“Accurate Labels Act” Introduced in Congress

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) have introduced the Accurate Labels Act, a proposed amendment to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act that would require information about the “chemical composition of, and radiation emitted by” a food product to be based on the “best available science.” According to a press release from Moran, the bill “ensures that consumers have access to accurate and easy-to-understand product information” by (i) “[e]stablishing science-based criteria for all additional state and local labeling requirements”; (ii) “[a]llowing state-mandated product information to be provided through smartphone-enabled ‘smart labels’ and on websites, where consumers can find up-to-date, relevant ingredients and warnings”; and (iii) “[e]nsuring that covered product information is risk-based.”

“Consumers deserve full transparency on the products they’re buying, no matter where they live or shop,” Kinzinger said in a statement. “Often times, due to various state laws, items are incorrectly labeled with warnings about harms that do not exist. This inaccuracy creates confusion and fear for the consumers, desensitizes the public from heeding serious warnings on health risks, and imposes unnecessary and costly regulatory burdens for producers.”