Arizona Healthy Schools Act
Important Changes for the 2026 - 2027 school year
Effective at the start of the 2026-27 school year, the Arizona Healthy Schools Act (A.R.S. 15-242.01), prohibits public schools participating in federally funded or assisted meal programs from serving, selling, or allowing a third party to sell ultra-processed food on the school campus during the regular school day.*
Allowed:
- Food fundraisers held off campus or outside the school day
- Food brought by parents for their own child
These new rules do not apply to parents packing their individual child’s lunch or snacks. You can still pack any lunches, snacks, or treats for your individual child.
Restricted:
- Serving or selling foods during the school day* that contain banned ingredients
- Serving foods containing banned ingredients during classroom parties and celebrations
- School-sponsored rewards or incentives with banned ingredients
Where it applies during the school day:
- School Meals
- School Stores
- Fundraisers
- Class Celebrations/Rewards
- Catering
- Vending Machines
Foods containing the following banned ingredients are not to be served or sold during the school day:
- Potassium Bromate
- Propylparaben
- Titanium Dioxide
- Brominated Vegetable Oil
- Yellow Dye 5 or 6
- Red Dye 3 or 40
- Blue Dye 1 or 2
- Green Dye 3
Planning to bring a classroom treat?
Please check with your school office before purchasing food items. They can help you determine whether your selections meet the Arizona healthy schools act requirements.
Food Guidelines Flyer
*For this law, the school day is defined as midnight before instruction begins until 30 minutes after the instructional day ends.
