Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act

This law is in regard to the eight most common food allergens. These affect the most people and the proteins are commonly found in other ingredients. They account for about 90% of food allergies. The main eight are: • Milk – A milk allergy is different from lactose intolerance in that the reaction is caused typically by casein, a protein found in milk. • Eggs • Fish • Crustacean shellfish • Tree nuts • Peanuts – Not everyone who is allergic to peanuts is also allergic to tree nuts, or vice versa, as peanuts are actually a legume. • Wheat • Soybeans Any ingredient which contains proteins derived from these allergens must also be listed. The specific type of nut, fish, or shellfish must be listed (e.g., walnut, catfish, blue crab). Even minute amounts, such as coloring or spices, must be listed if they contain any proteins from these major allergens. Manufacturers are given two ways in which to label food allergens. They may either state the food source name of a major food allergen in the list of ingredients, most often contained within parenthesis. (e.g. Casein (milk)) or they could instead use the word "contains" in the label, such as "contains peanuts". They can choose either method, as long as it is clearly written. If they choose the second method and say an ingredient "contains" the allergen, they must be sure to list all allergens contained, such as by saying "contains pecans and soy". == Sesame ==

On April 23, 2021, the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act added sesame as the ninth major allergen; the law took effect January of 2023. The law backfired as major commercial bakers, unable to ensure their products contained no sesame, began adding sesame to their recipes. Some bakeries, including Bimbo Bakeries, which makes Sara Lee, Entenmann's and Ball Park brands, attempted to comply with the law by listing sesame as an ingredient, even though it was not; the FDA said federal regulations forbid including sesame in the list of ingredients unless it is intentionally added. The FDA typically requests recall of products containing unintended allergens. but in October of 2023, switched suppliers in order to reinstate sesame-free breadsticks, stating “It was always our intent to identify alternative sources to ensure our breadsticks did not contain sesame flour." United States Bakery announced it would add a small amount of sesame flour to recipes “to mitigate the risk of any adverse reactions to sesame products.” Food safety advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the FDA to stop the new additions, but the FDA denied the request. == References ==