Advocates

SFA's governmental affairs team represents member companies' interests at the international, federal and state levels. SFA actively engages in the development of legislation and regulations that impact members' ability to manufacture and market their products.

Examples of issues that SFA has recently led include:

• Working with the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Transportation to reduce the burden of trucking regulations on snack manufacturers, particularly those utilizing direct store delivery.
• Commenting on U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture proposals to revise nutrition labels to ensure they are meaningful to consumers and cost-effective for manufacturers.
• Leading the fight to successfully repeal discriminatory taxes on snacks in several states.
• Advocating a reasonable approach for approving and marketing food products containing ingredients enhanced by biotechnology.
• Testifying before the U.S. Trade Representative and International Trade Commission to ensure the free flow of snack food ingredients across borders.
• Preventing the adoption of legislation that would require meat snacks to carry labels indicating the product ingredients' country of origin.
• Working with Congress and the U.S. Department of Labor to make certain that science-based standards are included in the new ergonomics regulations.

"SFA has developed a reputation as a leader in providing Capitol Hill and government agencies with authoritative and credible information. This reputation has contributed to SFA's success in helping to bring about legislative and regulatory changes that positively impact the snack food industry."

-JAMES M. HERR, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HERR FOODSINC.

Getting Involved

All SFA members are invited to attend SFA's Day in Washington seminar each spring. Attendees hear from influential elected and appointed official son issues affecting their businesses. SFA members then visit with their congressmen to review snack food priorities. Member company executives are encouraged to participate in SFA committees dealing with government issues and are also invited to join SFA's political action committee, SnackPAC. SnackPAC solicits support from individuals in the industry and makes contributions to those candidates who determine the fate of legislation important to the snack food industry.