Senate moves forward bill to require warning labels on ultra-processed foods and ban child-targeted junk-food ads

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to advance a bill that would require the FDA to place prominent warning labels on ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt or saturated fat. The legislation also seeks to prohibit junk‑food advertisements that are directed at children.

The proposal was introduced by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and reflects an unusual bipartisan coalition, with some Republicans joining Democrats in backing stricter food‑industry regulation.

An earlier version of the measure failed in 2024, but support grew after President Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the leader of the Make America Healthy Again movement, as health secretary. That appointment appears to have shifted parts of the GOP toward backing the bill.

The bill now moves to the full Senate for further consideration, where it will face additional debate and potential amendments before any final vote.