Capital Update – For the Week Ending July 17, 2026

NPPC Weighs in on FDA Review of Important Food Additive

What happened: NPPC submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the use of butylated hydroxytoluene in human food and as a substance for manufacturing, packing, packaging, transporting, or holding food.

The agency requested information on the current uses and safety data for BHT as part of its post-market assessments of chemicals in food.

Currently, FDA lists BHT as “generally recognized as safe” for use as an antioxidant in food, with the total antioxidant content not to exceed 0.02% of the food’s total fat or oil content, and for use in food for animals. It is used to prevent spoilage of fats and oils and in various food products, including breakfast cereals, frozen pizza, frozen meals, baking mixes, cookies, chewing gum, and meat products. BHT also is used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products.

NPPC’s take: “The regulated use of BHT remains an important component of modern food preservation technologies,” said NPPC in its comments, pointing out that the available scientific evidence developed over more than six decades demonstrates BHT remains a “safe, effective, and technologically necessary antioxidant when used in accordance with FDA regulations.”

Why it matters: BHT is an additive primarily used as a preservative and antioxidant. In foods, it slows down the rancidity of fats and oils, preserving flavor, color, and nutritional quality of products. In the pork industry, BHT commonly is incorporated into rendered fats, processed pork products, cured meats, sausage formulations, and other shelf-stable products.

Ag Organizations Back Sonderling as Labor Secretary

What happened: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions approved and sent to the full Senate the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. NPPC recently joined nearly 50 other agricultural organizations in urging the committee to advance Sonderling.

In a July 14 letter to committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the organizations pointed out that Sonderling, who has been DOL Acting Secretary since April 2026, understands the “operational realities of farm labor and what policies can help ensure American agriculture will thrive into the future.” The groups urged the committee to favorably report Sonderling’s nomination and asked the full Senate to confirm him “without delay.”

Sonderling previously was Deputy Secretary of the Labor Department and Acting and Deputy Administrator of the agency’s Wage and Hour Division, which gave him experience with the H-2A visa program for foreign agricultural workers and the compliance burdens agricultural employers face.

Why it matters: The Secretary of Labor oversees the department responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemployment benefits, and reemployment services. Primarily for agriculture, DOL administers the H-2A visa program, which allows agricultural employers who meet specific requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary seasonal farm jobs.