Contact: Claire Buchan Parker
WASHINGTON (March 3, 2020) – The Coalition for Accurate Product Labels (CAPL) (www.accuratelabels.com), which advocates for meaningful, science-based information about the products consumers buy and use, today hailed the bipartisan introduction of the Accurate Labels Act (ALA).
The ALA, introduced by Representatives Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), will amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to:
• Ensure consumers have access to clear, accurate and meaningful product labels;
• Establish science-based criteria for state and local labeling requirements to ensure consistent, high-quality consumer information;
• Allow state-mandated product information to be provided through smartphone-enabled “smart labels” and on websites;
• Ensure that covered product information is risk-based; and
• Will leave unchanged current federal laws related to allergens, nutrition facts and medicines.
“Americans deserve access to accurate information about the products they buy and use,” said American Chemistry Council President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Jahn. “Unfortunately, an increasing number of states and localities are requiring misleading labels that imply serious risks where they do not actually exist. The ALA will help provide consumers with transparent and science-based information about those products by requiring states and localities to ‘show their work’ when it comes to the science behind their labeling mandates.”
CAPL noted that, since 2017, there have been 62 proposals in 17 states that would require warning labels or ingredient listings that are based on questionable science and may cause unnecessary confusion and concern for consumers.
• New York, San Francisco and Baltimore proposed warning labels on all sweetened beverages even though the Food and Drug Administration says sugar “can be a part of a healthy dietary pattern…”
• Several states and cities, such as Hawaii, have required or proposed warning labels on cell phones despite the weight of scientific evidence that cell phone use is safe.
• California requires warning labels on a variety of everyday products—even coffee was being subjected to a warning label—often without regard to the best science or real-world exposure rates.
“Fewer than 18 percent of Americans believe states and cities should be able to impose whatever labeling regulations they want,” said Chuck Conner, president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. “The ALA will help ensure that consumers are able to rely on labeling information, and it will put a stop to the labeling chaos and misinformation that creates confusion, drives up costs and creates unreasonable regulatory burdens for farmers, manufacturers and small businesses.”
Research shows that 62 percent of Americans believe the federal government should set the standard for what labels must be included on products consumers buy. In addition, more than four in five (83 percent) Americans support using digital disclosure through smartphones or web sites as a transparent way to access accurate, detailed information on the products they use.
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About the Coalition for Accurate Product Labels
CAPL is a group of nearly 100 business and agriculture organizations that believe that consumers have a right to clear, accurate and meaningful information about the products they buy.
Coalition members believe that Congress should amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to create a national standard that will ensure consumers continue to benefit from the nutritional and allergy information on packaging today while guaranteeing that additional product information required by states or localities is clear, accurate and based on sound science.
Co-Chairs:
American Chemistry Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Members:
American Agri-Women
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Beverage Association
American Brush Manufacturers Association
American Coatings Association
American Composites Manufacturers Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Frozen Food Institute
American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers
American Home Furnishings Alliance
American Seed Trade Association
American Soybean Association
American Sugarbeet Growers Association
Animal Health Institute
Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry
Auto Care Association
Calorie Control Council
Can Manufacturers Institute
Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products
Consumer Technology Association
Corn Refiners Association
CropLife America
Council for Responsible Nutrition
EPS Industry Alliance
Fashion Accessories Shippers Association
Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Trade Association
Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association
Flexible Vinyl Alliance
FMI, The Food Industry Association
Foodservice Packaging Institute
Frozen Potato Products Institute
Gemini Shippers Association
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance
Home Furnishings Association
Independent Bakers Association
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
International Bottled Water Association
International Dairy Foods Association
International Food Additives Council
Juice Products Association
Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
Napthalene Council
National Association of Chemical Distributors
National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Music Merchants
National Candle Association
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Council of Textile Organizations
National Grocers Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Sunflower Association
Natural Products Association
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Inc.
Pavement Coatings Technology Council
Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association
Plastics Industry Association
Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association
Plastics Pipe Institute
PVC Pipe Association
Resilient Floor Covering Institute
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association
Single Ply Roofing Industry, Inc.
SNAC International
Specialty Graphic Imaging Association
Sugar Association
The Chlorine Institute
The Vision Council
Travel Goods Association
Treated Wood Council
United Fresh Produce Association
U.S. Canola Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Vinyl Institute
Western Growers Association
