New warning sign coming to Calif. fast food menus after Newsom signs law

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Monday requiring chain restaurants to add new warning labels next to sugary drinks on menus.

Read more Trump’s latest plan to wring out money from national park visits heads to court

The new law will require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to include an icon, described as a sugar cube inside a black triangle, next to beverages with a high sugar content by Jan. 1, 2029. The law applies to drinks that contain 100% of the USDA’s recommendation for added sugar, which equates to 50 grams or more of added sugar.

Restaurants will also be required to post a warning explaining the new sugar icon. The law, which also applies to cafes and delis, will require restaurants to include the new sugar icons on physical menus, drive-thru menus and digital menus. It only applies to drinks and not food. 

State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, who proposed Senate Bill 869, told SFGATE in an emailed statement that the warning is intended to provide “greater transparency” and empower consumers. 

“With SB 869 now signed into law, Californians will have clearer information about added sugar in certain beverages right on restaurant menus, giving families another tool to make informed choices for themselves and their children,” Weber Pierson said. 

Read more Ex-Calif. postal worker who stole veterans’ drugs to serve 1 year in prison

The California Restaurant Association opposed the bill, saying it was costly to businesses and unnecessary because menus already need to have calorie content posted.

Sugary beverages are among the highest contributors of added sugars in American diets, according to a Monday news release from the state senator. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2025 , more than half of children ages 1 to 5 drank sugary drinks at least once per week between 2022 and 2023.