Food & Beverage Companies Launch Effort for One Federal Standard on Questionable Ingredients

In what sounds reminiscent of the 2010s fight over labeling genetically engineered foods, a handful of food & beverage companies is collaborating to lobby for national standards that cover ingredient bans – before the states impose their own. This time, however, the processors are being transparent about it and enlisting the public’s support.

Until now, food companies have been opposed to ingredient bans. Apparently seeing the writing on the wall, they’ve created Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT), launched on Oct. 22 to counter the growing number of states that are creating their own, slightly varying sets of laws controlling questionable ingredients.

“These well-intentioned efforts are creating an ever-expanding patchwork of disjointed food, beverage, and personal care regulations that are increasing confusion, rather than providing Americans with the clarity they deserve,” AFIT said in its inaugural announcement.

Food company backers are Coca-Cola Co., Conagra, General Mills, Hormel, Ken’s, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, Nestle, Ocean Spray, PepsiCo, Sargento and Tyson. The effort also is backed by a number of associations, including Consumer Brands Assn., American Beverage Assn., Meat Institute, National Restaurant Assn., National Milk Producers Assn., FMI-The Food Industry Assn., and others.

AFIT is lobbying for pre-emptive federal standards, “and it stands ready to work with the Trump Administration and Congress on incorporating Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) reform, Front-of-Package labeling reform and QR code reform into federal law,” the group said.

“The group has committed the necessary resources to effectively advocate for federal legislation that ushers in one national standard for ingredient transparency that applies consistent, science- and risk-based principles to give Americans everywhere confidence in the safety of their foods, beverages, and personal care products.”

AFIT claim to be made up of “concerned Americans, policy experts, farmers and industry leaders,” who want the information delivered “in the most consumer-friendly way possible to help families decide what is best for them." So far, only the food companies and associations are listed on its website.

The coalition is led by Julie Gunlock, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative policy advocate focused on food and nutrition, parenting and science-based issues, and Andy Koenig, a former policy special assistant to President Trump.

“Unfortunately, states are now implementing their own patchwork of contradictory ingredient rules that have caused widespread confusion among consumers,” Koenig said. “President Trump and his administration are well-suited to make these determinations.”

Under the direction of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, dozens of food & beverage companies voluntarily have committed to removing seven petroleum-based color additives by the end of 2026. 11 state legislatures – in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia – have passed state laws that ban those colors, with some including titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, propylparaben and other ingredients. Even high-fructose corn syrup is in one proposed ban.

Some of the laws or legislation are attempting to define ultraprocessed foods. Louisiana's law, effective in 2028, bans 50 ingredients from schools and requires warning labels elsewhere.

Back in the 2010s, when several states were considering laws to require the labeling of genetically engineered foods, a coalition of food & beverage companies was working behind the scenes to defeat those efforts or ballot referendums, with Consumer Brands Assn. at the helm. Washington state officials hit the organization – then called Grocery Manufacturers Assn. – with an $18 million fine for “concealing” the names of the food & beverage companies funding an effort to persuade a “no” vote on a 2013 ballot referendum in that state.