The Auto Care Association announced it has joined the Coalition for Accurate Product Labels, which advocates for meaningful, science-based information about the products consumers buy and use. The group represents more than 60 organizations, including farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and retailers.
The Coalition for Accurate Product Labels supports the Accurate Labels Act, introduced to Congress this month by Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.). This bipartisan legislation will amend the existing Fair Packaging and Labeling Act in order to ensure consumers have access to clear, accurate and meaningful product labels.
In addition, the legislation seeks to:
- Establish science-based criteria for all state and local labeling requirements that exceed current federal standards
- Allow state-mandated product information to be provided through smartphone-enabled “smart labels” and on websites
- Ensure that covered product information is risk-based
- Will leave unchanged current federal laws related to allergens, nutrition facts and medicines
Over the past year alone, there were 30 proposals across 11 states that would require warning labels or ingredient listings that go beyond national standards, which are not supported by the best available science. With fewer than 18 percent of Americans in support of states and cities being able to impose whatever regulations they want, the coalition says the bipartisan Accurate Labels Act would be an important step in preventing consumer confusion through burdensome and unclear labeling while also protecting American consumers and producers alike through an accurate, standardized approach to the labeling of products.
“We are proud to join the coalition and support its efforts in taking the confusion out of product labeling by way of implementing a standardized solution to bring clarity and order to both the American consumers and producers,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “The auto care industry has seen first-hand how the absence of standardization in product labeling across a myriad of states saddles our businesses with substantial compliance costs and creates confusion both in the supply chain and with consumers. Further, the lack of standardization increases the ability for international businesses to skirt compliance, making it harder for American companies to compete and reducing the effectiveness of the product labeling laws.”
