California enacts food certification law amid federal research funding cuts

California has enacted AB 2244, a first-in-the-nation law that directs the California Department of Health to create a “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” seal for food packaging. This follows a 2025 law that established a statutory definition for ultraprocessed foods (UPF) based on specific technical effects and nutritional content, such as high levels of sodium, saturated fat, or added sugar.

Separately, reports indicate significant reductions and redirections in federal research funding as Fiscal Year 2026 concludes. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has reportedly withheld $1.4 billion, approximately 20 percent of its budget, to carry over into the next fiscal year. The NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate saw grant funding drop by more than 60 percent, with awards primarily aligning with administration priorities.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has also identified instances of illegal impoundment by the administration, specifically targeting funds intended for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency.