Hunton Retail Law Resource

The updated 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (“DGA”) were released on January 7, 2026 by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture.  While the Guidelines do not carry the force of law, they exert substantial influence in shaping federal procurement standards (e.g., school meals and SNAP benefits), nutrition labeling and marketing regulations, and the factual baseline used in consumer product litigation.

In September 2025, a new Texas law took effect requiring food producers doing business in the state to place warning labels on products containing any of 44 specified artificial colors, chemicals, and additives.  The labeling requirement applies to products manufactured on or after January 1, 2027, after which violations may trigger penalties of up to $50,000 per day.

On October 8, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed first-of-its-kind legislation that will gradually phaseout – and ultimately ban – ultra-processed foods (“UPFs”) in the state’s public schools.