Arizona’s drop in SNAP participation signals potential nationwide impact of Trump legislation

More than 400,000 Arizonans have lost their SNAP benefits since July — the largest decline in the nation by a wide margin — as an underfunded state agency administered changes called for in President Donald Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Letter of support for SB 1033: Protein products

"Dear Chair Weber Pierson and Members of the Senate Health Committee, The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Harvard Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders are pleased to support SB 1033, which requires manufacturers of certain protein products to test for heavy metals and publicly disclose test results. Protein products, including powders and beverages, are often consumed by adults, adolescents, athletes, and families. However, a Consumer Reports investigation recently found that multiple protein powders and beverages contained detectable levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead, some with concerningly high levels." View the resource below to keep reading.

Letter of support for AB 2030: Dietary supplements for weight loss and over-the-counter diet pills

"Dear Chair Bonta and Honorable Members of the Assembly Health Committee: The Center for Science in the Public Interest strongly supports AB 2030, which would prohibit the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and weight-loss or muscle-building dietary supplements (WL/MB supplements) to minors. These products are widely available and heavily marketed to youth, often with deceptive claims, despite limited evidence of effectiveness. They are also poorly regulated and frequently contaminated with dangerous, undisclosed ingredients. National pediatric experts warn against their use, citing serious health risks including liver damage, hospitalization, and even death. This bill represents a common-sense, urgently needed step to protect young people in California." View the resource below to keep reading.

CSPI letter of support: CDPH Budget Change Proposal (4265-140-BCP-2026-GB)

"Dear Chairs Gabriel, Addis, Laird, and Menjivar, The Center for Science in the Public Interest is writing to express our strong support for the California Department of Public Health’s Budget Change Proposal (4265-140-BCP-2026-GB), which requests funding to implement Assembly Bill 1264 (Gabriel - 2025). AB 1264 is a first-of-its-kind law that enshrines a definition of ultra-processed food, or UPF, that integrates nutritional concerns and comprehensively captures chemical safety concerns. It then directs the California Department of Public Health to use that definition to further define “UPF of concern,” which will be phased out of schools. The department’s regulations identifying UPFs of concern will be guided by a rigorous examination of reputable, peer-reviewed scientific evidence." View the resource below to keep reading.

Letter of support for Food safety: unsafe additives and ingredient disclosures bill (Assemblymember Addis)

The undersigned organizations and individuals support AB 2034, a bill that will promote transparency and safety in the food system. This is essential given the longstanding failure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to effectively fulfill its mandate to protect consumers from unsafe and poorly tested food chemicals. AB 2034 specifically addresses two related problems caused by inadequate federal oversight of food chemicals. View the resource below to keep reading.

Trump’s proposed cuts to health funding expose fraudulence of MAHA

Coalition letter for Food safety: unsafe additives and ingredient disclosures bill (Assemblymember Addis)

The undersigned organizations and individuals support AB 2034, a bill that will promote transparency and safety in the food system. This is essential given the longstanding failure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to effectively fulfill its mandate to protect consumers from unsafe and poorly tested food chemicals. AB 2034 specifically addresses two related problems caused by inadequate federal oversight of food chemicals. View the resource below to keep reading.

Substantial improvement in availability of corn tortillas containing folic acid, CSPI analysis finds

Public health needs steady budgets—and federal funding uncertainty causes real harms, even if the money is later restored

Since early 2025, several large federal health grants to states have been suspended and then restored after legal challenges. Hundreds of millions of dollars that had already been allocated by Congress were briefly put on hold before the court intervened. From the outside, these episodes may look like routine disputes between states and the federal government, as such cancellations do happen. But inside state agencies and in communities, they create something more consequential: uncertainty that interrupts crucial public health programs–even if states ultimately get the money.

CSPI's letter of support for David Kessler's citizen petition

The Center for Science in the Public Interest respectfully submits the following comment in support of the Citizen Petition to “Limit the Exposure of Refined Carbohydrates used in Industrial Processing in Order to Prevent Obesity, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease in Children and Adults” filed by David A. Kessler on August 12, 2025 (docket number FDA-2025-P-3071; hereinafter referred to as the “petition”). CSPI is a non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization that has worked since 1971 to improve the public’s health through better nutrition and safer food. CSPI has an extensive history of advocating for policies that aim to improve the nutritional quality and safety of the U.S. diet through food chemical safety regulatory reform, food labeling, restaurant nutrition standards, school meals and competitive foods nutrition standards, and federal dietary guidance. View the resource below to keep reading.