A proposed law in Albany threatens to raise grocery prices, limit food options, and put small businesses and food pantries at risk—all without making our food any safer.
We are a growing coalition of New Yorkers standing up for our right to safe, affordable, and culturally appropriate groceries. From bodegas and food trucks to soup kitchens and family-run supermarkets, the places we rely on for food are threatened by a well-intentioned but deeply flawed bill in the state legislature.
We believe food justice means more than new regulations—it means protecting the businesses that feed our communities, keeping costs down for working families, and preserving access to the diverse, nutritious foods that reflect who we are.
The New York Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (S1239-E /A1556-E) is a proposed law that would dramatically change how food products are labeled, sold, and regulated in New York State.
While its supporters say the bill would increase transparency about food ingredients, in reality, it creates a new layer of costly, confusing, and unnecessary regulations, especially for small businesses, food pantries, and culturally diverse communities. It would mandate state-specific chemical disclosures and labeling rules, even for ingredients already approved by the FDA, shifting the burden onto the small retailers who didn’t create these products in the first place.
This bill threatens the people and places that feed our communities, without offering meaningful improvements to food safety.
Bodegas, food trucks, and family-owned stores would be forced to comply with complicated chemical labeling laws they can’t afford, pushing many out of business.
With fewer products on shelves and fewer local sellers, working families would face higher prices and fewer options at the checkout line.
Soup kitchens and food pantries could lose critical food donations due to new compliance risks and paperwork burdens, making it harder to feed families in need.
The bill could make it harder to find affordable, culturally important groceries in immigrant and minority communities by driving out small importers and specialty stores.
Now is the time to speak up and out, New Yorkers! Your action can help protect our access to safe and affordable groceries for all. Click the button below to visit our Action Center.
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