DeLauro, Pallone, Blumenthal Announce Introduction of Food Labeling Modernization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 3, 2018) – Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced the introduction of the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2018 (H.R. 5425) today, which would update front-of-package labeling requirements in order to prevent misleading health claims and require updates to the ingredient list on packaged foods and other labeling requirements. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) will introduce a companion measure when the Senate reconvenes next week.

"The Food Labeling Modernization Act will give food labeling requirements an important and long-overdue overhaul," said DeLauro. "Food labels should give a clear, accurate, and fair representation of the product, and that is just not the case right now. This common-sense bill would provide more information to consumers—information that is vital as people make choices about what food to buy for their families."

"Food labels play an important role in our nation's battle against obesity and diet-related disease," said Pallone. "Unfortunately, federal labeling rules have not kept up with the changing marketplace, and food labels do not always provide the clear information that today's consumers need to evaluate products and make healthy choices. The Food Labeling Modernization Act will address this problem by taking a comprehensive approach to ensuring consistency and clarity on all food labels, as well as setting reliable standards for what ‘healthy' and ‘natural' actually mean."

"Consumers deserve clear, accurate information about the food they eat – but instead of giving consumers clarity, current labels are a maze of confusion," said Blumenthal. "The Food Labeling Modernization Act empowers consumers by with accurate, truthful, and concise information, giving them the tools they need to make healthier choices and outsmart deceptive pitches and promotions. Congresswoman DeLauro is a champion of consumer choice – I'm proud to be her partner on this legislation and look forward to introducing the Senate companion measure next week."

Obesity and diet-related disease are responsible for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in the U.S. each year, as well as increased health care costs. However, food labeling requirements do not always provide families with the information they need to make healthy choices. The majority of the food labeling provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act have not been updated since 1990 and in some cases have not been changed since 1938. As a result, labels do not provide the information that today's consumers need to evaluate and compare products in order to make healthy choices.

In an effort to help consumers select healthy products, the Food Labeling Modernization Act's signature initiative will direct the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to establish a single, standard front of package nutrition labeling system in a timely manner for all food products required to bear nutrition labeling.

The bill will also strengthen current law to target trends in marketing that confuse or mislead consumers when they are attempting to compare food products. Specifically, the legislation will require new guidelines for the use of the words "healthy" or "made with whole grain."

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the agency will pursue a new Nutrition Innovation Strategy, which includes a number of provisions from DeLauro, Pallone, and Blumenthal's bill.