American Beverage Makers Go MAHA With Ingredient Transparency Tool

A coalition of America’s major beverage makers is making it easier for consumers to access information about ingredients used in their products, a nod to the continued success of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

The American Beverage Association this month unveiled a first-of-its-kind system that allows shoppers to simply scan a QR code to access clear information about beverage ingredients, as well as easy-to-read health and safety information. The codes direct users to GoodToKnowFacts.org, which is billed as a comprehensive database that provides “factual, non-industry information about more than 140 beverage ingredients.”

“Consumers want greater transparency and deserve to have confidence in the safety of their foods and beverages,” ABA President and CEO Kevin Keane said about the initiative. “Transparency means more than simply listing ingredients — it means providing relevant context that helps people understand where specific ingredients are used, what function they serve and how regulators in different countries view them.”

Adding the QR codes to drinks will give consumers “clear and reliable information right at their fingertips,” Keane said. 

GoodToKnowFacts collects information from the FDA, the European Food Safety Authority, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, and Health Canada on the 140-plus different ingredients used across the beverage sector. It also gives the general definition of an ingredient, where else the ingredient is often found, and other names for the ingredient in question. Its “bottom line” section usually states where the ingredient has authorized use.

GoodtoKnowFacts

The ABA, a coalition of hundreds of beverage producers, distributors, and franchise companies, said its companies started adding these QR codes in the first quarter of 2026, adding that they’ve “committed to achieving full or near-full market penetration across all beverage portfolios by the end of 2027.”

The voluntary, cross-industry collaboration to provide transparency is the latest sign that the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement isn’t going anywhere. Americans have shown a willingness to spend more money for healthy, organic foods, and fabrics. The Trump administration continues to signal its involvement with the MAHA crowd, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy — an originator and leader of the movement — boasting that he’s converted a number of cabinet officials to a diet of grass-fed beef and fermented food like sauerkraut.

One of the officials on Kennedy’s diet is Vice President JD Vance, who recently installed a chicken coop at his official residence, another practice popular among MAHA followers in search of healthy proteins. On a policy level, the Trump administration has pushed the MAHA agenda beyond Kennedy’s work at HHS, including its recent launch of Moms.Gov, a federal website where expectant and new mothers can access information about pregnancy and childcare, including information about health and diet.