House Bill 2164, the Arizona Healthy Schools Act, bans schools from serving or selling specific ultra-processed foods and requires districts to remove certain synthetic dyes and additives. 

Bill sponsor Rep. Leo Biasiucci said during a legislative hearing that the change is meant to improve student health by limiting harmful ingredients. 

“This is our most valuable population,” Biasiucci said. “It's up to us now to fix it and make sure that our children are not consuming these items that we know are toxic and obviously having a harmful effect on them.” 

Biasiucci said many of the ingredients targeted in the law are already restricted in other countries. 

While the bill targets ingredients already restricted elsewhere, its effect on Arizona schools will be relatively minimal. 

Cara Alexander, a registered dietitian with the Arizona Department of Education, said only a small portion of school food items will need to change. 

“Here in Arizona, we have found on average, about 5% of menus are affected,” Alexander said. “This is a manageable issue and manufacturers are equipped to address it.” 

Alexander said schools may still face a higher cost as food prices continue to rise. 

“There may come a cost with that and there may be a greater conversation around what we're reimbursing currently,” Alexander said. 

Richard Franco, executive director of marketing and communication for Phoenix Union High School District, said they have already begun making changes ahead of the deadline. 

“The Phoenix Union High School District will always prioritize the health and wellness of our students while ensuring that we follow all state and federal laws,” Franco said. 

Franco also said that the district has already taken steps to comply with the upcoming guidelines.

“The district has already made the necessary adjustments to meet the food standards set forth by the Arizona Healthy Schools Act next year and will continue to evolve alongside all federal, state and local laws,” Franco said.

The changes could also affect students in the classroom. 

Diana Diaz-Harrison, founder of an autism-focused charter school network, said diet has a direct impact on student behavior and learning and that the changes could also affect how students feel and act in class. 

“I've seen for myself the impact that cleaning up a kid's diet can have on behavior, focus, engagement, GI issues, better sleep patterns which lead to better attendance in school, better engagement and just overall health,” Diaz-Harrison said. 

Diaz-Harrison said that in her own experience, her son’s seizures dropped from about once a month to once every six months after removing processed foods from his diet. She hopes to see similar benefits for students across Arizona, especially those with underlying health conditions. 

The law does not change what parents can send with their children, but it applies to all meals served through federally funded school programs. The law also requires the Arizona Department of Education to track compliance and publish which schools are following the rules. 

Schools have less than a year to adjust menus, vendor contracts and budgets before the law takes effect.