Reading Food Labels for Allergens
If reading food labels has you mystified, you are not alone. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) is a landmark piece of legislation for food allergy families. The spirit of the law is to protect consumers (like my son) from accidental exposure by mandating that food manufacturers fully disclose the ingredients of their products, specifically the top eight allergens. Yet, the intricate details of the law leave many shoppers confused.
When I had to start reading food labels for potential peanuts and tree nuts, I would mistakenly look only for advisory labeling underneath the ingredient list... the thing that says, "Contains peanuts and tree nuts." If there was none, I thought it was safe. This is NOT TRUE.
The letter of the law is as follows:
Many food producers like Nabisco and Kellogg are quite judicious about using "Contains" on their labeling but this line of text is not required by the law. Other manufacturers like Pepperidge Farms, for example, do not include a separate CONTAINS line on their packaging. Although they are technically FALCPA compliant, their products are an example of why you really have to read food labels closely (as in, every line) to ensure that you are avoiding your trigger foods.
When I had to start reading food labels for potential peanuts and tree nuts, I would mistakenly look only for advisory labeling underneath the ingredient list... the thing that says, "Contains peanuts and tree nuts." If there was none, I thought it was safe. This is NOT TRUE.
The letter of the law is as follows:
(1) If it is not a raw agricultural commodity and it is, or it contains an ingredient that bears or contains, a major food allergen, unless either--My interpretation of the code is that at the very least, the common food allergen name will be clearly listed in the ingredient list. OR, text with "Contains" followed by the allergen will be included on the label.
1. ``(A) the word `Contains', followed by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, is printed immediately after or is adjacent to the list of ingredients (in a type size no smaller than the type size used in the list of ingredients) required under subsections (g) and (i); or
2. ``(B) the common or usual name of the major food allergen in the list of ingredients required under subsections (g) and (i) is followed in parentheses by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, except that the name of the food source is not required when--
1. ``(i) the common or usual name of the ingredient uses the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived; or
2. ``(ii) the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived appears elsewhere in the ingredient list, unless the name of the food source that appears elsewhere in the ingredient list appears as part of the name of a food ingredient that is not a major food allergen under section 201(qq)(2)(A) or (B).
Many food producers like Nabisco and Kellogg are quite judicious about using "Contains" on their labeling but this line of text is not required by the law. Other manufacturers like Pepperidge Farms, for example, do not include a separate CONTAINS line on their packaging. Although they are technically FALCPA compliant, their products are an example of why you really have to read food labels closely (as in, every line) to ensure that you are avoiding your trigger foods.
Labels: reading food labels
posted by Ria at 6:08 PM
2 Comments:
One thing that a large part of the allergic community is not aware of is that the labeling laws do not help those of us with allergies outside of the Top 8 according to FAAN. As a matter of fact, FAAN has become a danger to those of us who have allergies outside the Top 8.
Why do I say this?
Companies are using the Top 8 as an excuse not to disclose the existence of other allergens in their products. They claim that the FDA and FAAN only require disclosure of the Top 8.
Don't you think it's better than nothing? I find that when we travel out of the country, the lack of any disclosure on ingredients is risky for our family. At least FALCPA is a step in the right direction.
Post a Comment
<< Home