Reality Bites for Those With Food Allergies
Reality Bites for Those With Food Allergies
April 3, 2001 (Washington) -- Americans with food allergies beware. Just because a label gives you the all clear, that tasty treat may still have ingredients that can trigger problems for you. The FDA is learning that despite strict labeling laws, companies that make candy and cookies do not always properly disclose ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction, according to a recently completed report.
Most Americans can eat almost anything -- and they do. But about 2% of the population have food allergies and depend on accurate labels to tell them if a product is safe for them to eat.
Without being able to trust a label, the only safe course might be to avoid consuming the offending food in the first place. For many, eating a problem food risks an allergic reaction that may result in hives, rashes, diarrhea, or even life-threatening reactions.
The FDA alert was based on inspections at about 85 bakeries, ice cream makers, and candy manufacturers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. During an investigation between September 1999 and March 2000, the FDA found that about 25% failed to list possible ingredients that could result in allergic reactions.
Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction, but more than 90% have been linked to milk and milk byproducts; eggs; legumes, such as peanuts; tree nuts, like almonds; wheat; crustaceans, like shrimp; fish; and mollusks, such as oysters and scallops. The federal inspectors focused on peanuts and eggs.
While most of the firms discarded old labels after changing the ingredients, the FDA also found that 15% of the firms that believed they had adequate labeling still had discrepancies. The FDA also found of those companies that did not check their labels, 38% of the Minnesota food makers and 64% of Wisconsin companies had undeclared residues in their products -- leftover ingredients that probably found their way into different products after equipment wasn't properly cleaned between batches.
For consumer advocates and others, the news is disturbing.
"It's a life-and-death issue for about 150 Americans each year," notes David Schardt, an associate nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the nation's largest nutrition advocacy group.
Reality Bites for Those With Food Allergies
April 3, 2001 (Washington) -- Americans with food allergies beware. Just because a label gives you the all clear, that tasty treat may still have ingredients that can trigger problems for you. The FDA is learning that despite strict labeling laws, companies that make candy and cookies do not always properly disclose ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction, according to a recently completed report.
Most Americans can eat almost anything -- and they do. But about 2% of the population have food allergies and depend on accurate labels to tell them if a product is safe for them to eat.
Without being able to trust a label, the only safe course might be to avoid consuming the offending food in the first place. For many, eating a problem food risks an allergic reaction that may result in hives, rashes, diarrhea, or even life-threatening reactions.
The FDA alert was based on inspections at about 85 bakeries, ice cream makers, and candy manufacturers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. During an investigation between September 1999 and March 2000, the FDA found that about 25% failed to list possible ingredients that could result in allergic reactions.
Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction, but more than 90% have been linked to milk and milk byproducts; eggs; legumes, such as peanuts; tree nuts, like almonds; wheat; crustaceans, like shrimp; fish; and mollusks, such as oysters and scallops. The federal inspectors focused on peanuts and eggs.
While most of the firms discarded old labels after changing the ingredients, the FDA also found that 15% of the firms that believed they had adequate labeling still had discrepancies. The FDA also found of those companies that did not check their labels, 38% of the Minnesota food makers and 64% of Wisconsin companies had undeclared residues in their products -- leftover ingredients that probably found their way into different products after equipment wasn't properly cleaned between batches.
For consumer advocates and others, the news is disturbing.
"It's a life-and-death issue for about 150 Americans each year," notes David Schardt, an associate nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the nation's largest nutrition advocacy group.
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