Texas is implementing new measures to protect its students by banning harmful food additives in school meals. This initiative is part of a growing movement toward providing cleaner, more transparent nutrition for children across the country.
Starting in the 2026–2027 school year, about 3 million lunches served daily across Texas will need to meet the new standards, according to free or reduced-price lunch totals previously reported by DX.
On May 27, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 314 (SB 314) into law, banning school districts and charter schools from serving meals with 17 ingredients identified as potentially harmful. Taking effect for lunch contracts entered or renewed after September 1, 2026, the law targets synthetic dyes and preservatives tied to growing health concerns.
SB 314 bans a list of additives, including Red Dye No. 40, Blue Dye No. 1, Yellow Dye Nos. 5 and 6, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and titanium dioxide. The bill also covers “any additive that is substantially similar,” allowing flexibility to ban more harmful ingredients in the future.
The move follows growing criticism of food additives after the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s May 2025 report showing risks tied to certain synthetic ingredients. Following that report, Louisiana passed a similar measure, SB 14, banning 15 additives – including artificial sweeteners like aspartame – from school meals starting in 2028.
Another companion bill, SB 25, signed on June 22, requires warning labels on foods containing over 40 listed ingredients, including certain color dyes and bleached flour. Beginning January 1, 2027, labels must read as follows: “WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom.” Violators will allegedly face fines of up to $50,000 per day per product if they do not add the new warning label.
Amid these reforms, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has celebrated National School Lunch Week (October 13–17) with the “Texas Taste Tour: Your School Lunch Passport.”
The initiative reportedly highlighted the importance of buying Texas-grown foods, from Panhandle beef to Gulf Coast seafood, and encouraged students to learn about local agriculture as well as healthy eating.
“I am proud that we are encouraging students to learn more about Texas agriculture and local food,” Miller said in a TDOA statement. “This year’s theme goes a step further and combines school lunch with the great foods of Texas. That’s why this week I’m honoring some of the hardest-working professionals I know: farmers, ranchers, and school nutrition professionals.”
Since September 1, 2025, students eligible for reduced-price meals now receive breakfast and lunch for free through 2027, easing some family financial obstacles and addressing Texas’s 17.6% food insecurity rate.