‘Not Recommended for Human Consumption’: Texas Bill Would Slap Warning Labels on Snack Aisle Staples

Texas is poised to force junk food purveyors that make items like Doritos and Mountain Dew to slap warning labels on their products if they contain banned or restricted ingredients.State Senate Bill 25, which passed both houses of the state legislature and is awaiting Governor Abbott’s signature, would require food conglomerates like General Mills and PepsiCo to put health labels on products that contain certain ingredients like bleached flour and synthetic food dyes. The labels would identify the products as “not recommended for human consumption.”If approved, the law would make the Lone Star State one of the first in the country to crack down on the nation’s largest food manufacturers. The enactment of the bipartisan bill would also represent a shift from Texas’s traditional “light touch” approach to regulations.The bill has the full support of the health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and would be seen as a victory for his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Key hallmark issues of Mr. Kennedy’s recent initiatives have included calling for banning dyes, seed oils, and other additives he claims cause health issues like inflammation, allergic reactions, and an increased risk of cancer.Food manufacturers have already lobbied to have the Texas legislature remove the provision, with dozens of companies sending a letter to officials in the statehouse arguing that it would “destabilize local and regional economies” and limit food access.“As currently written, the food labeling provision in this bill casts an incredibly wide net — triggering warning labels on everyday grocery items based on assertions that foreign governments have banned such items, rather than on standards established by Texas regulators or by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” the letter said.The Consumer Brand Association, which represents several major food manufacturers in America, is urging Mr. Abbott to veto the bill.“The ingredients used in the U.S. food supply are safe and have been rigorously studied following an objective science and risk-based evaluation process,” the senior vice president of state affairs for the CBA, John Hewitt, told Fortune magazine. “The labeling requirements of SB 25 mandate inaccurate warning language, create legal risks for brands, and drive consumer confusion and higher costs.”The governor’s office has not indicated if Mr. Abbott intends to sign the bill, but said to Bloomberg that he’s committed to providing access to healthy foods.“Governor Abbott will continue to work with the legislature to ensure Texans have access to healthy foods to care for themselves and their families and will thoughtfully review any legislation they send to his desk.”

‘Not Recommended for Human Consumption’: Texas Bill Would Slap Warning Labels on Snack Aisle Staples

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