New US labelling laws now in effect Q&A
So for anaphylaxis sufferers this will certainly be a welcome change to struggling with all the scientific names there are for foods.
But what really ticks me off is that the food industry still thinks that full disclosure is not required. They think that if they list everything that’s in their products no one will be able to eat it.
Well food industry people that’s the whole idea. It’s up to the consumer to make the choice, not for you to just prop up your bottom line by not printing what’s in the product because you’ll lose a piece of the market when they find out.
A new federal food-labeling law that will affect people with allergies goes into effect Jan. 1. Here are answers to often-asked questions.
Q. Simply speaking, what does the law say?
A. The eight major foods or food groups that cause most allergic reactions must be labeled in plain language.
Q. What are the eight?
A. Milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soy.
Q. What does “plain language” mean?
A. If a product contains a derivative of a food, the food’s common name must be used. If albumin is an ingredient, the label must also say egg.
Q. Is it specific enough to label something fish, shellfish or tree nuts?
A. No. The type of nut must be identified, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts.
The species must be declared for fish, such as bass, flounder, cod. For shellfish: crab, lobster or shrimp.
Q. What if just a little bit of the allergen is in the food?
A. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to consider threshold levels for allergens as companies request certain ingredients be exempt from labeling requirements.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Aaron