NYC to restrict processed meats, artificial dyes in meal programs

Eleven city agencies will have to follow stricter food standards, starting next year.
Avatar of Maya Kaufman
By: 
 |
Mayor Eric Adams leads a plant-based cooking demo at Kings County Hospital.

Mayor Eric Adams leads a plant-based cooking demo at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn on Feb. 7, 2022. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

NEW YORK — Meals and snacks served through city programs will face stricter nutritional requirements and new ingredient bans next year.

The updated food standards, which Mayor Eric Adams' administration is unveiling Monday, include an expanded restriction on sweeteners and new bans on processed meats, artificial colors, and certain flour additives and preservatives. The city will also require more servings of plant proteins.

They go into effect July 1, 2026.

“The new standards underline our longstanding work to ensure New Yorkers have access to healthier foods while advancing our commitment to health equity and climate health,” acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse said in a statement.

Background: The updates stem from a 2022 Executive Order by Adams that requires revisions to the food standards for city agencies every three years.

City officials said the enhanced food standards are also part of the city’s strategy to reduce chronic disease, with the goal of slashing deaths from heart- and diabetes-related diseases by 5 percent by 2030.

...