Gemini Shipper Group and other Trade Associations Take on State Mandated Warning Lables

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