US Industry Groups Challenge Texas Ingredient Labeling Law Over Misleading Claims
Several major food and beverage trade associations have filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over a new law mandating warning labels on products containing certain artificial colors and additives. The legislation, passed in June, requires that products with over 40 specified substances, including synthetic food dyes and bleached flour, display a label warning consumers that these ingredients are not recommended for human consumption by authorities in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom. The American Beverage Association, Consumer Brands Association, National Confectioners Association, and FMI, the Food Industry Association, argue that these claims are false and misleading, as the ingredients have been safely used in the U.S. for decades. The groups contend that the law will lead to increased costs for manufacturers, either through labeling changes or recipe modifications, and that some of the ingredients are already banned at the federal level.