A new industry-backed report outlines the financial impact of fragmented state regulations versus a unified federal labeling system.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A new analysis from the Job Creators Network indicates that implementing a single nationwide food-labeling standard aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative could significantly reduce compliance costs for U.S. businesses compared to maintaining separate requirements across individual states.
According to the report, which was first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation, companies would face substantially higher expenses if required to meet distinct labeling mandates in each state. The analysis estimates that adopting one national standard would cost businesses about $14.8 million on average to update packaging, while complying with multiple state-level systems could drive costs to approximately $381 million.
JCN Food Regulations Report by yourNEWS Media
The findings also draw on previous reporting surrounding food labeling debates and polling related to MAHA-supported labeling standards, which have been central to ongoing regulatory discussions.
Dr. Lloyd Corder, an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh who authored the analysis, said the data underscores the financial strain that fragmented regulations could impose. “The survey results paint a pretty clear picture,” Corder said. “A patchwork of state requirements for food labels will create huge financial burdens for businesses big and small—costs that will inevitably roll downhill to consumers in the form of higher prices.”
“If affordability is the goal, a transparent federal ‘MAHA’ standard is the way to go,” he added.
Survey responses included in the report show unanimous preference among participating companies for a single federal standard rather than separate state systems. The analysis also indicates that a state-by-state approach would likely contribute to higher consumer prices.
Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz said smaller firms could be disproportionately affected by complex regulatory structures. “State-specific food labeling regulations—as opposed to a clear, consistent nationwide framework—are well-intentioned but will have an outsized negative impact on small businesses,” Ortiz said. “Small businesses operate on razor thin budget margins and often don’t have the extra resources to comply with costly government mandates. It means fewer jobs, less economic opportunity, and anemic growth.”
The report also details how often companies revise their packaging and the reasons behind those changes. Ninety-five percent of respondents said they periodically update labels, with most indicating that updates occur less than once per year. All respondents cited ingredient changes as a factor, while most also pointed to regulatory requirements and branding updates as additional drivers.
Timeframes for implementing label changes were also highlighted, with 65% of respondents reporting that revisions take four months or longer to complete. Additionally, 94% of companies said varying state requirements would introduce operational challenges, including compliance risks, increased design complexity, and reduced willingness among suppliers to handle smaller production runs.
The analysis comes as federal officials consider broader changes to food labeling policy. During a February appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the federal government is preparing to establish a definition for ultra-processed foods.
“By April, [the U.S. Food and Drug Administration] will have a federal definition of ultra-processed foods for the first time in history,” Kennedy said, as reported. “And as soon as we do that, we’re going to do front-of-package food labeling.”
Advocacy groups have also pushed for national standards. The effort by Americans for Ingredient Transparency has focused on federal legislation to unify ingredient disclosure requirements, according to reporting, while the organization states on its policy page that consumer health “is a national interest and should not change according to state lines.”
Meanwhile, some states have already moved forward independently. Texas and Louisiana enacted laws in 2025 requiring warning labels on certain food products containing specific additives or dyes, according to legal analysis.
The Job Creators Network based its conclusions on survey responses from 40 companies overseeing more than 5.5 million packaging labels and over 300,000 products, including grocery retailers, distributors, and packaging manufacturers.
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