News

The House of Representatives voted 213 to 210 to approve the fiscal year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 8646) on June 4, 2026. A summary, bill text and bill report can be found here. The bill funds Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at $8 billion (a $200 million decrease from FY26 levels) while reducing the WIC Cash Value Voucher by 10%. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) receives $101.2 billion in mandatory funding, which is $6.2 billion below the FY26 enacted level as requested by the President.

Of note for CDA members, the bill text stipulates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner submit a report updating the FDA document titled "Enforcement Priorities for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) and Other Deemed Products on the Market Without Premarket Authorization," as well as submit a detailed report on funding and activities planned for enforcement activities within 60 days of enactment of the bill, and shall continue to submit a semi-annual written report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on the progress that the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) is making in preventing all mis-declared ENDS products from entering the U.S. The bill also instructs $200,000,000 from tobacco user fees shall be used by the Commissioner for enforcement activities related to e-cigarettes, vapes, and other ENDS; with $20,000,000 going toward funding the ENDS multi-agency task force. Read more here.

On June 5, 2026, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urged Congress to “update the statutory definition of final hemp-derived cannabinoid products to allow Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products” while restricting “products that pose serious health risks.” As a reminder, the FY2026 Agriculture Appropriations bill (Public Law 119-37) included language that would ban approximately 95% of the current consumable hemp market, including products containing delta-8 and THCA beginning in November 2026. Several House lawmakers filed amendments to the FY27 Agriculture-FDA bill to keep hemp products legal, but each was either blocked by the House Rules Committee from advancing to a floor vote or withdrawn by its sponsor. The bill report includes some language on hemp research. Read more here.

CDA members have exclusive access to a new white paper, Evaluating Traceability Readiness in Convenience Distribution: A Practical Look at FSMA 204 Operations and Vendor Data. Developed in partnership with New Era Partners, the paper explores the X-ray assessment of MR Williams, Inc.’s distributor operations and offers practical insights into traceability readiness, operational gaps, and compliance considerations. Access the white paper* here.

*Access to the white paper is a benefit exclusive to CDA members; login required to view.

Don’t miss the CDA Business Academy early bird special to develop more leaders for less! Register by this Friday, June 12 to take advantage of the Buy 2, Get 1 Free offer.

Click here to learn more about the 16-week virtual education program designed for emerging, rising leaders and middle managers in the convenience products distribution industry.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report on a series of traceability readiness tabletop exercises held with industry between March 9 and April 1, 2026. The exercises were designed to help the food industry prepare to comply with the Food Traceability Rule (FTR). The FDA has also released updated frequently asked questions to provide clarity on a number of topics related to the rule. Read more here.

Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-AR) told reporters that he expects to release legislative text for the Senate version of the Farm Bill within the next several weeks. As a reminder, the House passed its farm bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) at the end of April. Boozman said the Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to consider a farm bill during the work period between July 4th and August recesses. Read more here.

On June 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun granted a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new funding conditions to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Among them are restrictions related to “gender ideology,” “immigration” and “fair athletic opportunities” for women and girls. The injunction was sought by a coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia led by Democratic attorneys general. Read more here.

Instacart Business brings the same proven technology trusted by millions of consumers to the distribution industry, turning same-day fulfillment into your strategic differentiator. The company's Will Call Delivery service enables your team to respond instantly to urgent customer needs using your own catalog and inventory, ensuring you never lose a sale to supply chain gaps. Elevate customer loyalty, add incremental value from new customers and position your distribution business as the most responsive partner in the market.

Contact information for Instacart Business is as follows:

Mark Wilson
mark.wilson@instacart.com
Instacart Business
50 Beale Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94105
1-888-246-7822
www.instacart.com/business

CDA is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Ray Foley Memorial Scholarship Program. The scholarship was established in June 1983 to honor the late National Candy Wholesalers Association executive vice president, Ray Foley. Applicants must be employed on an ongoing basis by a CDA distributor member company or be an immediate family member (spouse or child) of an employee of a CDA distributor member company in good standing.

After a rigorous and anonymous selection process, the judging panel has chosen four exceptional students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, leadership skills, and community involvement. Each recipient will receive $5,000 in financial aid to pursue their academic goals.

The 2026 scholarship recipients are:

• Rachel Bramlett, daughter of Brenda Pope, key account sales manager at Grocery Supply Company in Sulphur Springs, TX. Rachel was selected to receive a scholarship towards her master’s education at the University of North Texas.
• Elle Ehlert, daughter of Kris Ehlert, sales representative at Grocery Supply Company in Brenham, TX. Elle was selected to receive a scholarship towards her nursing education at Texas Christian University.
• Samrie Robinson, assistant transportation manager at McLane Company, Inc. – Southwest in Temple, TX. Samrie was selected to receive a scholarship towards her business education at National University.
• Abbey Williams, daughter of Barrett Williams, chief information officer at Grocery Supply Company in Sulphur Springs, TX. Abbey was selected to receive a scholarship towards her business education at Texas A&M University.

To learn more about each scholarship recipient, read the full press release or visit www.cdaweb.net/RayFoley.

This week, CDA's Richard Owen, president and CEO, and Angie Simonetti, executive vice president, spent time visiting members across the Midwest.

At AMCON Distributing Company's Quincy, IL, location, Owen and Simonetti met with leadership and took part in a behind-the-scenes tour of the Quincy facility.

In Mt. Sterling, IL, Owen and Simonetti met with Dot Foods, Inc., to collaborate, share ideas and discuss ways to strengthen the partnership between CDA and Dot Foods. They also toured the facility to learn more about Dot’s unique business and see innovation in action throughout its operations.

To the right, Simonetti (center) and Owen (right) meet with Scott Carrico, AMCON Distributing Company.

Ronnoco Beverage Solution welcomed CDA to their St. Louis, MO, headquarters, providing a look at the process of sourcing, selecting, and roasting coffee beans, and to see the expertise that goes into every batch.

Thank you to AMCON, Dot Foods and Ronnoco for your time and hospitality, and for your insights into what makes our industry thrive.

Left to right are Jeff Grever, Dot Foods, Inc.; Owen and Simonetti, CDA; and Devin Fogleman and George Eversman, Dot Foods, Inc.	Don Bergin (left), Ronnoco Beverage Solutions, with CDA's Owen (center) and Simonetti.

CDA Business Academy returns for its second year – a 16-week virtual education program designed for emerging, rising leaders and middle managers in the convenience products distribution industry. The curriculum focuses on people management and business finance, delivered through a fully virtual format combining self-paced learning, live expert-led sessions and peer networking.

The second cohort will run from August 20 through December 3, with live sessions held every third Thursday. Open to all CDA members, the program supports leadership development across the industry. Space is limited – register now to secure your spot by July 31.

Don’t Miss the Early Bird Special: Buy 2, Get 1 Free
Register by June 12  to take advantage of this limited time offer to develop more leaders for less – register three, pay for two.

Ready to invest in your future leaders? Click here to learn more or contact Lauren Herbert for further details.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in partnership with the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA), have launched a new training curriculum on the Food Traceability Rule (FTR). The course, titled “FSPCA FTR Training for the Food Industry,” is a core, industry-oriented training that provides participants with the foundational knowledge that is needed to understand and comply with the Food Traceability Rule. Registration for participant courses is now available on the FSPCA website. Read more here.

On May 27, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a discussion paper to promote deeper and more productive engagements with stakeholders on potential flexibilities regarding the lot-level tracking requirements in the final rule, "Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods” (Food Traceability Rule). The discussion paper includes information and questions to help inform FDA’s engagements with stakeholders, including the upcoming virtual FDA-led public meeting on June 15, 2026. In addition to the public meeting, the FDA wants to provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to actively engage with the agency on this topic. Therefore, all interested parties are encouraged to submit feedback on the discussion paper to https://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FDA-2014-N-0053. The deadline for feedback is July 15, 2026. Read more here.

In Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) does not preempt state-law negligent-hiring claims against a transportation broker that allegedly selected an unsafe motor carrier. The plaintiff alleged that the broker arranged transportation with a carrier that had a conditional federal safety rating and known safety deficiencies, and that this negligent selection contributed to a serious truck crash. The Court concluded that even if the FAAAA preemption provision otherwise applied, the claim fell within the FAAA's safety exception because negligent carrier selection concerns motor-vehicle safety. Click here for more information, including implications for wholesale distributors and best practices to minimize negligent-hiring exposure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a programmatic environmental assessment related to the agency’s review of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for new tobacco products in the “other” category, which includes nicotine pouches, lozenges, discs, tablets and gums, as well as dissolvable tobacco products and other nicotine infused products (but specifically excludes smokeless tobacco products such as dip, snuff, snus and chewing tobacco). Read more here.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it issued warning letters to eight retailers for selling unauthorized tobacco products, including nicotine pouches and dissolvable tobacco products. The warning letters involve unauthorized tobacco products that have labeling, advertising and/or design features that cause the products to imitate candy, breath strips and cough drops. Read more here.

Donald Prater has been selected to serve as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) acting deputy commissioner for food, becoming the agency’s top food official after Kyle Diamantas moved into the role of acting FDA commissioner. The change has not yet been formally announced. Prater is a longtime FDA official with more than 26 years at the agency and previously led the FDA’s food division on an acting basis from 2023 to 2024.

The leadership changes come after former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned amid controversy surrounding flavored vape policies, drug approval decisions and reports that President Trump planned to remove him. Read more here.

On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance clarifying that employers seeking to hire foreign commercial truck drivers must include federal English language proficiency requirements in all job postings and labor certification applications.

The guidance reinforces existing federal rules requiring commercial drivers to be able to read traffic signs, communicate in English with law enforcement and the public, and complete reports and records. Employers that fail to include these requirements could face delays in processing their labor certification applications until corrections are made.

The policy will take effect 30 days after publication and primarily impacts distributors, trucking companies and other employers that sponsor foreign CDL drivers.

Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. enlisted senior health official Stephanie Haridopolos to serve as an interim surgeon general until that position is filled by a Senate-confirmed nominee. Haridopolos, a family medicine physician who is currently a senior adviser and chief of staff for the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, is now the office’s director of health communications, Kennedy told staff in an email sent late Tuesday.

The position of surgeon general has gone unfilled during the entirety of the second Trump administration. President Trump’s first two nominees, Janette Nesheiwat and Casey Means, failed to advance in the Senate. Read more here.

Adco Distributors, Inc. was founded in 1927 by Louis Kaven as The Kaven Company, a tobacco and sundry distributor in Canton, OH. Louis’ long time salesman Syd Adelman and his wife Evelyn bought and renamed the company Adco Distributors in 1960.

Adco is a regional convenience store distribution company servicing the Northern and Eastern Ohio market, providing cigarettes, tobacco, candy, beverage and a multitude of other products to local independent retailers and small chains.

Contact information for Adco Distributors, Inc. is as follows:

Pat Bell
pat@adcodistrib.com
Adco Distributors, Inc.
606 3rd Street SE
Canton, OH 44702
(330) 454-5193
www.adcodistributors.com

Above, attendees take in the views of the Capitol building from Altria's Washington, D.C. offices, where dinner was hosted by Altria Group Distribution Company.

CDA distributor members traveled from around the country to Washington, D.C., May 12-13 for the 2026 Day on the Hill advocacy program – the association’s annual opportunity for members to engage directly with legislators on issues vital to the convenience distribution industry. Attendees participated in policy briefings, heard from seasoned policymakers, toured the Library of Congress, and had an abundance of opportunities to network with peers at the generously sponsored meals – with no shortage of meaningful conversation or delicious food.

View the video to the right for a wrap-up of the event.

“Day on the Hill is one of CDA’s most impactful advocacy efforts, giving our members a direct line to lawmakers on the laws and regulations that shape their businesses and communities,” said Richard Owen, CDA president and CEO. “This year was especially meaningful as it was my first Day on the Hill with CDA. I had the opportunity to see firsthand the strength of our membership voice and the difference we can make when we show up together in Washington.”

To the left, attendees enjoy an opening lunch and discussion, provided by PMI U.S.

Attendees covered issues including the 2026 Farm Bill, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204(d) Requirements, FDA’s tobacco regulatory responsibilities and the Surface Transportation Reauthorization.

CDA Chair Andy Plummer, AMCON Distributing Company, emphasized the importance of member engagement during Day on the Hill. “There’s tremendous value in showing up, building relationships, and ensuring our industry’s voice is heard on Capitol Hill. These conversations help lawmakers better understand the real-world impact of the policies they consider,” Plummer said.

The success of this advocacy program was made possible by the generous support of sponsors Altria Group Distribution Company, ITG Brands, Phillip Morris International and Reynolds.

To the right, attendees are able to recharge and enjoy lunch between Hill meetings at the Capitol Hill Club, sponsored by ITG Brands, LLC.

“We are deeply appreciative of the support from our sponsors, whose commitment helped elevate our industry’s voice in Washington,” Owen added. “Working together, we continue strengthening relationships and influencing policies that benefit our members and the customers they serve.”

Don’t miss the next issue of Convenience Distribution magazine, featuring an in-depth look at CDA’s advocacy. In the meantime, click here to view more photos from Day on the Hill.

Attendees pose before a tour of the Library of Congress.	Attendees explore the Library of Congress.
Attendees prepare for their meetings with legislators.	Sen. Mark Kelly (second from left) meets with Ellen Schwartz (left) and Philip Schwartz, Arizona Complete Candy & Tobacco, and Angie Simonetti, CDA.
Rep. James Comer and a staffer meet with Ross Haynes, Hardec's, Inc. (left) and Chrissy Laycock (right), Merchants Grocery Company, Inc.	Left to right are Richard Owen, CDA; Carlos Zumarraga, Zuma and Sons Distributors Corp.; Rep. John Rutherford; and René Atayan and Chris Atayan, AMCON Distributing Company.

A Special Thanks From CDA to All That Attended Day on the Hill

Above, attendees gather before breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club, hosted by Reynolds.