New Ad Urges Sen. Collins to Adopt National Standard for Ingredients That Would Prevent a 12% Grocery Cost Spike

As Maine families continue to grapple with rising costs at the checkout line, a national advocacy coalition is making its case to key members of Congress, and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) finds herself at the center of its latest push.

Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT) this week launched a new set of ads in a seven-figure campaign, including ads in Maine on broadcast and digital platforms. The spot praises Collins for her record on affordability and calls on her to also support what AFIT describes as a "uniform national standard for food ingredient safety, transparency, and labeling."

“Groceries, gas, energy bills. Senator Collins knows every dollar matters to Maine families," the spot says. "That's why she's fighting to make life more affordable, and the next step is within reach. One national standard for ingredient transparency could prevent a 12% grocery hike and deliver real relief for families at the checkout line. Senator Collins has a chance to make it happen."

The ads follow reporting from earlier this year showing that Maine families are spending more than $444 per person every month on groceries; a figure that has climbed 57% in just 10 years. For a family of four, that's nearly $1,800 a month in groceries alone.

AFIT is also running an ad encouraging Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) to support national ingredient uniformity and one praising Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) for his public support.

On the issue of a national standard, Sen. Husted said in part, “As the executive branch and Congress work together to strengthen a variety of food safety processes, consistent ingredient transparency standards must be part of that conversation.”

The ads are part of a broader, sustained campaign by AFIT. The coalition has led 270 allied organizations in a letter to congressional leadership urging swift action on the issue and has amplified multiple economic analyses on the impact of state patchwork regulation.

The ads will run for four weeks and began this week.