ARLINGTON, Va. — The Consumer Brands Association issued the following statement regarding FDA’s Reorganization Approval from Sarah Gallo, vice president of product policy: “The Consumer Brands Association commends the FDA for the approval of the Human Foods Program reorganization and other modernization actions. The makers of America’s trusted household brands depend on the FDA to perform its regulatory role effectively, efficiently and transparently. Consumer Brands believes the FDA can, and must, move at the speed of the consumer using a modernized regulatory system to better prov ..read more

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Consumer Brands Association issued the following statement regarding the Minnesota legislature passing the Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act from John Hewitt, vice president, packaging sustainability and head of state affairs: “The consumer packaged goods industry supports packaging policies that protect consumer safety, improve recycling access and deliver strong environmental outcomes which is why we commend the Minnesota legislature for passing the Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act. The extended producer responsibility framework established in this bill, whic ..read more

What has been the most striking about the barrage of coverage around so-called “ultra-processed” foods (UPFs) — from online influencers to editorialists presenting their opinion pieces as news articles — is how so much opining has lacked critical information and context integral to allow the consumer drawing their own, fact-based conclusion. Instead, we are left with conjecture around trends that garner the most online engagement, rather than providing thoughtful, informed commentary that can bring something new to the conversation that affects people’s real lives. The most recent example is ..read more

Consumer Brands president and CEO David Chavern sat down with CEO Update to discuss his diverse career background and his vision for the future of the association. Chavern, who holds both a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), joined Consumer Brands in January 2023 after spending seven years as president and CEO of the News Media Alliance. He also spent a decade on the executive leadership team at the United States Chamber of Commerce. Chavern told CEO Update that he is always looking towards the future and focused on running towards members’ hardest problems ..read more

In an op-ed published by AgriPulse, Consumer Brands Vice President of Public Policy, Sarah Gallo explains how the food and beverage industry has partnered with the FDA for more than a decade  to improve nutrition fact labeling and develop consumer transparency tools. Currently, the FDA is conducting research on front-of-pack nutrition labeling and considering a proposed rule mandating such labeling. However, collaborative industry partnerships on product labeling and consumer transparency have already resulted in two resourceful consumer tools: Facts up Front and SmartLabel. While Facts ..read more

The consumer packaged goods industry makes products that vary across food, beverage, personal care and household products, but its common thread is an unrelenting commitment to the consumer. They are driven to always be innovating to not just deliver for consumers but excite them and, ultimately, make their lives a little easier, too. Enter The Clorox Company’s latest innovation: the digital core, inspired by its “consumer-obsessed” approach that leverages AI to track trends online to discern what people are discussing and what new products they might want. This is how the toilet bomb came to ..read more

RealClear Science published an op-ed authored by Consumer Brands Vice President of Packaging Sustainability John Hewitt that underscores the urgent need for Congress to close the loop and pass two bipartisan bills in the House that are meant to help mitigate the gaps for consumers to access recycling across the country. U.S. Senators Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (RIAA) and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (RCAA), both of which recently passed unan ..read more

At Consumer Brands, we’re proud to represent the makers of the products consumers choose and the brands they trust. Part of that trust extends to the CPG industry’s commitment to building a more sustainable future through innovations in packaging emission reductions and contributing to the circular economy. It’s another way companies continue to deliver for consumers — and give back to the environment. The Kraft Heinz Company shared big news at the nexus of job creation and taking a giant leap toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions: the global brand has been selected for award negotiations ..read more

There’s no way to talk about nutrition without a deep dive into the critical aspect of food safety and how the government can take proactive steps to ensure it is providing a framework for ingredient safety at the federal level. At Consumer Brands, a pillar of our FDA Modernization campaign has been steeped in urging the FDA to develop a transparent regulatory agenda for reviewing the safety of chemicals in packaging and products. In 2023 alone, the agency ramped up regulatory actions across the food chemical space, including announcing plans to establish the Office of Food Chemical Safety, D ..read more

The latest batch of clickbait-laden headlines, sparked by a Consumer Reports’ article questioning the safety and inclusion of Lunchables and similar food kits in school cafeterias, ignores strict safety standards in favor of conjecture that only stands to confuse parents and school professionals. Buried under paragraphs of fear-mongering language and graphs, the report finally gets to the truth: “some contaminants, like lead and cadmium, are naturally found in the environment, which can partly account for their presence in food.” Sodium values were all within the range permitted by the Food a ..read more