Overview

• Supervisors voted unanimously for initial approval to require only approved items in checkout aisles and within three feet of registers at retail stores over 2,000 square feet in unincorporated areas.
• If adopted, the policy would take effect in November with a first year focused on education and inspections, followed by fines for noncompliance after the transition period.
• The ordinance defines eligible items as foods with no more than 5 grams of added sugar and 200 milligrams of sodium per serving, gums and mints without added sugars, and beverages without added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
• County staff estimate 40-plus stores would be affected, while incorporated cities are excluded and products that do not meet the criteria could still be sold elsewhere in the store.
• If finalized, Contra Costa would be the first U.S. county with such a policy, building on Berkeley’s 2021 law and research showing checkout assortments can shift toward lower sugar and sodium.