Labeling
Julie claims that there are times that she still can’t get the taste out of her mouth. It’s surprising that something she ate in childhood could create such an intense memory, but certain foods still invoke that particular allergic reaction. It was a chocolate covered doughnut that was manufactured by a large company who had not yet committed itself to providing proper allergy warning labels to its products. The doughnut had filberts in it, but as a teenager with zero exposure to nuts Julie had no idea what filberts were. One bite elicited one of the most unforgettable allergic reactions she had ever experienced. She was sick for hours. She claims that she can still taste that doughnut on her tongue.
The Food Allergy Labeling & Consumer Protection Act of 2004 put many people’s allergy anxieties to rest. It required that the “Big 8” (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans) be listed by their common names on labels. There will hopefully be no more “filbert incidents” in Julie’s life. But gluten isn’t one of the “big 8.” And as a parent with a child with a gluten sensitivity, I am concerned that there will one day be a “gluten incident” in my daughter’s life.
Labeling is probably one of the most important issues when it comes to allergic reactions or other food restrictions (such as celiac disease and lactose intolerance). There is nothing more frustrating then being in a grocery store with my daughter and having to have to refuse her a tantalizing snack item that doesn’t provide proper warning labels. I can’t tell you how often I have encountered a product that doesn’t seem to contain gluten but isn’t labeled “gluten-free.”
Some of the labeling issues are complex. How do you define gluten-free? If you define it as food that is 100% gluten-free (a standard that is sometimes difficult for manufacturers to attain) you need to accept that there will be far fewer foods available to the celiac community. What terminology is the most effective on the packaging? Some of the terminology that manufacturers have utilized (ex., made in a factory that processes wheat products) are confusing to consumers. And what do you do with foods that contain miniscule amounts of gluten which many celiacs can ingest with no repercussions?
Presently the FDA is studying some of these issues, and a few solutions have been proposed. In line with its European counterparts the FDA has proposed a definition of Gluten-Free as a food that does not contain an ingredient that is a prohibited grain or derived from a prohibited grain. An ingredient that is derived from a prohibited grain but has been treated to remove the gluten and contains less than 20 parts per million or more of gluten is also considered gluten-free. The FDA is also at the moment interviewing 5000 adults (celiacs and non-celiacs alike) to determine their reactions to certain types of labeling.
Work still needs to be done on gluten-free labels, but I am hopeful that my daughter will be enjoying those tantalizing snacks from the supermarket any day now.
3 Responsesto “Labeling”
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I agree, labeling is currently a mess if you are trying to decide if things are gluten free. It’s one of the reasons why I am really thankful for my chemistry degree! For our household, if a food is in question, we just don’t buy it. Depending on what it is, I’ll find a way to make it from scratch, do without, or decide it’s worth the cost to find a guaranteed gluten free alternative at a health foods store.
At Gluten-Free Living we have been covering labeling for years, even before the allergen labeling law was on the books. We’ve seen many improvements, but, as you point out, there is still a lot to be done. One of the first steps needed is approval of a definition of what the gluten-free label means. Right now in the US the label only means that wheat, barley and rye are not ingredients. (In general you also will not find oats in a gluten-free food unless specialty gluten-free oats are used.) You don’t know how much gluten is in the product from cross contamination unless the food maker is already testing the product and gives you that information. Ironically, a food that appears to be gluten-free just from the ingredients list could actually have less gluten from cross contamination than a food that is labeled gluten free.
So it’s easy to see why a definition of the gluten-free label is so important.
Hi, Super post, Need to mark it on Digg
Thanks
Eremeeff