles ban.” In fact, Skittles remain alive and well since his California Food Safety Act was signed into law, prohibiting the use of four additives (including brominated vegetable oil and potassium bromate) that have been linked to higher risk of cancer, reproductive problems, and other health issues. And the Food and Drug Administration eventually followed California’s lead by taking action on all four additives.
Gabriel was elected to the California State Assembly in 2018, but it’s only in the last few years that he’s emerged as a leader on the national stage in the fight against ultra-processed food. Since the 2023 food additives law, he’s been the force behind another state law banning six artificial food dyes, as well as one establishing the first U.S. legal definition of ultra-processed foods and banning those foods from school meals.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…