A new bill has been proposed to ban all ultra-processed foods from schools, and Mendez Middle School in Santa Ana is already ahead of the legislation.

School officials have removed frozen and prepackaged foods and are now making foods like birria and salsas from scratch in their brand-new, state-of-the-art kitchens.

Santa Ana Unified School District director of nutrition Josh Goddard decided to transition two schools to a made-from-scratch menu.

“If we’re going to invest in anything as a society, it should be children’s health, and there’s no better way to do that than through food,” said Goddard.

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel proposed the new bill to reduce all ultra-processed foods from California schools by 2032.

“Our public schools should not be serving students ultra-processed food products filled with chemical additives that can harm their physical and mental health,” said Gabriel on his website. “Democrats and Republicans are joining forces to prioritize the health and safety of our children and we are proud to be leading the nation with a bipartisan, science-based approach.” 

According to the Environmental Working Group, ultra-processed foods have been linked to health problems like cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, a variety of metabolic disorders, reproductive issues, and have been shown to cause neurobehavioral harm.