In 1993, the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak sent shockwaves through the American food system. It was a tragic, watershed moment that fundamentally shifted how the industry viewed the supply chain. Before then, food safety protocols were siloed within individual companies. But in the aftermath, brands realized that when it comes to making safe food, collaboration between others in the supply chain, regulators and academia is essential.

The industry learned that food safety must be precompetitive, meaning food and product safety is not a competitive advantage; it requires productive, industry-wide collaboration and voluntary sharing of best practices.

Lessons from the Frontlines of Food Safety

I’ve spent the bulk of my career immersed in this evolution. I witnessed firsthand the incredible power of collaboration while I conducted microbiology research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), advocated for the development of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) at the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), led regional engagement for the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and oversaw regulatory and industry affairs for consumables at Amazon.

Jack in the Box’s E. coli outbreak caused the food and beverage industry to realize that a food safety failure for one company erodes consumer trust across the entire category. By sharing best practices, standardizing audits and collaborating across sectors, the industry proved that a rising tide lifts all boats. Safer food was recognized as being in the best interest of every company and its consumers.

The New Frontier: Digital Disclosure

As we mark National Consumer Transparency Week, the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry is at another critical inflection point. Today, the expectation of safety has evolved to include an uncompromising demand for transparency—a pursuit that will once again require collaboration.

Much like food safety in the 1990s, digital disclosure and supply chain visibility cannot simply be competitive defenses; they must become a shared baseline for transparency. Consumers want to know more than what can fit on a physical package; they want a window into ingredient origins, sustainability practices and regulatory compliance. Consumer perception regarding the openness of industry operations can directly dictate the standing of that industry.

The Essentials of Transparency

Transparency is not a buzzword; it is a multi-faceted commitment that addresses the complex questions modern consumers are asking about the foods they eat or the products they use in their home. To truly elevate the CPG industry, we must embrace the essentials of digital disclosure:

• Supply Chain Visibility: Today’s consumer wants to understand the journey of the ingredients used in food, beverage, home or personal care products. Where were these ingredients sourced? What are the labor practices of the suppliers? Are the agricultural methods environmentally sound? Providing clear, accessible supply chain visibility transforms an opaque manufacturing process into a story of ethical sourcing and corporate responsibility, ultimately building consumer trust.
• Recall Communication: In the event of a safety issue, static physical labels have limitations. Digital transparency allows for dynamic, real-time recall communication. If a product needs to be pulled from shelves, retailers and consumers can instantly verify if the specific item in their pantry is affected, turning a potential panic into a managed, precise response.
• More Detailed Allergen Information: In addition to the allergen information provided on the physical label, digital disclosure allows brands to go much further and account for the spectrum of allergen sensitivities. Brands can provide detailed information on trace elements, shared facility warnings and unfamiliar ingredients, empowering consumers with severe sensitivities to make safe choices without the guesswork.
• Zip Code-Level Recycling: Sustainability goals fall flat if consumers don’t know how to act on them. Packaging that is recyclable in one municipality might end up in a landfill in another. By leveraging digital tools to provide zip code-level recycling instructions, brands can guide consumers on how to dispose of or recycle packaging based on their location, bridging the gap between national sustainability efforts and local execution.

SmartLabel®: The Engine for Precompetitive Transparency

This shared mission is why I lead the SmartLabel program at the Consumer Brands Association. SmartLabel was founded as a result of proactive, precompetitive collaboration over a decade ago. Rather than individually creating tools for greater transparency, industry leaders created SmartLabel to be the definitive digital disclosure standard, providing a consistent format for consumers to access vital product data via mobile scan or web search.

It is the transparency engine that connects consumers to information that goes far beyond the on-pack label. From established multinational corporations to emerging brands, SmartLabel provides a trusted avenue to share everything from ingredient definitions to specialized third party certifications.

Currently, the program allows consumers to obtain detailed information on nearly 100,000 products from more than 1,000 brands. But the real power of SmartLabel isn’t just in the volume of data; it’s in the unified approach. When the entire industry commits to a standard of transparency, the consumer wins.

This National Consumer Transparency Week, let’s take a page from our own history and continue the impactful, collaborative work that has already been done. By treating digital disclosure as a precompetitive imperative, we can elevate the entire CPG landscape and build a lasting foundation of consumer trust.