CHICAGO – Today Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order establishing nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold or served on city-owned property. Mayor Johnson is partnering with the Chicago Department for Public Health (CDPH) to progress the City’s understanding and culture of nutritional foods while elevating public discussion of the connection between diets and chronic disease. The Order works toward ensuring that low fat, low sugar, culturally appropriate food options are available in city facilities, while also improving access for residents in low-income areas who may have limited choices. 

“Ensuring every Chicagoan no matter their zip code has access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food is critical to our work of building healthy, whole, and safe communities across this city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This order brings together the full force of government to make healthy eating a priority in our schools, at our parks, and all public spaces.” 

For the first time all City agencies will be subject to mandatory purchasing guidelines for any food sold or served on City property by defining terms and establishing best practice guidelines. The new standards will help City partners and non-profits to guide their own purchasing. Currently, there is no specific standard of what defines “nutritious food” shared as a norm across the city. Improving efficiency and increasing access to nutritious food is especially vital as the federal government is moving to cut access to SNAP and food benefits from thousands of Chicagoans.  

“CDPH and the City of Chicago are working together to encourage and improve nutritional standards through an approach of substituting processed, high-sodium and high-sugar foods and beverages with low-fat, low-sugar, affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate choices,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo ‘Simbo’ Ige, MD, MS, MPH. “This executive order is a step toward changing norms around food access and reducing contributions to food-related chronic diseases.” 

Today’s announcement builds on years of community engagement and elevates recommendations for providing culturally responsive food options provided by the Food Equity Council’s Institutional Food Procurement Workgroup.  

The order reaffirms the City’s commitment to ensuring employees and the public achieve their goals of reducing sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, and other non-nutritious foods while seeking out food providers who offer healthier choices. Healthy food options reduce long-term healthcare costs by decreasing the risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes while improving health outcomes. These policies also help change eating behaviors, educate consumers, and can lead to other benefits like environmental sustainability. 

Exemptions—including for food service programs already regulated by state or federal nutritional guidelines and those targeted to specific contexts or populations, such as shelter operations—included in this policy were developed in conversation with the Department for Family and Support Services (DFSS) to provide flexibility to existing operations. 

The Food Equity Council’s 2023 annual report estimated Chicago’s City Departments and sister agencies together spend approximately $321.86 million annually on food related contracts. $13.3 million was estimated to be contracted by DFSS, and the remainder by sister agencies including Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, City Colleges of Chicago, and more. 

The full text of the Executive Order will be available on the City Clerk’s Website.   

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