Nutrition & Wellness – Biology 50

“May Contain Traces of Nuts” – FDA to Redefine Ambiguous Labeling

September 16, 2008

he Food and Drug Administration is finally looking at ways to force food makers to use a standard label system for allergens. They have agreed to host a public hearing in order to decide what the best course of action would be.

At issue is the statement “May Contain Traces of Nuts.” Many believe this statement is too ambiguous to prevent deadly reactions. Instead labels should list what they certainly contain. Clearer labels would be helpful for the 12 million Americans living with food allergies.

Under the current system food companies are required by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) to place labels on packaged foods containing most common food allergens, such as milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans, or any other ingredient that contains protein derived from one of these foods or food groups.

One popular choice would be for the FDA to have a standard number of descriptions that are clear and concise and require manufacturers to cite statistics to correctly define what “trace amount” means like “one part per million.”

According to The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network there are more than 12 million Americans currently living with food allergies. In addition there are around 30,000 emergency room visits every year triggered by allergic reactions.

Joseph Brownstein et. al. September 16, 2008. FDA to Take a Close Look at Food Labels: Critics Say ‘May Contain’ Labels Don’t Do Enough to Protect People With Allergies. ABCNews.com

May contain nuts. September 16, 2008. JusticeNewsFlash.com

Alice Turner September 16, 2008 FDA Pushes Food Industry to Clarify Allergen Labels. eFluxMedia.

Entry Filed under: Articles, Bio 50, Health, Nutrition. Tags: anaphylaxis, fda labeling, food allergy, food intolerance, food intolerances, traces of nuts.