Here's Something Americans Agree On: Safe and Healthy Food

When Americans gather to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, we may not agree on the outcome of the election.

But we all agree that the food being served should be safe, healthy and clearly labeled. If we’re giving thanks in a restaurant, we will want calorie information on the menu and to know that the people preparing and serving our meals are paid a decent wage. And regardless of where we gather, we will want to be sure that our neighbors have enough to eat.

Safe food, healthy food, clearly labeled food: these aren't Republican values or Democratic values, they’re American values.

Recent food policy reforms – new food safety standards, updated food and menu label rules, and efforts to provide healthier options in schools and supermarkets – reflect these values. These are bipartisan reforms that are also supported by the food industry.

Real progress is being made but of course more progress is needed.

Many of the heartland and Rust Belt counties that were decisive in the election have the highest rates of hunger in the nation.

Our drinking water should be as safe as our food, but too many Americans are drinking polluted water, especially in rural areas.

Too many of the people who grow, process and serve our food are not being paid a living wage.

We all eat. We all drink water. We all want our families to have safe food. We all want to be able to choose from healthier options. We all want food and farm workers to thrive. No one thinks their neighbors should go hungry.

We may be divided by politics. But we're united by what we want from our food.

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