I may be quick to condemn the FDA for its impotence in protecting consumers from pharmaceuticals and medical equipment and for failing to remove clearly dangerous chemicals such as aspartame from foods and medicines but I am always happy to acknowledge when the FDA does act wisely and helps to ensure consumer safety and wellbeing. This is one of those occasions when I acknowledge a very positive move by the FDA.
Effective January 1, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring food labels to clearly state if food products contain any ingredients that contain protein derived from the eight major allergenic foods. As a result of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), manufacturers are required to identify in plain English the presence of ingredients that contain protein derived from milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans in the list of ingredients or to say "contains" followed by name of the source of the food allergen after or adjacent to the list of ingredients.
The FDA says this labeling will be especially helpful to children who must learn to recognize the presence of substances they must avoid. In fact, it will be helpful to everyone for that very reason. For example, if a product contains the milk-derived protein, casein, the product’s label will have to use the term "milk" in addition to the term "casein" so that those with milk allergies can clearly understand the presence of the allergen they need to avoid.
It is estimated that 2 percent of adults and about 5 percent of infants and young children in the United States suffer from true food allergies. Approximately 30,000 consumers require emergency room treatment and 150 Americans die each year because of allergic reactions to food.
Food allergies are immune system reactions to specific food molecules. True allergies involve production of a type of antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These usually develop quickly after consuming an allergen containing food which helps in the identification of the offending food. These allergies are the ones that sometimes cause sudden life-threatening reactions and deaths. Some true food allergies are quite mild, such as a brief, itchy rash. However, repeated exposure to the allergen can result in sugnificant and sudden worsening of the reactions so people need to avoid known food allergens.
Many more people suffer from food sensitivities. These involve triggering an IgG rather than IgE response. These reactions tend to be milder and more delayed. The delay can make it difficult to isolate the source of the reaction. Food sensitivities, being milder and where the cause is difficult to identify and avoid, tend to give rise to chronic inflammatory conditions such as the allergic triad (hay fever, asthma and eczema), inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatic disorders including arthritis.
"The eight major food allergens account for 90 percent of all documented food allergic reactions, and some reactions may be severe or life-threatening," said Robert E. Brackett, PhD, Director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "Consumers will benefit from improved food labels for products that contain food allergens."
FALCPA does not require food manufacturers or retailers to relabel or remove from grocery or supermarket shelves products that do not reflect the additional allergen labeling as long as the products were labeled before the effective date. As a result, FDA cautions consumers that there will be a transition period of undetermined length during which it is likely that consumers will see packaged food on store shelves and in consumers’ homes without the revised allergen labeling.
For more information about FALCPA, visit FDA’s food allergy page at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-alrgy.html.
If you suspect you may have food allergies or sensitivities consult a naturopathic doctor. If it turns out you do have problems with certain foods these new labeling laws will be of great benefit in your efforts to eliminate offending food products from your diet.
The new law doesn’t extend to food prepared in restaurants, so consumers will still have to ask questions in the restaurant about ingredients.
About 160 foods have been identified as causing allergies, but the eight major food allergens covered by the new requirement are responsible for about 90 percent of all food allergies in the U.S. The requirements are quite specific. The label can’t simply say “fish.” It has to state “flounder,” for example, or “cod.” The same holds true for the type of nut the food contains, or the type of shellfish.
The law also doesn’t apply to fresh fruits and vegetables or to highly refined oils that are made from one of the eight major food allergens, such as highly refined peanut oil or soybean oil, because these oils aren’t considered to be major food allergens.
Peter
________________
Dr Peter Tylee
Editor