Celebrating a Year of Wins at FoodFight USA

December 20, 2024

Hello FoodFight USA Warriors!

2024 has been a big year in our fight to clean up America’s tainted food supply. Since our launch in April, we have supported historic legislative victories, expanded our grassroots Warrior community, and engaged with partners to develop real solutions for a healthier tomorrow. Click on our year-in-review video to see FoodFight USA’s mission in action.

Legislative Wins!

In our mission to support food safety legislation, the wins keep coming! In a nearly unanimous bipartisan vote, California passed a second landmark bill, the California School Food Safety Act banning six synthetic food dyes from school lunches, following the success of the California Food Safety Act banning four chemicals from foods sold in the state. Congrats to Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and Governor Gavin Newsom for their leadership in this Fight!

These bills, along with others in ten states, are sending a clear message to Washington. In July, the FDA announced a nationwide ban on brominated vegetable oil (BVO)! This additive used in orange soda has been outlawed in the UK for years and was one of California’s targeted chemicals.

Unfortunately, it took decades for the FDA to ban BVO, and we refuse to wait that long while more than 10,000 additives wreak havoc on our nation’s health. In September FoodFight USA’s head Warrior Todd Wagner, along with consumer advocates and lawmakers, urged the FDA to close the GRAS loophole that has allowed these chemicals into our food supply. Todd also recommended using AI to speed up the process, and the FDA has asked FoodFight USA for help…stay tuned!

 

Grassroots Movement!

Our national movement is growing and momentum is building as more people like you push for change. More than 36,000 Warriors have submitted messages directly to the FDA and Congress demanding they work together to close the GRAS loophole. The FDA’s comment period is open through January 21, 2025. Click on our FoodFight USA interactive map and do your part to apply pressure to power!

Speaking of pressure to power, our friends at Yuka have launched an exciting new feature in their app that empowers consumers to call out brands using hazardous additives in their products. FoodFight USA Warriors Mark Cuban, Jason Karp and Dr. Joel Gator helped spread the word to their followers, resulting in more than 200,000 brand callouts to date.

Our army of Warriors continues to grow. Follow our socials to see who else is joining the Fight!

We are encouraged by other signs this year that consumers are demanding cleaner, less toxic food products for their families. Sales of Kellogg’s Froot Loops are down more than 54% following a protest calling for the removal of artificial dyes from their cereals. Kraft Heinz recently announced they are removing Lunchables from school programs, citing insufficient demand after Consumer Reports found “concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals” in their products.

 

Creating Solutions

We are working passionately behind the scenes to develop solutions to clean up all aspects of the supply chain, from farm to table. In 2025 you will see our influence on the regenerative agriculture movement as we support healthier farm subsidies in Congress and plan a summit at Indiana University to cultivate innovation in this space. We will make clean, Demeter-certified products from Europe available here in the states, champion front-of-package labeling and SNAP reform, and roll out our own safe food seal to make healthy choices easier for consumers like you.

For now, check out our WTH Can I Eat Now page to learn how to cut down on ultra-processed foods, find the foods we love without the chemicals we hate, and to download our favorite food-scanning apps from Yuka, EWG, and GoCoCo. Follow our socials below for more engaging content designed to educate and empower you.

All of us at FoodFight USA are filled with hope for the new year and ever grateful for your support in our fight to clean up America’s tainted food supply. When you gather with family and friends during these holidays, invite them to Join the Fight and tell them, “It’s not YOU, it’s the FOOD!”