JULIE GUNLOCK: Americans Want Transparency In Grocery Stores – Republicans In Congress Must Lead The Fight

The 2024 election gave President Donald Trump a clear directive to prioritize the health and well-being of Americans. Voters were clear when they went to the ballot box: We deserve clarity, honesty, and science-backed transparency for the products on our grocery store shelves.

The MAHA movement galvanized mothers across the country such as myself, and has proven to be strong, devoted, and focused on making true, lasting changes.

As a mom, there are few things more important to me than knowing the products I bring into my home are safe. When it comes to the food I put on my children’s plates, the soap they use after a long day playing sports, or the snacks packed in their lunchboxes, I want 100% confidence that every package tells the whole story. That is not too much to ask. (RELATED: Vast Majority Of Americans Support National MAHA-Backed Food Labeling, Poll Finds)

Many states around the nation have passed laws or instituted new rulesgoverning what goes into our food, beverages, and personal care products. While there are good intentions behind many of these efforts, the result has been a patchwork of different standards in different states, which only confuses consumers and erodes trust.

Thanks to Trump, however, confidence in the FDA is growing again. The agency has shown a renewed focus on ingredient safety and transparency. Now is the time for Congress and the Administration to act and build on that momentum to ensure uniformity across the country with one national standard.

When it comes to protecting our families, geography should not determine the products we give our kids. That is why I am proud to work with Americans for Ingredient Transparency, a coalition advocating for a national standard for ingredient safety and labeling.

Our coalition is made up of moms and dads, policy experts, and trusted names across the food and agriculture value chain who want to deliver safe products for all Americans. Together, we are calling on Congress to create a clear, science-based national standard that gives every parent confidence that what they are buying meets the same high bar, no matter where they live.

We’re not seeking more bureaucracy. Parents want smarter regulation that gives families the facts they need while helping American farmers, food producers, and small businesses thrive under one consistent framework. A national standard must rest on two pillars.

First, The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act should be amended so that the Food and Drug Administration is the sole authority for setting ingredient safety and labeling standards. Second, the FDA should be empowered to lead this effort using rigorous, peer-reviewed science and risk-based evaluations that focus on real impacts to human health.

Right now, the patchwork of state rules has the potential to drive up grocery costs, hurting consumers who are simply trying to nourish their families. As new rules emerge in different states, changes in labels will require separate production efforts by businesses that could pass those added costs to consumers. Companies might also choose not to offer certain favorite products in a given state due to onerous regulations.

Those added costs won’t just be experienced in states where these bills have been signed into law; consumers across the country could be forced to pay more for products because of conflicting policy decisions by lawmakers in other states.

Trump put a coalition of moms and dads committed to ingredient safety and transparency on the map through his victory in November. Now it’s Congress’s turn to deliver results for all American families.

Our coalition has heard from industry leaders who are open to the new federal standard we are pursuing. They too want real, meaningful change to reassure consumers.

Like parents who desire clear and consistent labels, they understand the benefits of a federal requirement ensuring that all new ingredients in food and consumer products go through a rigorous federal review process before reaching store shelves. Industry is willing to adopt a nationwide front-of-package nutrition labeling system that gives consumers an easy way to see what matters most for their health. Lastly, they are open to a QR code that allows busy moms and dads to instantly scan and learn about ingredients.

If adopted by Congress, each of these reforms would help parents across the country make informed, confident decisions. Every family deserves to know that the products in their home are safe, that the information they see is honest, and that science is what guides the rules.

In my years serving on Capitol Hill and now as a policy advocate focusing on child nutrition and parenting, I have seen how trust is fragile and how policy can either secure it or erode it.

I have always believed that protecting our families starts with the truth. Let us build a national standard that honors that promise. That is the aim of this effort that Trump is leading for American families, and one worth fighting for.

Julie Gunlock, conservative policy advocate focused on food and child nutrition, parenting, and science-based issues, Americans for Ingredient Transparency Senior Advisor and director of Independent Women’s Network.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.