Bipartisan bill will further help to protect consumers, says Procter
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas State University nutrition specialist says the U.S. government did consumers a big favor when it gave bipartisan approval to a bill that lists sesame as the ninth food allergen for which the Food and Drug requires plain language labeling.
In mid-April, the U.S. Congress gave its support to the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research act, known as FASTER. Pres. Joe Biden signed the bill into law less than a week later.
The speed at which the bill moved through Congress and across the President’s desk is an indication of the importance of this issue, particularly for the estimated 1.6 million Americans who suffer from severe sesame allergies.
“This has been a huge concern for a lot of people for several years,” Procter said. “We know that sesame in its different forms has been considered a severe allergen in other countries; Canada for example. But there has been no traction in the United States until now to get it on the allergen list, with the responding labeling and protective steps put in place.”
The bill, she notes, will require all foods containing any form of sesame to be clearly labeled beginning in 2023.
“Sesame is one of those things you think about and maybe say, ‘oh, sesame seeds…I can just see where they are and avoid them,’” Procter said.
But sesame is a key ingredient in tahini paste, which is included in many foods, and the seeds can be finely ground and used as flour. Tahini paste is a common ingredient used in hummus, for example.
In fact, Procter says sesame can be found in many common foods, including (but not limited to):
• Asian cuisine oils used in cooking.
• Baked goods, including dough.
• Bread crumbs or croutons for salads.
• Cereal, such as granola and muesli.
• Dipping sauces.
• Falafel.
• Herbs and herbal drinks.
• Margarine.
• Desserts.
• Soups.
• Processes meats and sausages.
• Sushi.
• Tempeh.
“It’s really important for those with food intolerances or allergies to read labels all the time, even on foods you are already familiar with because ingredients change,” Procter said. “Those labels are required (by law) to be current. We have good laws that safeguard the consumer when foods we’re concerned about are on that allergen list.”
The government’s move to include sesame as the ninth major allergen is the first time since 2004 that a new allergen has been added to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The other eight allergens include milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. The FDA estimates that these products represent more than 90 percent of all documented food allergies in the U.S., or the foods most likely to result in severe or life-threatening reactions. Labelling around these allergens is made very clear to decrease fear and safeguard consumers.
Procter noted that while the act passed in April clears the way for addressing sesame on food labels, “there is an additional part of the law that establishes a risk-based process and framework that defines establishing additional foods as a major allergens covered by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.”
“As these ingredients or foods are identified, the process itself for listing allergens is streamlined so that more lives are able to be saved without delay.”
FOR PRINT PUBLICATIONS: Links used in this story
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-protection-act-2004-falcpa
K State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Story by:
Pat Melgares
785-532-1160
[email protected]
For more information:
Sandy Procter
785-532-1675
[email protected]
