Gemini Shippers Group ; Gemini Shippers Association, Fashion Accessories Shipper Association (FASA) and the Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association (FJATA) joined other trade association in a letter to Senator Kyrsten Sinema on state mandated warning lables
April 12, 2019
Senator Kyrsten Sinema
United States Senate
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Sinema:
We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned about the growing number of state-mandated warning labels and disclosure requirements being imposed on a range of consumer products. We request your assistance and leadership on federal legislation to address this growing patchwork of state laws that will continue confusing the consumer and directly impact interstate commerce.
Our respective industries are committed to providing meaningful transparency to consumers. However, states and localities have either implemented or are readily proposing dozens of ingredient disclosure and/or warning label requirements related to food, beverages, agriculture, and other consumer products that may be based on limited or insufficient information.
States do not uniformly have the scientific capacity and robust infrastructure to ensure adherence to the highest standards of scientific integrity and risk analysis when establishing their own content disclosure or ingredient warning label requirements. These state labeling proposals and enacted legislation especially affect industries that have a significant economic footprint in Arizona, including the manufacturing, agriculture and food and beverage industries.
For example, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently blocked a 2015 San Francisco ordinance that requires advertisers of sugar-sweetened beverages to post health warnings, arguing that the warning conflicts with statements by the Food and Drug Administration. Despite this ruling, similar proposals have been introduced in Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York and Baltimore, Maryland. Legislation has also been introduced in other states that would impose additional labeling and disclosure requirements on a variety of products, from cell phones to multivitamins.
Now is the time to establish a federal, science-based solution. State- and locally-mandated labeling schemes that require unjustified warning labels on every day products (including caffeine, aloe vera and clothing) damage consumer confidence, hinder interstate commerce, and often disparage new science and technology.
This important issue needs a timely solution before a patchwork of labeling schemes causes additional burdens for Arizona farmers, small businesses, retailers and manufacturers. On behalf of a coalition representing over 90 national, state and local organizations, we urge you to be the lead Democratic cosponsor on a bill that will establish a federal standard for labeling and disclosure requirements. Such a solution will ensure that consumers will have appropriate, meaningful information based on a credible, scientific standard when making purchasing decisions.
Sincerely,
Adhesive and Sealant Council
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers 2
American Agri-Women
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Bakers Association
American Beverage Association
American Brush Manufacturers Association
American Chemistry Council
American Cleaning Institute
American Coatings Association
American Composites Manufacturers Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers
American Home Furnishings Alliance
American Seed Trade Association
American Soybean Association
Animal Health Institute
Arizona Cattle Feeders
Arizona Farm and Ranch Group
Arizona Farm Bureau Federation
Arizona Food Marketing Alliance
Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry
Auto Care Association
Bashas’ Inc.
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Calorie Control Council
Can Manufacturers Institute
Consumer Technology Association
Corn Refiners Association
CropLife America
Council for Responsible Nutrition
EPS Industry Alliance
Fashion Accessories Shippers Association
Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Trade Association
Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association
Flexible Vinyl Alliance
Food Marketing Institute
Foodservice Packaging Institute
Fragrance Creators Association
Frozen Potato Products Institute
Gemini Shippers Association
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Greater Pheonix Chamber
Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance
Home Furnishings Association
Independent Bakers Association
Infant Nutrition Council of America
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
International Bottled Water Association
International Dairy Foods Association
International Food Additives Council
Juice Products Association
Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
Napthalene Council
National Association of Chemical Distributors National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Manufacturers
National Candle Association
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Council of Textile Organizations
National Grocers Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Retail Federation
National Sunflower Association
Natural Products Association
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Inc.
Pavement Coatings Technology Council
Plastics Industry Association
Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association
Plastics Pipe Institute
PVC Pipe Association
Resilient Floor Covering Institute
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association
Simmons Wood Products, Inc.
Single Ply Roofing Industry, Inc.
SNAC International
Specialty Graphic Imaging Association
Sugar Association
The Chlorine Institute
The Vision Council
Travel Goods Association
Treated Wood Council
United Fresh Produce Association
U.S. Canola Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Vinyl Institute
Western Growers Association
