Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper are among the major beverage companies rolling out QR codes across packaging to give consumers access to more information about ingredients in sodas, energy drinks and other offerings.
The packaging update is a major expansion of the American Beverage Association's Good to Know initiative, a project started last July that connects consumers with easy-to-understand information about common beverage ingredients using data from global food safety agencies.
PepsiCo has already linked its product codes to the website. The remainder of the beverage industry has committed to adding Good to Know information across its portfolio by the end of 2027.
The Good to Know database contains information on 140 beverage ingredients. Consumers can learn more about an ingredient's function and what type of products use it. The platform also connects users to government safety assessments so they can see why a regulator declared an ingredient safe for use.
Kevin Keane, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association, said the initiative responds to increased scrutiny from consumers around the ingredients that go into their food and beverages. Good to Know is unique in that it doesn't rely on industry data, instead allowing users to directly access information from the FDA, European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada.
“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," Keane said in a statement.
The Good to Know Initiative is the latest effort from the food and beverage industry amid growing consumer concerns around ingredient safety. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. has put the issue further in the spotlight by claiming many ingredients escape thorough safety reviews by exploiting a loophole allowing manufacturers to self-affirm that certain chemicals or additives are Generally Recognized as Safe.
Food and beverage companies are now moving to show that their ingredients are indeed safe through more transparency.
The Consumer Brands Association, which represents some of the largest food manufacturers in the U.S., is preparing an expansion of its own ingredient database that consumers can access by scanning a QR code on more than 106,000 participating products from over 1,000 brands.
The American Beverage Association's platform is meant to be a complement to the Consumer Brands' initiative, known as SmartLabel. Some brands set to participate in Good to Know also are part of SmartLabel.
Companies expected to take part in Good to Know include Pepsi, Coke, Dr Pepper, Red Bull and Polar. As beverage giants commit to increased transparency, they have also thrown their support behind a modernized GRAS framework that would require notices to regulators for all new ingredient uses.
“Consumers want greater transparency and deserve to have confidence in the safety of their foods and beverages,” Keane said. “By integrating Good to Know into QR codes, we’re making it easier than ever for consumers to have clear and reliable information right at their fingertips.”
