Study Calls for More Regulation of Food Allergen Labeling

Photo by "cohdra" on Morguefile.com

As avid readers of food labels, most celiac and gluten-intolerant folks know all to well the fact that some manufacturer labels can be trusted more than others, and that some "food allergen" warnings are incomplete at best.

This study was concerned with the little bold-print disclaimers at the bottom of ingredients lists - the ones that sometimes read "may contain traces" or "shared facility".  

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) in 2006 identifies the eight food allergens for disclosure to be:

• milk
• egg
• wheat
• soy
• peanut
• tree nuts
• fish
• crustacean shellfish

 The FDA does not regulate these labels, and the label disclosures are still technically voluntary.

For those of us sensitive to gluten, the "wheat" disclosure is handy - we know to drop that packaged item!  However, there are dozens of hidden terms and ingredients that include gluten that are not disclosed. Some companies, like Amy's Kitchen, will add bold text to potential allergens, print a small "This item is gluten-free" in the corner of the label, as well as other informative bits about the sources of the food selected.  Sadly, Amy's is a rare case.

At this point, I'm unable to get my hands on an original copy of the journal to read the study in greater detail. I'd like to know if they covered gluten at all in the report.  I'm doubting it. My guess is that the study only focused on those allergens that cause anaphylaxis in some patients, and that they disregarded any other potential food sources of discomfort. (As far as I know, no one has gone into shock from eating corn, but some people do have unpleasant reactions to corn and corn-derived ingredients.)  I also note that the list of "disclosed" allergens don't include other common food irritants, like yeast or eggs.

A Note on Soy

The reason why I suspect this fact is the notes given about soy. Yes, it's true that only soy protein can cause the allergic response of anaphylaxis.  However many more of us (myself included) are sensitive to soy, and not able to eat anything that is soy-derived, we have to avoid even traces of soy, not just soy protein.  The study's authors are quoted as writing:

“Further regulations regarding soy, such as specifying ‘this product contains soy as lecithin only’ or not including ‘contains soy’ if soy oil is the only soy ingredient, could expand the products available to the individual with a soy allergy....”

Oooh! This burns my buttons!  Anyone who is merely "sensitive to soy" would still require those ingredient call-outs! At this point soy-derived "natural flavors" and other hidden ingredients are enough to make me suspect a product.

The Study's Conclusion: Labels Aren't Clear Enough

Gee, you think?

“Additional allergen labeling regulation could improve safety and quality of life for individuals with food allergy,” the researchers concluded.

My fellow label-readers, if you happen across an ambiguous label on a product you used to love, or that your family really enjoys, I whole-heartedly urge you to contact the manufacturer and ask them all of your nit-picky questions. "When this says food starch...."  If we must require food manufacturers to be more clear in their labeling, we will take this crusade one label at a time.

Meanwhile, I am going to stick to clearly-labeled brands, with whole ingredients I can read and pronounce.

For more info: Click here for more information about Food Sensitivity, Allergy and Intolerance.