Black Californians experience some of the highest rates of food insecurity as a result of persistent systemic racism, a legacy of redlining, and barriers to essential safety-net programs. This lack of access to healthy food contributes to disproportionate rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in our communities, according to data from Nourish California.
Assembly Bill 1264 attempts to restrict access to certain foods in schools. But its broad, inflammatory, and unscientific approach does little to address the real nutrition needs of Black children and risks making existing disparities even worse. The bill would classify a wide range of everyday items, including everything from whole wheat bread, low fat yogurts, canned vegetables, and dried pasta as ultra-processed, regardless of their nutritional value or cultural relevance. Without a clear scientific standard, this sweeping classification is politically motivated, inviting confusion and unintended consequences.
Nearly one in five Black households in California experiences food insecurity, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. A disproportionately higher population of Black households live in food deserts, where access to fresh and affordable options is limited. AB 1264 could take away even healthy options in these communities without doing anything to increase access to fresh, whole foods.
At the same time, AB 1264 would layer on complex new regulations that small businesses have to navigate. These impacts would fall hardest on Black-owned food producers, grocers, and restaurants. Like Proposition 65 before it, this bill creates legal risk with little public health benefit. AB 1264 opens the door to a patchwork of warning labels or bans based on arbitrary standards that would stigmatize foods many families rely on and increase the threat of costly litigation.
If legislators are serious about helping Black communities live healthier lives, they must invest in proven, community-driven strategies. Initiatives like the Healthy Corner Store pilot in South LA have shown how partnerships between local government and Black-owned food businesses can expand access to nutritious options without punitive regulation. These kinds of models are collaborative, culturally informed, and focused on improving access. Policymakers should prioritize expanding access to CalFresh, funding culturally relevant nutrition education and making fresh food more affordable and available particularly in neighborhoods that have been historically under-resourced. Black families are already struggling with the affordability crisis affecting all of California. The average household now spends over $1,200 a month on groceries, a figure that increases by 41% for households with children. We cannot afford more policies that raise costs and restrict access without delivering real results.
The California Black Chamber of Commerce urges lawmakers to reject AB 1264 and instead collaborate with the communities most affected by nutrition disparities. A healthier California begins with evidence-based policy and economic fairness. Every family must be able to afford to eat, and every food business must have a fair shot to succeed. AB 1264 undermines both of these vital opportunities.
