I am beginning to believe that food allergen labeling should be considered an art! Below are tips for reading labels and understanding the critical limitations of current labeling laws. I believe many people on allergen restricted diets are taking unknowing risks due to not understanding current labeling practice. Please take a few minutes and read on…
Label reading is critical. My daughter ate an Almond Joy candy bar recently with a label warning of may contain peanut. Sure enough, there was a half of peanut in her candy bar. She is not allergic to peanut and was never at risk. BUT, if she was allergic to peanut, then this could have been a terrible situation. Thank goodness for Hershey’s clear food allergen labeling policy.
Methods and tips to understand how to read a label to identify food allergens:
- FREE Download: How to Read a Label poster created by Gina Mennett Lee Consulting!
- Current labelling Law: In 2004, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) was passed to help people with food allergies have access to allergen information. This law requires manufacturers to list the top eight major allergens, in plain language, if the food contains one of those allergens (peanut, tree nut, wheat, soy, egg, dairy, fish and shellfish).
- Got Questions? Check out Food Allergy Research and Education’s (FARE) Frequently Asked Question page regarding FALCPA.
- May Contain Challenge: FALCPA DOES NOT require a manufacturer to state if the food “may contain” that allergen or if it is manufactured in the same facility with that product the consumer is buying. May contain usually refers to a product produced on the same line as an allergen product. For example: a peanut butter cookie manufactured on the same equipment as a sugar cookie that does not contain peanut in the recipe, but may pick up some peanut residue during production.
- Same facility Issues: Allergens manufactured in the same facility is a problem due to the large number of food recalls . Recently, there was a very expansive recall of cumin from Turkey that effected dozens of companies and thousands of pounds of product. This shows that mistakes happen in factories. Product gets mixed up or equipment is not properly cleaned.
- Automatic Recall Notices: You can sign up to receive Automatic Food Recall Notices from the FDA. Warning: you may get a touch un-nerved when you realize many food items are recalled monthly.
- Rule of Food Allergy Thumb: always read labels of anything you are going to eat or place on your skin. Don’t hesitate to grab the phone or jump online to research if that product may contain or is manufactured in the same facility.
- Your RULES for labeling reading: Create your own family protocol for label reading and stick to it! Our family rule is that if there is no label, there will be no eating! Even if it a product that we consume regularly since recipes and manufacturing procedures can change without notice. If there are no May Contain statements, then we call the manufacturer and ask.
- Tips for Avoiding Allergens download from Food Allergy Research and Education is another tool to help people understand where allergens maybe found and uncommon names used as well.
On our recent spring break tour to visit colleges, I spent twenty minutes in a California Whole Foods Market trying to pull up two manufacturer’s websites so I could explore if any of the brownie mixes I was looking at may contain nuts. The websites did not share any thorough information. Exacerbated, I called up my friend Connie to see if she knew anything else since it was after 5pm, so customer service lines were closed. Eventually we had success, I found allergen friendly Cherry Brook Kitchen mixes, but dinner was served late, but it was worth it knowing my family would be safe that night.
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One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Great tips. I go dizzy sometimes reading labels, and wow is it time-consuming. I thought I had the reading down for peanuts and tree nuts, but then we added soy and now I’m contemplating where that goes on the hierarchy of “produced in a facility with”…it’s interesting when you have multiples to deal with, and there are varying degrees of severity (or so you think? but who ever know!). Also, I find the waiting is so hard–we try to buy local and more natural/organic, and from smaller producers and the labeling and call back rates on these companies are never very good. I so wish a law would pass to make the “may contain” and “produced in a facility with” an actual law.
Robin,
I know exactly what you mean! My son is also allergic to sesame seed, which our wonderful small, local producers love to use in skin care, hair products, etc. Also, where I live, businesses can produce certain items from their homes! Which makes me equally nervouse.
The multiple element really changes things up in a very challenging way.
One day the labeling will improve–I know so many are working hard for that improvement, but it takes years!
Soy is sooooo tough! Darn! I’m sorry you have one added to your list. I seem to see soy so many products. We are in the same boat, I try to buy as much organic and local foods, but trying to reach the right person and then trying to determine if they really understood is an even bigger challenge. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Caroline, your blog is amazing, and this label post is ultra informative! We have been burned more than once with “natual flavoring” ingredients, and more often with products that have changed ingredients or contaminant status. I love the idea of an official family policy, too. Thanks for bringing such clarity to a messy situation.
Hi Nicole, thank you for your kind words. Having that “policy” statement really helps out my kids in staying on track. When my son was allergic to lemon (he is no longer allergic), natural flavoring was a pure nightmare! I’m soooo happy lemon is behind us. Happy Eating!