Lawmakers Are Rolling Back Food Safety Rules
a day ago
- #regulation
- #lobbying
- #food-safety
- Lawmakers added clauses to the government shutdown deal temporarily barring states from regulating 'healthy' food labels and suspending new listeria regulations.
- The House spending bill includes a provision (effective until 2028) preventing states from setting their own 'healthy' food labeling rules, aligning with industry pushback.
- The changes respond to a Biden-era FDA rule updating 'healthy' food definitions to limit saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars.
- Major cereal companies (General Mills, Kellogg’s, Post) opposed the FDA rule, claiming it would exclude most cereals from being labeled 'healthy.'
- The Consumer Brands Association criticized the FDA's 'healthy' definition as overly restrictive and spent over $2M lobbying on labeling issues in 2025.
- Another clause bars FDA funds for new listeria guidelines on 'low-risk ready-to-eat' foods (e.g., cooked eggs, prepackaged salads) despite past outbreaks.
- Recent listeria outbreaks linked to 'low-risk' foods (e.g., pasta meals) resulted in deaths and illnesses, raising safety concerns.
- Food manufacturers spent over $2M lobbying the White House, Congress, and FDA on labeling and nutrition policies in early 2025.