Consumer Brands Association


The Consumer Brands Association, formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association, is a trade association of the food industry. It represents the world's largest branded food, beverage and consumer product companies.

History

The Grocery Manufacturers Association was founded in 1908 as the Grocery Manufacturers of America. It is headquartered at 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C., and in 2017 announced plans to relocate to Arlington County, Virginia.
On January 1, 2007 GMA merged with the Food Products Association and formed the world's largest trade association representing the food, beverage, and consumer products industry. Effective January 1, 2008, the association adopted the single name Grocery Manufacturers Association.
On March 16, 2010 First Lady Michelle Obama called on the GMA to help her with her Let's Move! campaign to reduce childhood obesity.
In 2012, it developed the Sustainability Summit with the Food Marketing Institute.
Several major members, including Campbell Soup Company, Unilever, Mars, Incorporated, Tyson Foods, Nestlé, Dean Foods, Hershey's, and Cargill, have left since 2017, prompting a rebranding effort.
In September 2019, it announced that it would relaunch itself as the effective January 2020.
In May 2020, The Consumer Brands Association launched the Critical Infrastructure Supply Chain Council, an integrated resolution of 35 or more trade associations dedicated to addressing short- and long-term supply chain weaknesses and challenges.

Manifestos

Salmonella

"As a result of an outbreak salmonellosis associated with the consumption of peanut butter in 2006-2007", and another with baby food during the same period, efforts were made by GMA members "to reassess industry practices for eliminating salmonella in low-moisture products" because "Salmonella outbreaks from low-moisture products are relatively rare but often impact large numbers of people." A document resulted from this effort entitled "CONTROL OF SALMONELLA IN LOW-MOISTURE FOODS".

GMO foods

On December 5, 2013, the GMA sent a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration in support of a new rule allowing food made with genetically modified products to be labeled as 'natural'.

Board of directors

Chair