By John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association, reprinted from The Hagstrom Report
Washington — This week, leaders from America’s chocolate and candy companies are in Washington for the National Confectioners Association’s annual Washington Forum, meeting with policymakers about the opportunities and challenges facing one of America’s most cherished and enduring manufacturing industries.
Our message is clear: American food manufacturing matters, and the policies enacted today will shape its future for generations to come.
That message carries particular significance as our country celebrates its 250th birthday. For generations, America’s chocolate and candy companies have built businesses, created jobs, invested in communities, and made products that have become part of how Americans celebrate holidays, occasions, and everyday moments.
Today, the confectionery industry supports nearly 700,000 jobs across manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, retail, and other sectors. Every confectionery manufacturing job supports another 11 American jobs. That is the Power of Sweet — and it shows what’s at stake in policy debates that impact American manufacturing.
In celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday, we created our Sweet Land of Liberty campaign, highlighting the stories behind those numbers, because for as long as there has been a United States, there has been a U.S. confectionery industry. These are stories of multigenerational family businesses, iconic global companies, and entrepreneurs building the next great confectionery brands — and the people and communities behind them.
Chocolate and candy have always been about fun, celebration, and connection, and behind every treat stands a great American manufacturing success story. Maintaining that strength requires an environment where companies can invest, innovate, and plan with confidence.
Decisions made in Washington reach far beyond the Beltway, shaping factory investments, supply chains, ingredient sourcing, and jobs nationwide. Leaders across the political spectrum recognize the importance of a strong domestic food manufacturing base and our nation’s policies should reinforce that shared priority.
The rapidly evolving conversation around food ingredients is one example. In recent years, states have enacted different restrictions, labeling requirements, and other rules governing food ingredients, often reaching different conclusions about how ingredients should be treated. This patchwork of conflicting state requirements creates uncertainty, complicates supply chains, and makes it harder for manufacturers to make long-term investments in American facilities and jobs.
These challenges are already playing out as manufacturers work to transition products to naturally sourced colors in response to changing state requirements and marketplace demands. Recent research conducted by RTI International found that reformulation is not a simple ingredient swap: changes can ripple across agriculture, sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and retail—driving up costs throughout the supply chain. Those costs put pressure on businesses of all sizes, diverting resources from investment and job creation, and driving up prices for consumers—underscoring the need for clear, consistent national standards.
The same disciplined approach should guide other emerging food and nutrition policy debates.
Consumers understand the distinct role of chocolate and candy in a balanced lifestyle: these fun and unique products are treats, not meal replacements. Americans enjoy chocolate and candy two to three times per week, averaging just 40 calories and about one teaspoon of added sugar per day.
Broad classifications that group vastly different foods together primarily because of their ingredient profile can create more questions than answers. Before building regulatory policy around any such classification, policymakers need to consider the context in which people actually eat and drink — Americans don’t eat categories of foods; they follow a diet.
The goal should not be to resist change, but to get it right.
Our industry is engaging in conversations around ingredients, nutrition, and the future of the American food supply. We believe that public policy should be grounded in science, administered consistently at the federal level, informed by how food is manufactured, distributed, and consumed. It should also account for the real-world effects on supply chains, manufacturing costs, American jobs, and the prices families pay at the grocery store.
That is the perspective confectionery leaders are bringing to Capitol Hill this week. They are showing policymakers what public policy looks like from the factory floor by sharing what it means for their employees, communities, and companies.
As we celebrate 250 years of this great nation, the confectionery industry remains committed to investing, innovating, creating jobs, and manufacturing here in the United States for the next 250 years.
Candy: An American Manufacturing Success Story 250 Years In The Making
