The coalition Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT) sent a letter on July 29 to Congressional leaders urging swift action on a uniform national framework for food ingredient safety and labeling. Otherwise, “a growing patchwork of state ingredient regulations threatens to increase grocery costs by 12 percent,” the group says.

“270 industry leaders from across the country” called on Congress to act on bipartisan food policy reforms that “strengthen consumer confidence, preserve food affordability and maintain a safe, reliable, and secure national food supply.”

The letter comes a week after Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said he will work on “a national uniform standard for food regulations rather than a patchwork of widely different state laws,” according to AFIT.

The group did not specify who the signers were other than to say they include “major national and state groups and industry leaders, including state farm bureaus, beverage associations, retail federations, and grocers associations spanning nearly every U.S. state.”

Presumably that includes food & beverage companies identified when the group was formed last October: Coca-Cola Co., Conagra, General Mills, Hormel, Ken’s, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, Nestle, Ocean Spray, PepsiCo, Sargento and Tyson – as well as associations Consumer Brands Assn., American Beverage Assn., Meat Institute, National Restaurant Assn., National Milk Producers Assn., FMI-The Food Industry Assn., and others.

The letter was addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and included HELP Committee Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, and Ranking Member Frank Pallone.

While food & beverage processors typically oppose regulation, they agree that uniform national standards are preferable to a growing patchwork of state ingredient regulations. “If the patchwork of bills passed by LA, TX, and WV is replicated nationwide, consumers across the country could face at least a 12% increase in annual grocery costs,” according to an economic analysis released by AFIT in February.

The first of those state laws goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027.

The coalition is urging Congress to pursue a federal framework that would:

* Establish and preserve a single, uniform national standard for food ingredient review, use and labeling requirements.

* Reaffirm FDA’s role as the primary federal authority responsible for setting both the floor and ceiling for food ingredient safety and regulation.

* Advance transparency and consumer confidence providing more information to the consumer through practical, science-based reforms that are consistent nationwide.

* Modernize the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) framework in a manner that is risk-based, workable and uniformly implemented across all states.

* Protect affordability and supply chain resilience, ensuring continued access to safe, nutrient dense and competitively priced food product choices.