New 'No Tricks on Treats' Bill Mandates Front-of-Package Labeling for Dyes, Flavorings, and Sweeteners

Ever felt like you need a magnifying glass and a chemistry degree just to figure out what’s actually in your cereal box? The proposed No Tricks on Treats Act of 2025 is trying to fix that by forcing food manufacturers to put the ingredients you might actually care about—like synthetic dyes, added flavorings, and nonnutritive sweeteners—right on the front of the package. If they don't, the food gets slapped with the dreaded “misbranded” label, which is a serious no-go in the food world.

This bill doesn't ban these ingredients, but it dramatically changes how they are disclosed. Right now, you usually have to hunt through the fine print on the back panel. Under this proposal, if your sports drink uses a synthetic dye (specifically, one that requires FDA batch certification) or if that fruit snack contains an added artificial or natural flavoring, or if that diet soda uses a nonnutritive sweetener, that fact has to be clearly stated on the principal display panel—that’s the part of the package facing you on the shelf. The only exception carved out here is for dietary supplements, which get a pass for now.

The Labeling Overhaul: What You’ll Actually See

Think about the sheer volume of processed foods that rely on these ingredients. This move is a huge win for transparency. If you’re a parent trying to manage a kid’s sensitivity to certain food dyes, or if you’re just trying to cut back on artificial sweeteners, you won’t have to play detective in the grocery aisle anymore. The bill’s goal is simple: give consumers the information they need to make quick, informed choices at the point of purchase. It takes the guesswork out of the equation for ingredients that often raise health or preference questions.

The Cost of Clarity

While consumers benefit from this new clarity, it’s important to look at the flip side: the food industry. This bill imposes a significant Economic Burden on manufacturers and distributors. Every food brand that uses these ingredients will have to redesign its packaging. That means new printing plates, new supply chain management to ensure compliance, and potentially a major overhaul of marketing strategy. For large corporations, this is a headache; for smaller food producers, it could be a significant financial hit. These compliance costs are real and, inevitably, they often find their way back to the consumer in the form of slightly higher prices.

Flavoring’s New Spotlight

One of the most interesting parts of this bill is the required disclosure for added artificial or natural flavoring. Manufacturers often use "natural flavors" to enhance the taste of everything from yogurt to chips, and while the ingredients might be technically “natural,” the process and concentration can be highly engineered. Putting this on the front label means consumers will be able to see exactly which products rely on these flavor boosts to stand out. It’s a move that forces the industry to be upfront about the engineering that goes into making food taste the way it does. The bill is remarkably clear in its intent, which is good news for implementation, but the industry will likely be scrambling to figure out the most minimal way to meet the “clearly stated” requirement without turning off consumers.