Pallone & DeLauro Reintroduce Food Labeling Modernization Act

Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) reintroduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act today. The bill would update front-of-package food labeling requirements, require updates to the ingredient list on packaged foods, and apply consumer friendly labeling requirements.

Pallone and DeLauro are longtime leaders in the fight for food safety and transparency for American families, including congressional efforts to ban harmful chemicals such as Red Dye 3, and first introduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act more than a decade ago.

"Americans face a barrage of marketing claims every time they step foot in a grocery store. It's overwhelming and virtually impossible to navigate as we're all trying to make healthy choices for our families," Pallone said. "The Food Labeling Modernization Act will create easy-to-read labels on the front of packages that provide consumers with nutrition information and important warnings. The goal is to make it a little easier for everyone to know what they're buying and to stop misleading health claims."

"Americans are demanding, and rightfully so, more transparency into what is in the foods they eat. The Food Labeling Modernization Act will give food labeling requirements an important and long-overdue overhaul," said Congresswoman 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 on foods to consumers-information that is vital as people make informed choices about what to buy to feed their families."



Most food labeling requirements in 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, food labels are not always required to provide the information that today's consumers need to evaluate and compare products in order to make healthy choices.

The Food Labeling Modernization Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services 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 would also strengthen current law to address trends in marketing that confuse or mislead consumers when they are attempting to compare food products. Specifically, the legislation will require guidelines for the use of the word "healthy."

Bill text is available HERE.