School lunches, QR codes and seed oils: What will change now that Louisiana has passed MAHA bill
Louisiana is set to usher in a series of nutrition reforms following the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 14, a sweeping initiative to reshape how schools, food manufacturers, and restaurants address nutrition and ingredient transparency. The bill, which no longer includes a provision to remove soft drinks from SNAP benefits, now heads to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk for signature after the Senate concurred with House amendments Tuesday.
Louisiana joins several other states, including West Virginia, Utah, Texas, Idaho and Michigan, that have recently passed laws aligned with the initiative dubbed “Make America Healthy Again,” championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, speaks while presenting SB14 during a Senate Health and Welfare Committee meeting at the State Capitol on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
During floor debates in May, Sen. Patrick McMath, a Republican from Covington, shared his personal motivation behind sponsoring the legislation. He said he began teaching himself about wellness after his wife faced health problems and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar levels and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“That led me down the rabbit hole … reading books, listening to podcasts, talking to dieticians and professionals … really educating myself on the effects of ultra-processed food,” McMath said in May.
The bill was crafted with input from Casey Means, a physician and wellness influencer who is the Trump administration’s pick for surgeon general, McMath said in an interview. He views it as a broader step toward a shift in how the country approaches health, prioritizing nutrition, prevention and personal responsibility.
“We need to send a message to the nation that Louisiana is serious about our personal health outcomes,” he said.
The bill includes four major parts.
School breakfast and lunch
Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, schools in Louisiana would not be allowed to serve certain artificial colors and additives in breakfasts and lunches. Examples include Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1, which are used in things like candy and colorful drinks. Other banned ingredients, like BHA and BHT, are preservatives found in cereals and snacks. Schools also have to make sure that at least 20% of the food they buy comes from Louisiana farms. The ingredient ban does not apply to after school snacks or concession stands.
Ingredient disclosure QR codes
Food manufacturers selling products in Louisiana must include a QR code on packages if their products contain certain artificial ingredients. For example, sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose (found in diet sodas and sugar-free foods), ADA (used in some breads) and titanium dioxide (used in white frostings and candies) all need to be disclosed. The QR code will lead to a webpage with information about the ingredients and a warning that they could be harmful. This rule starts in 2028.
Seed oil signage in restaurants
Restaurants and food businesses using seed oils — like canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oils commonly used in cooking and frying — will have to flag it on the menu or somewhere else visible to customers. The new rule takes effect in 2028.
Continuing education requirements
Physician, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology must complete a minimum of one hour of training on nutrition and metabolic health every two years. This requirement will begin on January 1, 2026.
The original version of the bill also called for Louisiana to seek a federal waiver to ban soft drinks from SNAP purchases. That provision was removed through a Senate amendment. However, the governor had already issued an executive order directing that soda and candy be excluded from SNAP benefits.
A massive crowd fills the Senate Health and Welfare Committee meeting room during the discussion of SB14 by Sen. Patrick McMath, left, at the State Capitol on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The crowd was large enough to fill an overflow room upstairs.
Though the bill passed unanimously in both chambers, some have voiced concerns about its narrow focus on specific additives rather than broader dietary quality. Sen. Jay Luneau – with a red Gatorade and box of Skittles in hand to demonstrate his point – said during a committee meeting in April that there should be a more comprehensive approach to public health that includes looking at environmental factors and the cost of food.
“If I go to a fast food place and I pull up there and order a combo meal, it’s $6, $7. If I get a salad, it’s $12,” Luneau, a Democrat from Alexandria, said. “We have to do something about that if we’re going to propose this kind of stuff.”
Sen. Jay Morris, a Republican from West Monroe, expressed concern on the Senate floor ahead of the initial passage that the bill was driven more by political momentum than scientific consensus before it passed in the Senate.
“With all due respect to Robert Kennedy, I’m sure he has a lot of good ideas, but there’s a lot of political momentum and I’m concerned we’re going to make policy based on that,” Morris said.
Nutrition experts have said that seed oils are in fact healthier than alternatives such as lard or butter.
McMath said that negotiations with manufacturers, schools and restaurants focused heavily on timelines to make implementation feasible. Already, he said, the planned chaos the new rules will cause in the food system are making waves.
“PepsiCo has announced they’re phasing out certain ingredients, the FDA is removing dyes, and some fast-food chains are starting to move back to beef tallow,” said McMath. “It’s shifting.”
