WASHINGTON — The Consumer Brands Association (CBA) is leveraging the inaugural National Consumer Transparency Week to highlight how the consumer packaged goods industry continues to grow, improve, and modernize the tools that help shoppers make informed decisions.
In a new column, CBA president and CEO Melissa Hockstad emphasizes the decades-long dedication that brands have shown in providing clear, accessible product information, starting with industry support for the Nutrition Facts panel in 1990, the launch of Facts Up Front in 2012, and the creation of SmartLabel in 2015. Each initiative, she wrote, reflects the sector’s “unwavering top priority” of consumer safety and transparency.
Today, those tools remain widely used and broadly trusted. According to new CBA research:
- 90% of American adults recognize the Facts up Front label
- 79% check it when evaluating a new product
- 61% say it informs purchasing decisions
- 75% say they trust the information it provides
SmartLabel, now present on over 100,000 products, is accessed 22 million times each year, with 94% of users reporting repeat visits. Nearly 60% of surveyed adults say they are more likely to trust brands that participate in the SmartLabel program.
Hockstad observed that the industry’s cooperation with Congress, federal agencies, and the administration supports a common goal: making sure consumers can easily find accurate information about the products they purchase. As the country’s largest manufacturing sector, supporting 22 million jobs, the CPG industry is also advocating for updated, sensible regulatory frameworks as agencies like HHS and FDA explore new ways to evaluate safe ingredients and improve transparency.
To further improve consumer access, CBA this week launched truthaboutingredients.org, a new website designed as a one-stop resource for shoppers seeking science-based explanations about ingredients and product formulations.
Hockstad emphasized that while the industry is encouraged by high engagement levels with existing tools, work is still ongoing.
“No industry is closer to the consumer,” she wrote, adding that transparency efforts must keep pace with evolving expectations. “We’re always exploring new routes to increase awareness, enhance access to information and support regulatory approaches that serve consumers’ best interests.”
National Consumer Transparency Week runs December 1–5.
