Food labeling law lauded by Extension specialist

Sue Snider

11:30 a.m., July 9, 2004--New food labeling legislation that is expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives next week would require food manufacturers to list ingredients that cause allergic reactions. Sue Snider, UD Cooperative Extension specialist for food safety and nutrition, applauds the measure as a “step in the right direction for people who are allergic to certain food groups.”

Under the proposed law, food manufacturers will have to use common names, not scientific terms, for many ingredients. For example, when the milk protein “casein” appears on a food label, the word “milk” must be listed next to it.

Common names must be used for any food product containing peanuts, egg, milk, wheat, tree nuts, soybeans, crustacean shellfish and fish. These eight types of food cause more than 90 percent of all food allergies, Snider said.

Food allergies, which are more common in children, have increased significantly in recent years, Snider said. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 5 million Americans have a true food allergy, and about 150 people die each year from food allergies.

Many more Americans suffer from food intolerance, which is an adverse reaction to food (such as lactose intolerance) that does not involve the immune system. In a true food allergy, the immune system creates antibodies to the offending food, causing allergic reactions in the respiratory and/or gastrointestinal tract.

If passed, the new food law will go into effect Jan. 1 2006, making it easier for those with food allergies-or their parents or caregivers--to purchase packaged foods with confidence.

However, Snider warned that the proposed new law does not offer any guarantees, particularly in terms of cross contact of food during manufacturing. When one assembly line is used to manufacture two different products, an allergen could accidentally be transmitted from one product to the other, even though the equipment is cleaned in between uses. Such cross contamination is a real problem for people who are hypersensitive to even the smallest amount of an allergen, Snider said.

In addition, Snider noted that the new labeling requirements could result in a small increase in food prices, as manufacturers pass the costs of new labels on to the consumer.

Article by Margo McDonough
Photo by Kevin Quinlan

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