Allergen labeling requirements for food manufacturers are already too lax, but new guidance could put consumers with a food allergy at higher risk than ever.
CSPI urges TTB to prioritize transparency and health over corporate interests as it drafts its rulemakings, and to delay no further in issuing proposed rules on mandatory alcohol content, nutrition, ingredient, and allergen labeling.
Click the link below to read the testimony in its entirety.
Consumers have a right to know what’s in their foods and beverages. That’s why the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Nutrition Action’s publisher, has long fought for labels that tell the whole story.
Adding sesame to food products is a quick-and-dirty means to address cross-contact risks and prevent potential recalls for undeclared sesame, because these protective steps aren’t required when an allergen is already declared as an ingredient. So, companies may imagine, it’s better to add a new allergen and declare it than to actually clean up production lines to reduce it.
Industry AccountabilitySarah Sorscher, JD, MPH, Peter Lurie, MD, MPH
As a result, many manufacturers are labeling foods and cleaning up production practices to prevent foods from becoming contaminated with sesame through accidental cross-contact.
But some manufacturers have responded to the new law by intentionally adding sesame to ingredients lists.