Regulatory and Legal Reform

RACINE, Wis. – As the 2026 NAM State of Manufacturing Tour continued its cross-country run, the NAM today released “Manufacturers Feed America,” a new report detailing how the United States food and beverage supply chain is a global leader in delivering safe, affordable, accessible and nutritious food and beverage options.

Anchored in world-class science and rigorous safety standards, the American food system strengthens American communities, fuels innovation and drives economic growth nationwide. The report includes policy recommendations to help policymakers avoid undermining the system that ensures American families can count on safe, abundant and affordable food every day. Understanding the history of the U.S. food and beverage regulatory system through the lens of American manufacturing helps explain why it has succeeded and how that success can be put at risk by replacing evidence-based safeguards with ideological approaches

From the headquarters of industrial and agricultural equipment manufacturer CNH, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said:

“Food manufacturers are focused on affordability and are committed to keeping America’s food supply safe, reliable and nutritious. By investing in innovation and strengthening safety standards, they help ensure that nutritious food remains accessible to families in every community. A thriving food and beverage sector strengthens communities, supports jobs and drives economic growth. Maintaining U.S. leadership in this sector is essential to long-term economic growth, supply chain resilience and global competitiveness.

“Manufacturing powers the engine that feeds America — from farm to processing to packaging to distribution. America’s manufacturers are leading the world in these life-enhancing innovations, making America the best place to invest, create jobs and grow communities. But fragmented or ideology-driven proposals could increase costs for families, reduce access to food and slow innovation—without improving public health.”

The nation’s largest manufacturing sector—the food and beverage industry—connects farms to factory floors to family tables every day, supporting 47 million jobs, generating $2.8 trillion in wages and contributing $9.5 trillion in economic output. This economic engine touches every community in the country and is especially vital in rural and regional areas where food-and-agriculture-related jobs anchor local communities.

The report comes as recent legislative and regulatory proposals create new restrictions on food ingredients and packaging, creating an unworkable patchwork of regulations that threatens to drive up costs, weaken delicate supply chains and undermine the science-based standards that enable farmers and manufacturers to deliver safe, abundant and affordable food to Americans nationwide.

Manufacturers across the food and beverage supply chain will continue to partner with policymakers on policies that respect science and operational realities, so that the U.S. can deliver an even stronger food system that supports public health, economic growth and global competitiveness—bolstering America as the best place in the world to make things and empowering manufacturers’ efforts to nourish the American people for generations to come.

The NAM also launched a digital hub, complete with video testimonials from representatives of America’s food and beverage manufacturers at every step of the supply chain as well as policy papers with educational information about food and beverage policies and the challenges posed by inconsistent regulatory regimes and standards based on ideology rather than science. For more information, visit nam.org/issues/manufacturers-feed-america/

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.95 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

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