About the Consumer Brands Association
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Our Mission
We champion growth and innovation for the industry whose products consumers depend on every day.

Programs & Initiatives
Helping an industry to solve problems, spark innovation and inspire collaboration.

SmartLabel
Access detailed information for thousands of food, beverage, personal care, household and pet care products.
Our History
1908: Early Beginnings
The American Specialty Manufacturers Association was created when 60 manufacturers representing 45 of the most respected food and branded product manufacturers met in New York City to discuss ways to bring their fledgling industry in accordance with new laws and to build better industry relations.
1924: First Woman Serves on Association Board
Rose M. Knox took over a troubled new business, Knox Gelatin, in 1908 when her husband died, becoming one of the first women to head a large U.S. company. She began an innovative program of marketing to women and became one of the first to introduce the then-revolutionary five-day work week, paid vacations and sick leave. Knox survived the Depression without laying off a single employee. She remained president of the company until her 90th birthday, retaining her chairmanship until her death in 1950 at age 93. She joined the association’s board of directors in 1924, becoming the first woman to ever serve on a major national board. At age 85 she was honored at the association’s executive conference with a standing ovation that lasted four minutes.
1938: Founding FDA
The association pushed hard for the passage of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, the landmark legislation that gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration its regulatory authority, replacing the 1906 bill that created the agency. The association’s legal counsel, Charles Wesley Dunn, collaborated closely with lawmakers on the bill and participated in a series of national radio debates with the sponsoring senator.
1941-1945: World War II
President Franklin D. Roosevelt tasked association official Clare Francis of General Foods to ensure that all U.S. factories were contributing to the war effort, serving more than 12 million soldiers at their posts around the globe. FDR also tapped numerous association officials to help coordinate the nation’s food supply at home and abroad.
1950s-1960s: Industry Innovates
Laundry detergent hit the American market, quickly surpassing sales of soap on its way to becoming a household staple.
Modern toothpastes were developed to help prevent or treat specific diseases and conditions such as tooth sensitivity.
“1958 Crest Toothpaste Advertisement Readers Digest October 1958” is licensed under CC BY 2.0
1990s: Going Green
The number of sustainable products in America more than doubled, representing more than 10 percent of all new household products.
2015: SmartLabel
The association partnered to develop SmartLabel®, a digital disclosure tool that gives consumers a way to access more detailed product information than can fit on a label. It offers real-time data for a wide range of food, beverage, household, pet care, personal care and over-the-counter products.
2020: Consumer Brands Association
Building on and learning from the best of its past, the association started a new chapter in its 112-year-old history by becoming the Consumer Brands Association, adopting a proactive agenda that aligns with the values of the brands it represents and the consumers they serve.
1908: Early Beginnings
The American Specialty Manufacturers Association was created when 60 manufacturers representing 45 of the most respected food and branded product manufacturers met in New York City to discuss ways to bring their fledgling industry in accordance with new laws and to build better industry relations.
1924: First Woman Serves on Association Board
Rose M. Knox took over a troubled new business, Knox Gelatin, in 1908 when her husband died, becoming one of the first women to head a large U.S. company. She began an innovative program of marketing to women and became one of the first to introduce the then-revolutionary five-day work week, paid vacations and sick leave. Knox survived the Depression without laying off a single employee. She remained president of the company until her 90th birthday, retaining her chairmanship until her death in 1950 at age 93. She joined the association’s board of directors in 1924, becoming the first woman to ever serve on a major national board. At age 85 she was honored at the association’s executive conference with a standing ovation that lasted four minutes.
1938: Founding FDA
The association pushed hard for the passage of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, the landmark legislation that gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration its regulatory authority, replacing the 1906 bill that created the agency. The association’s legal counsel, Charles Wesley Dunn, collaborated closely with lawmakers on the bill and participated in a series of national radio debates with the sponsoring senator.
1941-1945: World War II
President Franklin D. Roosevelt tasked association official Clare Francis of General Foods to ensure that all U.S. factories were contributing to the war effort, serving more than 12 million soldiers at their posts around the globe. FDR also tapped numerous association officials to help coordinate the nation’s food supply at home and abroad.
1950s-1960s: Industry Innovates
Laundry detergent hit the American market, quickly surpassing sales of soap on its way to becoming a household staple.
Modern toothpastes were developed to help prevent or treat specific diseases and conditions such as tooth sensitivity.
“1958 Crest Toothpaste Advertisement Readers Digest October 1958” is licensed under CC BY 2.0
1990s: Going Green
The number of sustainable products in America more than doubled, representing more than 10 percent of all new household products.
2015: SmartLabel
The association partnered to develop SmartLabel®, a digital disclosure tool that gives consumers a way to access more detailed product information than can fit on a label. It offers real-time data for a wide range of food, beverage, household, pet care, personal care and over-the-counter products.
2020: Consumer Brands Association
Building on and learning from the best of its past, the association started a new chapter in its 112-year-old history by becoming the Consumer Brands Association, adopting a proactive agenda that aligns with the values of the brands it represents and the consumers they serve.

Uniting the Totality of CPG
The Consumer Brands Association champions the industry whose products Americans depend on every day, representing more than 1,700 iconic brands. From household and personal care to food and beverage products, the consumer packaged goods industry plays a vital role in powering the U.S. economy, contributing $2 trillion to U.S. GDP and supporting more than 20 million American jobs.

Our Research
We uncover the facts and figures behind the CPG industry and the millions of American lives it touches.

Stay in the Know
Read the latest on what’s top of mind for the consumer packaged goods industry.
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