Consumer Brands Association
The Consumer Brands Association is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade association representing nearly 2,000 consumer packaged goods brands across food, beverage, household, and personal care, operating the SmartLabel digital disclosure platform and the FACTS UP FRONT nutrition labeling standard from its Arlington, Virginia headquarters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Consumer Brands Association does
The Consumer Brands Association (CBA) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade association formed in 2018 through the merger of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the Food Products Association (FPA), representing nearly 2,000 iconic consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand members across food, beverage, household, and personal care categories. The CPG industry the association represents contributes approximately $2.5 trillion to U.S. GDP (10% of national GDP), supports 22.3 million American jobs (10.5% of total U.S. employment), and generates $1.5 trillion in labor income. CBA operates from its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, with a staff of 101-250 employees led by President and CEO Melissa Hockstad, and is governed by a board of CPG-executive members chaired by Mark Smucker (CEO of J.M. Smucker Co.) as of January 2026.
CBA's core product offering is a suite of precompetitive transparency and labeling infrastructure. SmartLabel is a QR-code-based digital disclosure platform covering over 100,000 products from 1,000 brands, providing consumers access to ingredients, allergen details, recycling instructions, and recall notifications; it is preparing for the GS1 Sunrise 2027 transition to 2D barcodes. FACTS UP FRONT is a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labeling system (calories, saturated fat, sodium, added sugars) that appears on approximately 70% of U.S. packaged food and beverage products and enjoys 75% consumer trust. Supporting programs include Truth About Ingredients and Food Processing Facts websites, the annual CPG Legal Forum (300+ attendees), the CPG Speaks virtual leadership series, and the National Consumer Transparency Week (second annual iteration held June 8-12, 2026).
Revenue is generated through annual membership dues from approximately 2,000 CPG companies, with separate "Industry Allies" membership for allied organizations; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Beyond membership revenue, CBA monetizes through programs and events (CPG Legal Forum, CPG Speaks, Better Process Control School, Food and Beverage Labeling Course) and convenes cross-industry coalitions such as the Recycling Leadership Council (formed January 2026 with Closed Loop Partners). The association also generates value through regulatory advocacy—securing a preliminary injunction blocking Texas SB 25's compelled warning-label requirement and helping shelve California AB 2034—while opposing state-level ingredient disclosure regimes and lobbying for federal preemption.
Consumer Brands Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Consumer Brands Association
- Legal name
- Consumer Brands Association
- Website
- https://consumerbrandsassociation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Consumer Brands Association is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade association representing nearly 2,000 consumer packaged goods brands across food, beverage, household, and personal care, operating the SmartLabel digital disclosure platform and the FACTS UP FRONT nutrition labeling standard from its Arlington, Virginia headquarters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Consumer Brands Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Association Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Standards, Labeling & Claims Regulation (HLAJAEAB)
Keywords
Where Consumer Brands Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Consumer Brands Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The Consumer Brands Association operates as a not-for-profit trade association representing the consumer packaged goods industry. Revenue is generated through membership dues from nearly 2,000 iconic CPG brands across food, beverage, household, and personal care sectors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Trade Association Membership for CPG Companies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Consumer Brands Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Consumer Brands Association is a not-for-profit trade association representing nearly 2,000 consumer packaged goods companies across food, beverage, household, and personal care sectors. It provides policy advocacy, regulatory engagement, industry-wide standards, and consumer transparency tools (SmartLabel QR-code platform, FACTS UP FRONT nutrition labeling) to its member companies.
Product overview
The Consumer Brands Association operates a suite of consumer transparency programs and industry platforms for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. The core offerings include SmartLabel (digital QR code-based transparency platform) and FACTS UP FRONT (front-of-pack nutrition labeling), which together provide comprehensive product information to consumers. Supporting resources include Truth About Ingredients and Food Processing Facts websites. The association also convenes industry professionals through programs like the CPG Legal Forum and CPG Speaks virtual leadership series. The CPG industry represents nearly 2,000 iconic brands, contributes $2.5 trillion to U.S. GDP, and supports 22.3 million American jobs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FACTS UP FRONT: Industry transparency initiative providing at-a-glance nutrition information on front of food and beverage packaging
- SmartLabel
- Recycling Leadership Council (RLC)
- Food Processing Facts
- Truth About Ingredients
Products and services
- SmartLabel Digital QR code-based platform providing consumers with detailed product information including ingredients, allergen details, recycling instructions, and recall notices. Used by CPG manufacturers across food, beverage, household, and personal care categories.
- FACTS UP FRONT Voluntary front-of-package nutrition labeling system displaying calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars with percent Daily Value information. Available to CPG manufacturers as an industry-wide labeling standard.
- Truth About Ingredients Digital resource helping consumers access factual information about ingredient safety, cutting through online misinformation about food and beverage ingredients.
- Food Processing Facts Digital resource providing fact-based information about food processing methods, their role in ensuring food safety, improving nutrition security, and reducing food loss and waste.
- CPG Legal Forum
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of American adults aware of FACTS UP FRONT label
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Consumer Brands Association
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Consumer Brands Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Consumer Brands Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Closed Loop PartnerscoreConsumer Brands Association and Closed Loop Partners are founding members of the Recycling Leadership Council (RLC), a coalition launched to modernize the American plastic recycling system. The RLC brings together leaders across technology, automotive, consumer goods, toys, and other industries to work with Congress on driving manufacturing and recycling innovation and upgrading aging recycling infrastructure.
- Recycling Leadership CouncilcoreConsumer Brands Association leads the formation of the Recycling Leadership Council, a broad coalition of companies from recycling, manufacturing, packaging, and consumer products sectors seeking to address outdated recycling frameworks. The coalition intends to push for policy frameworks that unlock investment and manufacturing innovation for America's aging recycling infrastructure.
- AMERIPENcoreAMERIPEN, Consumer Brands Association, and Consumer Technology Association released a joint report with Smithers estimating that industry-led source reduction efforts decreased U.S. packaging volume by approximately five million metric tons between 2019 and 2024. The partnership provides independent assessment of the American packaging industry's progress in reducing and optimizing packaging.
- Consumer Technology AssociationcoreAMERIPEN, Consumer Brands Association, and Consumer Technology Association released a joint report with Smithers estimating that industry-led source reduction efforts decreased U.S. packaging volume by approximately five million metric tons between 2019 and 2024. The partnership provides independent assessment of the American packaging industry's progress in reducing and optimizing packaging.
- The Recycling PartnershipcoreConsumer Brands and The Recycling Partnership partnered to integrate Recycle Check recycling instructions into SmartLabel QR codes. This allows consumers to access zip code-level recycling information for products, helping navigate the fragmented recycling system with nearly 10,000 local programs nationwide. The partnership aims to reduce consumer confusion and improve recycling rates.
- Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic BeveragesminorConsumer Brands Association's Recycling Leadership Council supports innovations such as Waiākea's carbon-negative algae-derived ink for product labels. The association advocates for federal recycling standards that would enable technologies like this.
- GS1coreSmartLabel is preparing for GS1's Sunrise 2027 project that will transition retailers from UPC barcodes to 2D barcodes by end of next year. The transition will enable consumers to access product information via QR codes while allowing retailers to handle sales, flag recalls and automatically discount items nearing expiration.
- National Association of ManufacturerscoreConsumer Brands Association joined with NAM, American Beverage Association, and Food Industry Association to form a coalition opposing Kennedy's MAHA food agenda. The coalition is lobbying for uniform federal ingredient standards to preempt state-level regulations.
- American Beverage AssociationcoreConsumer Brands Association joined with NAM, American Beverage Association, and Food Industry Association to form a coalition opposing Kennedy's MAHA food agenda. The coalition is lobbying for uniform federal ingredient standards to preempt state-level regulations.
- Food Industry AssociationcoreConsumer Brands Association joined with NAM, American Beverage Association, and Food Industry Association to form a coalition opposing Kennedy's MAHA food agenda. The coalition is lobbying for uniform federal ingredient standards to preempt state-level regulations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Consumer Brands Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- American Beverage Association: Trade association for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Coalition partner with CBA on ingredient disclosure preemption; directly comparable as a CPG-sector advocacy body with member companies also represented by CBA.
- SNAC International: Trade association for the snack industry. Smaller but directly comparable trade body serving snack food manufacturers — many of whom are also CBA members — with overlapping food labeling, nutrition, and ingredient safety advocacy.
- Food Industry Association (FMI): Trade association representing food retailers and wholesalers. Direct peer as a CPG/food industry advocacy body that partners with CBA on regulatory coalitions (e.g., opposing Kennedy's MAHA agenda) and overlapping member companies.
- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Largest U.S. manufacturing trade association. Coalition partner with CBA on federal preemption and MAHA opposition, representing an overlapping advocacy and policy engagement model for industrial member companies.
- AMERIPEN: American Institute for Packaging and the Environment — trade association for packaging manufacturers and users. Coalition partner with CBA on packaging sustainability reports and recycling policy; directly comparable advocacy model for an adjacent CPG value-chain segment.
- Personal Care Products Council: Trade association for the cosmetic and personal care products industry. Comparable membership-based advocacy model addressing ingredient safety, labeling, and FDA regulation — segments that overlap with CBA's household and personal care members.
Others
- Grocery Manufacturers Association (historical): Predecessor entity that merged with Food Products Association in 2018 to form CBA. Not an active peer, but historically the same organization serving overlapping CPG advocacy functions.
Broad incumbents
- National Retail Federation: Largest U.S. retail trade association. Comparable as a broad incumbent in trade advocacy, with overlapping interest in supply chain, sustainability, and consumer-facing transparency that intersects with CBA's SmartLabel/G1 Sunrise 2027 work.
Emerging players
- Consumer Technology Association (CTA): Trade association for the U.S. consumer technology industry. Coalition partner with CBA and AMERIPEN on packaging source-reduction research; comparable as a major standards-and-advocacy trade body with cross-industry coalitions.
- American Chemistry Council: Trade association representing the U.S. chemical industry. Adjacent peer given CBA's chemical management policy work and overlapping interest in FDA ingredient regulation and packaging sustainability.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Consumer Brands Association social profiles
Digital presenceConsumer Brands Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Consumer Brands Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Consumer Brands Association subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Consumer Brands Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Consumer Brands Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Consumer Brands Association
What does Consumer Brands Association do?
The Consumer Brands Association is a not-for-profit trade association representing nearly 2,000 consumer packaged goods companies across food, beverage, household, and personal care sectors. It provides policy advocacy, regulatory engagement, industry-wide standards, and consumer transparency tools (SmartLabel QR-code platform, FACTS UP FRONT nutrition labeling) to its member companies.
Is Consumer Brands Association a public or private company?
Consumer Brands Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Consumer Brands Association founded?
Consumer Brands Association was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Consumer Brands Association based?
Consumer Brands Association is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Consumer Brands Association make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are Consumer Brands Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are American Beverage Association, SNAC International, Food Industry Association (FMI), National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), AMERIPEN and Personal Care Products Council. Grocery Manufacturers Association (historical) is listed as an others. National Retail Federation is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and American Chemistry Council.
Does Consumer Brands Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Consumer Brands Association.
What industry is Consumer Brands Association in?
Consumer Brands Association's product category is Trade Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAEAB, Food Standards, Labeling & Claims Regulation.