Our Impact
The work of the National Consumers League is making a difference in people’s lives across the country. Meet some of the consumers touched by our programs.
Read about NCL’s impact
Preventing yet another victim
Paige, 55, a Nashville wife and mother of two, answered an employment ad for secret shoppers. Before sending payment to the scammers, she reached out to NCL.
Read about NCL’s impact
Building a stronger generation
A grease fire flared up in Decklan’s kitchen. As his family scrambled and panicked, fearing that the whole house might erupt in flames, Decklan remained calm. He hurried over to the pantry, grabbed some baking soda, and dumped it on the fire quickly extinguishing the blaze.
Read about NCL’s impact
Script Your Future saved my life
Cincinnati resident Charles, 45, lost his computer business — and health insurance— during a time of economic downturn. A diabetic, Charles was now unable to afford his medication. He stopped taking it which made him seriously ill and put his life at risk.
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For a safer workplace
Jeremy is a fast-food worker who has been employed at a number of Chipotle restaurants in New York City. When he was just 20 years old, he took part in an NCL research project that revealed that management practices within the fast food chain were putting workers—and food safety for customers—at risk.
Read about NCL’s impact
Mind-boggling options
The food marketplace is a rapidly-changing melange of health claims and news about nutrition and food safety. It’s hard for the average consumer to sort out truth from hyperbole to be able to make smart decisions about what they feed their families.
How we help
Our nutrition and food safety work aims to protect assistance programs, help consumers understand labeling and make informed decisions, and keep companies accountable for the claims made on food products.
Featured Content
The National Consumers League applauds the reintroduction of bipartisan legislation to give millions of Medicare beneficiaries access to safe and effective obesity treatments
The National Consumers League (NCL) welcomes the reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) as a needed step to end outdated Medicare rules that leave millions of seniors with diagnosed obesity – particularly members of Black and Latino communities – vulnerable to disability, disease and premature death due to lack of access to the full range of treatment options.
Debunking the myth of prepared foods being cheaper and healthier
As we are gearing up for this upcoming holiday season, food safety is something important to keep in mind. If this is your first time or even your 20th being the Thanksgiving head chef, it is always good to review some simple safety tips in the kitchen.
Food safety tips this holiday season
As we are gearing up for this upcoming holiday season, food safety is something important to keep in mind. If this is your first time or even your 20th being the Thanksgiving head chef, it is always good to review some simple safety tips in the kitchen.
Consumer groups obtain TTB commitment to issue rulemakings on mandatory alcohol labeling
A coalition of consumer groups today announced an important victory for the American public: the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has agreed to issue proposed rules requiring standardized alcohol content, calorie, and allergen labeling on all beer, wine and distilled spirits products. TTB also agreed to begin preliminary rulemaking on mandatory ingredient labeling.
NCL applauds federal agency’s decision to require mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages
Today the National Consumers League hailed the decision by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the federal agency that oversees alcohol labeling, to require mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages as a "great consumer victory." NCL is grateful to the agency for this welcome – albeit long overdue – decision.
At last: FDA is updating the definition of a “healthy” food
It is rare when new regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warrant a song. But borrowing a phrase from Sam Cooke, FDA’s recent proposed rule changing the meaning of the term “healthy” has been a long time coming – 28 years to be exact. Yet, as the song goes “a change is gonna come.”
National Consumers League releases its Top Food and Nutrition Policy Priorities for 2022
At a time of significant change in the food industry, the National Consumers League (NCL) today released a food policy agenda to improve food safety, reduce sodium in the diet, achieve better portion control, increase transparency in food and beverage labeling, and promote an a more sustainable food system. Additionally, NCL is calling for a national strategy to ensure there will be an ample supply of safe infant formula products in the US along with aggressive regulatory oversight.
A New Patient-Centered Action Agenda calls for people with obesity to have the same rights and access to care as people with other chronic diseases
The National Consumers League (NCL) today released A New Patient-Centered Obesity Action Agenda: Changing the Trajectory of Obesity Through Patient Empowerment, Health Professional Intervention and Supportive Government Policies, a new report with a blueprint to change how Americans think about obesity, empower people with obesity to get the best care, and afford those with obesity the same access to care as adults with other serious chronic diseases.
Consumers need transparency in labeling of plant-based meat alternatives
As more plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) that closely mimic the look, taste, and cooking properties of traditional meat products enter the U.S. market almost daily, the National Consumers League (NCL) today released a report with seven priorities for regulatory action to ensure that labels of so-called “meatless meats” readily identify the protein source and inform consumers of the nutritional composition of each PBMA product.
Consumers need accurate product names and labeling of plant-based meat products
About two-thirds of Americans consumed “plant-based meat alternatives” – or PBMAs – in the past year, with 20 percent eating them at least weekly, according to an August 2021 survey.
The complete picture: The need for alcohol labeling
Just about every consumable food and drug product has a label with information about the contents—from OTC meds, dietary supplements, sodas, and chips. Consumers rely on these labels to make sound purchasing decisions. Yet, there is one type of consumable product where we don’t have this option: alcoholic beverages.
Food insecurity among African and Hispanic American communities in America
Millions of Americans struggle with food insecurity—defined as limited or uncertain access to sufficient, nutritious food.
National Consumers League releases its top 10 food and nutrition policy priorities for 2021
NCL has released a 10-step action plan to address the explosion of food-related diseases in the United States and the unprecedented hunger and food safety challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is it a meat product or not?
As a consumer, I no longer want to be confused. I want to be able to easily differentiate between real meat and plant-based meat products.
Does your baby’s food contain toxic metals?
Congressional investigators have found dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals in many popular baby food brands.
The evolution of American alcohol policy — and what’s next
There has always been concern regarding the health consequences of poor labeling on alcoholic beverages and advocates are continuing to beat the drum for change.
The unsavory side of ‘Food with integrity’
After dozens of outbreaks of foodborne illness over the past…
Measures restaurants are taking during the pandemic to reopen
We were eventually seated on the patio—six-feet apart—and…
Tips to reduce food waste during the pandemic and beyond
The National Consumers League (NCL) has been an early…
Sweetened with what? Lack of transparency and misleading claims make reducing added sugars confusing
Many of us are probably trying to heed the advice of the U.S.…
Keeping meatpacking workers safe in the age of COVID-19: A view from the front lines
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
Observing World Food Safety Day: Food safety, foodborne illnesses, and the pandemic.
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
A prescription for surviving COVID-19 nutritionally intact: eat well, get sunshine
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow
Overeating…
Alcohol consumption during COVID-19: What the consumer needs to know
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow
While…
New study confirms what we already knew: child labor in agriculture is dangerous
Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at the National…
Grocery stores and safety measures needed to protect workers and customers during COVID-19
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
How do we deal with the ‘ticking time bomb’ in agriculture?
Reid Maki is the director of child labor advocacy at…
Chipotle workers welcome company’s settlement with DOJ but say more safety reforms needed
April 23, 2020
Media contact: National Consumers League…
Multi-agency initiative invites public and private partners to collaborate on strategy to reduce food waste
Shaunice Wall is NCL's Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow
An estimated 40 percent of food goes uneaten in the United States. Between 2007 and 2014, American consumers wasted nearly 150,000 tons of food per day. Yet, 40 million Americans struggle with hunger, including 12 million children.
Safe takeout options under coronavirus
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow
The…
Coronavirus and food safety: What you need to know
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition…
Coronavirus: Keeping yourself and your family well-fed in a crisis
By Nailah John, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow
Social…
What’s for dinner? Whatever’s in the waste bin
Scott Nash, CEO of MOM’s Organic, joins NCL’s Executive....
New National Consumers League podcast We Can Do This! explores current, historic socioeconomic reform in America
January 16, 2020Media contact: National Consumers League –…
Sorry, fair pay and a safe workplace aren’t on the menu
Diana Ramirez, Federal Senior Policy Advocate at Restaurant Opportunities Center,....
National Consumers League opposes ‘unethical and unjustified’ Grinch cuts to the SNAP program, causing hundreds of thousands of children to lose nutrition assistance
December 9, 2019Media contact: National Consumers League –…
Consumer group says ‘NO!’ to proposal to lift standard sizes for spirits, says ‘unscrupulous actors will cheat consumers’
October 29, 2019Media contact: National Consumers League –…
AdvoCare settlement highlights FTC’s importance in protecting consumers from pyramid schemes
October 2, 2019Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol…
NCL opposes harmful proposed rule that will expose more to hunger
September 23, 2019Media contact: National Consumers League –…
I’m going for the kids’ portion!
With overweight and obesity stats in an upward trajectory, the…
Obesity medicine specialists, health providers, insurers and employers urged to make obesity treatment a right of all Americans
With growing evidence that U.S. adults with obesity feel stigmatized and ignored by their health care providers, the National Consumers League (NCL) and National Council on Aging (NCOA) today urged health professionals, insurers and employers to join a national movement to define quality obesity care as a right for every American.
The National Consumers League applauds the reintroduction of bipartisan legislation to give millions of Medicare beneficiaries access to safe and effective obesity treatments
The National Consumers League (NCL) welcomes the reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) as a needed step to end outdated Medicare rules that leave millions of seniors with diagnosed obesity – particularly members of Black and Latino communities – vulnerable to disability, disease and premature death due to lack of access to the full range of treatment options.
Debunking the myth of prepared foods being cheaper and healthier
As we are gearing up for this upcoming holiday season, food safety is something important to keep in mind. If this is your first time or even your 20th being the Thanksgiving head chef, it is always good to review some simple safety tips in the kitchen.
Food safety tips this holiday season
As we are gearing up for this upcoming holiday season, food safety is something important to keep in mind. If this is your first time or even your 20th being the Thanksgiving head chef, it is always good to review some simple safety tips in the kitchen.
Consumer groups obtain TTB commitment to issue rulemakings on mandatory alcohol labeling
A coalition of consumer groups today announced an important victory for the American public: the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has agreed to issue proposed rules requiring standardized alcohol content, calorie, and allergen labeling on all beer, wine and distilled spirits products. TTB also agreed to begin preliminary rulemaking on mandatory ingredient labeling.
NCL applauds federal agency’s decision to require mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages
Today the National Consumers League hailed the decision by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the federal agency that oversees alcohol labeling, to require mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages as a "great consumer victory." NCL is grateful to the agency for this welcome – albeit long overdue – decision.
At last: FDA is updating the definition of a “healthy” food
It is rare when new regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warrant a song. But borrowing a phrase from Sam Cooke, FDA’s recent proposed rule changing the meaning of the term “healthy” has been a long time coming – 28 years to be exact. Yet, as the song goes “a change is gonna come.”
National Consumers League releases its Top Food and Nutrition Policy Priorities for 2022
At a time of significant change in the food industry, the National Consumers League (NCL) today released a food policy agenda to improve food safety, reduce sodium in the diet, achieve better portion control, increase transparency in food and beverage labeling, and promote an a more sustainable food system. Additionally, NCL is calling for a national strategy to ensure there will be an ample supply of safe infant formula products in the US along with aggressive regulatory oversight.
A New Patient-Centered Action Agenda calls for people with obesity to have the same rights and access to care as people with other chronic diseases
The National Consumers League (NCL) today released A New Patient-Centered Obesity Action Agenda: Changing the Trajectory of Obesity Through Patient Empowerment, Health Professional Intervention and Supportive Government Policies, a new report with a blueprint to change how Americans think about obesity, empower people with obesity to get the best care, and afford those with obesity the same access to care as adults with other serious chronic diseases.
Consumers need transparency in labeling of plant-based meat alternatives
As more plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) that closely mimic the look, taste, and cooking properties of traditional meat products enter the U.S. market almost daily, the National Consumers League (NCL) today released a report with seven priorities for regulatory action to ensure that labels of so-called “meatless meats” readily identify the protein source and inform consumers of the nutritional composition of each PBMA product.