ALLERGEN LABELING
When I was a young, I had friends who were allergic to strawberries or shell fish. I myself was allergic to pollen from certain flowers and weeds, but my knowledge of allergens and allergies was still very obscure. Labels on food products to help notify people of potential allergic reactions were also obscure even though in 1938 the US FDA did require foods that had two or more ingredients to host a label listing each attribute by its common name.
Allergen info on pretzel nuggets Today the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004 and revised in 2006, mandates that all items for sale that contain any of the eight major food allergen groups be clearly identified on a label and in plain English. Items such as dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat (gluten), tree nuts like walnuts or cashews and peanuts.
One type of Allergen Labeling is shown on the left.
One type of Allergen Labeling is shown on the left.
EpiPen Unfortunately about 12 million Americans have a food allergy. That is about 1 out of every 25 people in America according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Also of the 12 million Americans with food allergies, about 3 million are children. Emergency Rooms in the United States receive about 30,000 visits per year that deal with allergic reactions to food. Despite all the labels on foods that can cause life threatening reactions, the labels alone are not a solution and people should still carry an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen) when advised to do so by a doctor.
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Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
