Texas’ Food Label Law ‘Untethered’ to Speech Rights, Judge Says

A Texas law requiring food or drinks containing one of 44 ingredients to bear a warning label likely violates free speech protections, a federal judge said during a hearing Tuesday, while also noting the law’s good intentions.

The American Beverage Association and several industry groups have asked Judge Alan Albright to issue a preliminary injunction nearly a year before the label provision in the law is to take effect in January 2027. Without relief from the law, food and beverage makers will be forced to make expensive updates to their warehouses, websites, and compliance teams, they say. The groups argue ...