Fox News reports on the launching of a “new conservative group working to untangle state laws concerning food and personal care ingredients by setting a national standard for ingredient transparency.” The name: Americans for Ingredient Transparency.
According to the story, the nonprofit “specifically aims to work with Congress and the Trump administration to incorporate Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) reform, front-of-package labeling reform and QR code reform into federal law.
GRAS reform would establish a ‘nationally uniform regulatory approach for new ingredients used in food and beverage products’ … The front-of-package labeling reform would guide consumers to healthier choices, while the QR code reform would provide consumers with a scannable code on products to review product information.”
“As an American, but most importantly a mom, I know firsthand how important it is to trust the products we consume and bring into our homes,” says Julie Gunlock, described in the story as “a conservative policy advocate focused on nutrition and parenting. “Families deserve commonsense and science-backed transparency they can rely on. That’s why a national standard for food safety and labeling is of the utmost importance to ensure every parent can make safe, informed choices for their children — because protecting our families starts with the truth.”
Fox News reports that “Americans for Ingredient Transparency is backed by a handful of food and consumer groups … including the Consumer Brands Association, American Beverage Association, Corn Refiners Association and FMI — the Food Industry Association.” Major food companies such as Nestle, The Coca Cola Company, General Mills, Hormel, and PepsiCo also are said to be part of the coalition.
In a response to the announcement, Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, “If there were truth-in-labeling laws governing the naming of campaigns, this coalition would be prohibited from disguising their true intention, which is to wipe out all of the state laws that protect consumers from harmful chemical ingredients in food and hold the industry accountable. It’s disappointing to see these giant food companies investing millions of dollars on high-priced lobbyists and ad campaigns to mislead the public and policymakers instead of removing toxic ingredients from their products.”
KC’s View:
I tend to be on Consumer Reports’ side on this one. While I agree that a single federal standard would be better, the fact is that lawmakers seem to be unable to get anything done. While they dither, states are moving ahead with their own regulations, looking to protect their residents.
If the federal government is able to come up with something better that is consumer-centric, then these trade associations can go ahead with their lobbying. But under the current setup, I cannot help but think they’re trying to replace something with nothing.
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