49430.7. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Child development program” means a program operated pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8200) of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1.
(2) “School” means a school operated and maintained by a school district or county office of education, or a charter school.
(3) “School district” means a school district, charter school, or county office of education.
(b) As a condition of receipt of state meal reimbursement funds pursuant to Article 10 (commencing with Section 49530), for meals and food items sold as part of the free and reduced-price meal programs, a school or school district shall comply with all of the following requirements and prohibitions:
(1) Follow the United States Department of Agriculture meal pattern.
(2) Not sell or serve a food item that has in any way been deep fried, par fried, or flash fried by a school or school district.
(3) Not sell or serve a food item containing artificial trans fat. A food item contains artificial trans fat if it contains vegetable shortening, margarine, or any kind of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, unless the manufacturer’s documentation or the label required on the food, pursuant to applicable federal and state law, lists the trans fat content as less than 0.5 grams per serving.
(4) Not sell or serve a food item that, as part of the manufacturing process, has been deep fried, par fried, or flash fried in an oil or fat that is prohibited by this paragraph. Oils and fats prohibited by this paragraph include, but are not limited to, palm, coconut, palm kernel, and lard, typically solid at room temperature and are known to negatively impact cardiovascular health. Oils permitted by this paragraph include, but are not limited to, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, olive, soybean, peanut, or a blend of these oils, typically liquid at room temperature and are known for their positive cardiovascular benefit.
(c) For meals and food items sold as part of the free and reduced-price meal programs, a child development program is encouraged to comply with all of the following guidelines:
(1) Meet developmentally and programmatically appropriate meal pattern and the United States Department of Agriculture meal pattern.
(2) Not sell or serve a food item that has in any way been deep fried, par fried, or flash fried by a school, school district, or child development program.
(3) Not sell or serve a food item containing artificial trans fat. A food item contains artificial trans fat if it contains vegetable shortening, margarine, or any kind of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, unless the manufacturer’s documentation or the label required on the food, pursuant to applicable federal and state law, lists the trans fat content as less than 0.5 grams per serving.
(4) Not sell or serve a food item that, as part of the manufacturing process, has been deep fried, par fried, or flash fried in an oil or fat prohibited by this paragraph. Oils and fats prohibited by this paragraph include, but are not limited to, palm, coconut, palm kernel, and lard, typically solid at room temperature and are known to negatively impact cardiovascular health. Oils permitted by this provision include, but are not limited to, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, olive, soybean, peanut, or a blend of these oils, typically liquid at room temperature and are known for their positive cardiovascular benefit.
(d) As a condition of receipt of funds pursuant to Article 10 (commencing with Section 49530), schools and school districts shall provide the department with an annual certification of compliance with this section.
(e) This section shall become operative only upon an appropriation for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 666, Sec. 43. (AB 486) Effective January 1, 2022.)