Why It Matters

The Consumer Brands Association is significantly expanding its Washington lobbying as Congress actively moves legislation on food date labeling, synthetic dye elimination, and food additive safety.

The FDA has already revoked Red No. 3 authorization and proposed mandatory front-of-package nutrition labels. CBA faces pressure to close the "Generally Recognized As Safe" loophole, which allows 99% of new food chemicals to enter markets without FDA pre-approval.

The new team brings congressional veterans: Jeanne M. Haggerty served on House Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance committees, while Robert Butora advised Senator Bill Cassidy on healthcare policy.

By the Numbers

The Consumer Brands Association has spent over $72.4 million on lobbying since 2003 across 78 disclosure reports. CBA has worked with 41 different lobbying firms, including long-term partners Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and Hogan Lovells US LLP.

The Williams & Jensen Team:

  • Susan B. Hirschmann represents major pharmaceutical and financial services clients
  • Daniel A. Ziegler brings 8 years, 11 months House experience as Legislative Director for Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
  • Robert Butora contributes 4 years, 10 months Capitol Hill experience as Health Policy Adviser to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
  • Jeanne M. Haggerty brings 3 years, 8 months congressional experience on key committees overseeing FDA and trade policy

The Agenda

CBA has retained Williams & Jensen to lobby on food and beverage regulation, safety, and labeling. Key priorities include standardized food date labeling through the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025, front-of-package nutrition requirements, food additive safety, and supply chain resilience.

Congress is also debating the PURR Act of 2025 for pet food regulation and various food safety measures. Past CBA lobbying has targeted FDA funding, GMO labeling, NAFTA renegotiation, and chemical regulations.

Broader Context

Federal regulators are intensifying industry scrutiny. The FDA proposed mandatory front-of-package nutrition labels while announcing plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic food dyes by 2026.

Bipartisan efforts to standardize food date labels are advancing, while Sen. Richard Blumenthal champions front-of-package labeling and Rep. Frank Pallone pursues stricter additive oversight. The administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative has explicitly targeted ultra-processed foods.

Competitive Landscape

CBA faces intense competition from the National Association of Manufacturers, which actively lobbies on overlapping issues including front-of-package labeling and packaging sustainability. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association recently registered focused lobbying on food additive regulation.

Individual companies like Tyson Foods and Unilever U.S. also lobby extensively on food safety, labeling, and ingredient requirements, creating a fragmented landscape of competing industry voices.

The Bottom Line

CBA’s Williams & Jensen hire represents a strategic decision to augment its existing four-firm roster with deep regulatory and scientific credibility. The firm’s extensive pharmaceutical background—representing Pfizer and PhRMA—provides expertise directly transferable to FDA regulatory battles as Congress and federal agencies intensify food industry scrutiny.

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