Nutrition policy is having a visible comeback in 2025, with local lawmakers considering measures on everything from added sugars to checkout environments.
In New York City, the Health Department began implementing a new rule requiring added sugar warnings this fall. Chain restaurants with 15 or more locations must display a spoon icon inside a triangle next to any item with 50 grams or more of added sugars, along with a health warning statement. The rule covers nearly 4,000 locations, and civil penalties begin in January 2026. NYC already requires sodium warnings for items at or above 2,300 mg of sodium, so menus in the city now flag both high sugar and high sodium items for diners.
In August, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an order establishing nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold or served on city property. The directive defines “nutritious food,” aligns purchasing with federal Food Service Guidelines, and tasks agencies and partners with offering lower sugar and culturally appropriate options across parks, shelters, colleges, and other public sites.
Retail checkout aisles also received renewed attention. In September, Contra Costa County approved the first county-level healthy checkout policy. Large retailers in unincorporated areas must stock only items that meet specific limits, no more than 5 grams of added sugar and 200 milligrams of sodium per serving, within checkout zones. Officials cited Berkeley’s 2021 healthy checkout law as the model and noted a one-year grace period before penalties. A recent analysis of Berkeley’s policy found a 70% reduction in added sugar offerings at checkout after its policy took effect.
However, not all localities successfully approved measures. In November, city council members in Pueblo, Colorado, rejected a proposed Healthy Beverage for Children ordinance that would have made water or milk the default drink in kids’ meals.
Steps taken by city and county officials this year build on a wave of policies during the 2010s. Berkeley voters passed the first modern city soda tax in 2014, followed by Philadelphia’s citywide beverage tax in 2016 and Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax in 2017, which also mandated formal evaluation.
Notably, many of the local governments pushing nutrition action are places typically seen as progressive politically. At the same time, several priorities now align with elements of the federal Make America Healthy Again agenda, including a focus on ultra-processed foods, added sugar, and stronger standards for what public programs purchase or promote. The MAHA initiative, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has emphasized themes that mirror local sugar and sodium policies and city procurement rules. States that lean more traditionally red also introduced and passed MAHA-like legislation this session.
The shift toward more comprehensive local policies moves the conversation beyond calorie listings to clearer rules on sugar, salt, ingredient disclosure, placement of less-healthy products, and default beverages in kids’ meals. Cities are setting ingredient thresholds, adding warning icons, tightening procurement and vending standards on public property, and testing checkout-aisle and default-drink rules to shape what people encounter and choose. As more localities expand or adopt these measures, this will remain a key area for restaurants, retailers, and public agencies.