The Political Power of the Food Industry

The lobbying industry has a lot of power, especially when it comes to protecting children. For almost 50 years, there have been calls to ban sugary cereals from being advertised to children. However, when major manufacturers were invited to testify at a Senate hearing on nutrition education, they boycotted it because they didn’t have good answers for why they were marketing breakfast candy to kids. Despite some voluntary guidelines proposed by federal agencies, the food industry has consistently fought against any meaningful regulation. Despite spending $175 million lobbying, the industry has been successful in shutting down efforts to protect children. This situation highlights the immense power of the food industry when it comes to political influence.