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As U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s push to combat ultra-processed foods and artificial dyes gains momentum in the state, food and beverage giants are making a concerted effort to fight back.
Major food and beverage companies including Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz, General Mills and Nestle have formed a lobbying coalition to block the spread of state laws targeting everything from artificial dyes to ultra-processed foods. Instead, a group called Americans for Ingredient Transparency is pushing for a national standard.
“These patches of state laws create confusion for consumers, limit choice, increase costs at grocery stores and harm small businesses,” the group said in a launch video. “Clear country-specific ingredient and labeling laws solve this.”
Americans for Ingredient Transparency collaborates with the Consumer Brands Association, American Beverage, and the American Frozen Foods Institute. We are supported by leading industry trade groups, including the Food Industry Institute (FMI) and the Food Industry Institute (FMI).
RFK’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement to reshape America’s food supply has garnered bipartisan support in states, with Democrats and Republicans united on bills to ban ultra-processed foods or ban certain dyes and ingredients in schools. At least 35 states have proposed 93 bills on food additives this legislative session, with 10 enacted as of the end of June, according to the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation at Harvard Law School.
The enacted legislation includes West Virginia becoming the first state in the nation to ban foods containing artificial dyes. Texas recently passed a bill requiring warning labels on products containing certain additives, and California passed a bill banning ultra-processed foods in schools.
As more states consider legislation, food and beverage companies are becoming increasingly vocal about the potential consequences for their industry. One of the biggest actions against MAHA the industry has taken to date was when the color manufacturer filed a lawsuit to strike down West Virginia’s ban on artificial dyes.
Americans for Ingredient Transparency said it hopes to work with Congress on three key initiatives, including a uniform regulatory approach to new ingredients through reform of the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) program; The association is also advocating for a front-of-package nutrition labeling system and a requirement that food packaging include a QR code that consumers can scan to get more ingredient information.
The lobbying group’s launch was quickly met with criticism from consumer advocates and those within the MAHA movement. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement that the association’s intent is “to repeal all state laws that protect consumers from harmful chemicals in food and hold the industry accountable.”
“It’s disappointing to see these giant food companies investing millions of dollars in expensive lobbyists and advertising campaigns to mislead the public and policymakers instead of removing toxic ingredients from their products,” he said.
