California lawmakers advance sugar transparency and dietary supplement safety bills

A KFC meal prominently featuring a fountain soda

Adhitya Sibikumar - unsplash.com.

CSPI-sponsored legislation targets high-sugar restaurant products and weight-loss and muscle-building supplements

The California Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees yesterday advanced two major food safety and transparency bills sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest: 

  • SB 869 (Sen. Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson) Requires chain restaurant menus to clearly identify beverages containing more than 50 percent of the recommended daily value for added sugars, helping consumers make informed decisions at the point of purchase. 
  • AB 2030 (Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal) Establishes safeguards for dietary supplements marketed for weight loss and muscle building, product categories frequently associated with dangerous ingredients, undisclosed stimulants, and serious health harms. 

“California lawmakers are continuing to lead on food safety and nutrition transparency,” said Dr. DeAnna Nara, CSPI Campaign Manager. “For too long, food and supplement companies have profited from weak federal oversight, misleading marketing, and products that expose families to unnecessary health risks.”

The restaurant and processed food environment continues to contribute significantly to diet-related disease. Sugar-sweetened beverages remain the leading source of added sugars in the American diet, and many chain restaurant beverages contain more than a full day’s recommended limit for added sugar in a single serving. High consumption of added sugars is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and dental disease. 

At the same time, consumers face growing concerns about dangerous chemical exposures and fraudulent claims in supplements. Investigations have identified undisclosed or unsafe ingredients in dietary supplements marketed for weight loss and muscle building.  

California has long been a national leader on food safety and nutrition policy, particularly recently as federal action has stalled and FDA leadership is left in chaos. In New York, CSPI is working alongside state lawmakers and coalition partners to advance legislation requiring sodium and added sugars warnings on chain restaurant menus, restricting predatory marketing of unhealthy foods to children, and strengthening oversight of harmful food additives and chemical disclosures. 

“States are stepping in because consumers deserve better protections,” Jensen Jose, CSPI Senior Regulatory Counsel, said. “California and New York are demonstrating that public health and transparency can move forward even when federal systems fail to act.”

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