CLFP is monitoring and engaging on a number of key bills that impact the food processing industry.
The three most significant bills that CLFP is engaging on include:
· AB 418 (Gabriel), relating to "Food Product Safety," which seeks to ban the manufacturing and sales of food containing five specific food additives. Food safety is a paramount concern to us and our members; however, this measure usurps the comprehensive food safety and approval system for these five additives and predetermines ongoing evaluations.
· AB 1290 (Luz Rivas) would ban plastic packaging that contains certain chemicals, pigments, or additives. The enactment of SB 54 (Stats. 2022), along with SB 343 (Stats. 2021) has resulted in arguably the most comprehensive and rigorous single use packaging and plastics recycling and waste reduction requirements enacted domestically and internationally. These new mandates ensure that packaging is recyclable or compostable by 2032, are source reduced by 25%, and recycled at unprecedented rates which will directly impact the types of materials used, including the specific materials subject to AB 1290. CLFP argues that The Legislature should allow for SB 54 and SB 343 to be fully implemented before imposing new packaging requirements and/or restrictions on producers.
· Senate Bill 253 (Wiener) requires companies to track emissions not only for its California sites or products, but for worldwide operations. SB 253 sets out three types of emissions: Scope 1, which is defined as direct emissions from sources owned, operated, or directly controlled by the company; Scope 2, which are indirect emissions from any electricity purchased by a company; and Scope 3, which is very broad and includes all “indirect [GHG] emissions, other than Scope 2 emissions, from activities that stem from sources that the covered entity does not own or directly control, and may include, but are not limited to emissions associated with the covered entity’s supply chain, business travel, employee commutes, procurement, waste, and water usage.” This will be an overly burdensome mandate that will be costly to California businesses. A similar bill was defeated last year, and CLFP will work with other industry representatives to stop it again this session.
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