Major food and beverage companies have joined together to launch a new coalition calling for national standards on food ingredients and labeling.
The coalition, called Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT), is intended to limit what it calls the “ever-expanding patchwork of disjointed” regulations that increase confusion in health policies rather than “providing Americans with the clarity they deserve.” The group is backed by the Consumer Brands Association, American Beverage Association, Corn Refiners Association, and the Food Industry Association, according to Fox News.
Julie Gunlock, a policy advocate on food and nutrition and the coalition’s leader, said in a statement, “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. 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,” she said.
The group’s formation comes as several states have different standards for labeling products and health items.
In Texas, SB 25 requires warning labels to be placed on popular snack items. The label is to read: “WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom.”
Similarly, Oklahoma launched a “Make Oklahoma Healthy Again” campaign to combat water fluoridation and artificial food dyes, while West Virginia banned synthetic dyes in foods. The bill, HB 2354, prohibits the “sale of any food product in the state that includes the dyes Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3.”
