Senate Democrats have introduced companion legislation aimed at significantly updating federal food labelling requirements across the United States.
On 29 July 2026, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Cory Booker announced the Senate version of the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2026.
The Senate bill mirrors House legislation introduced on 20 April 2026 by Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. and Rosa DeLauro, establishing a coordinated bicameral push for reform.
The legislation seeks to update existing federal food labelling requirements and expand the nutrition disclosure obligations placed on food manufacturers and retailers.
A central provision of the bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a single, standardised front-of-package nutrition labelling system for applicable foods.
Supporters of the legislation argue that a uniform labelling approach could make it far easier for consumers to compare products and understand nutritional content at a glance.
The bill also takes aim at marketing practices that consumers may find confusing or misleading, seeking to bring greater clarity to how food products are presented and promoted.
Among its more notable provisions, the legislation would require standardised federal definitions for terms such as “ultraprocessed” and “not ultraprocessed,” which currently lack official definitions for food labelling purposes.
Additional reforms under consideration include updates to serving size requirements, clearer allergen labelling, and broader measures designed to improve the transparency of nutrition information.
The bill would also require that consumers purchasing food online have access to comparable nutrition information as those shopping in physical retail stores, closing a growing gap in disclosure standards.
The introduction of the Senate companion bill signals growing momentum in Congress for a comprehensive overhaul of food labelling rules that have not seen major reform in several decades.