When we first found out our daughter had not 1, not 2 but several allergies we were shocked! Like many parents we were caught off guard and didn’t know what to expect. Neither my husband nor I had any common food allergies. There was no one in our immediate family that had to deal with it either. Reading labels took on a whole new meaning when we knew it could be life threatening to my child. Yes, everyone should be reading labels, yes everyone should be aware of what is going into their body, but adding the new risk factors made that process scary. The first time I started reading labels after finding out about her allergies I had a border line panic-attack in one of the aisles. What if I didn’t read the label correctly? What if I didn’t read thoroughly enough? What if I accidentally fed her something that caused her harm? These questions swirled through my head as I stood there worried about making a mistake. Reading labels can be confusing, overwhelming, and time consuming. Over the past several years I have gotten better and faster at this and my goal with this post is to help you get efficient at reading labels as well and help find what to look for with a few tips and tricks.
The good news is that the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) has made it easier for consumers to be able to read labels, identify the allergen and thereby avoid it. However, the FALCPA only covers the top 8 allergens and ingredients containing their protein. These are eggs, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, soy, wheat, and crustacean shellfish[1]. Companies are required to list all the ingredients in the label. They can mention the 8 allergens in 3 different ways on the label:
- Using the common name of a specific allergen in the ingredient list (Image 1a) – for example “eggs.”[1]
- Using a section “Contains” followed by listing all the major food allergens involved (Image 1b)– for example, “Contains: Milk, Eggs.”[1]
- When the ingredient is listed as a less common form of the allergen writing the major allergen in parentheses (Image 1c) – for example, “Casein (Milk)”[1]
IMAGE 1
As soon as you pick up a product, the first thing you need to do is look at the “Contains” statement, if the allergen you want to avoid is listed there put it right back on the shelf. If the allergen your looking for is not part of the top 8, like sesame for example, you should then glance at the ingredient list and check to see if the allergen is mentioned there. Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) some products don’t have the “Contains” statement, so it’s imperative that you go through the entire ingredient list regardless. If the allergen you are trying to avoid is in the ingredient list, put it back on the shelf. Manufacturers can change labels and the process of production without a warning2. Also keep in mind, the ingredients list itself can change depending on a number of factors. In 2018 a South Florida mother’s nightmare came true when her daughter Alexi Ryann Stafford, at her friends house, reached into an open package of Reese’s Chips Ahoy thinking it was safe because of the familiar red packaging. A small added label on the side of the package was not enough for Alexi to realized there was peanuts in the cookies and Alexi died an hour and a half after consuming the cookie. As a habit I now read the label every time I pick up a product at the grocery store, even if it is something that I have been buying for years. Similar products from the same manufacturer can vary slightly, enough to make a difference so don’t assume all ingredients are the same.
Now if after looking at the “Contains” statement and reading through the ingredient list you feel this product is safe for you then proceed to look for a “May contain” statement.
“May Contain” Statements
So, this statement completely threw me into a loop, why did some products have it while others didn’t? If a product did not have this statement, did it mean it was safe for my family? This precautionary “May contain” statement comes in different forms on a product such as “processed in a facility that also processes…” or “made on equipment’s shared with…”. It is usually found directly below the ingredient list2. Manufacturers may include this statement if they believe that there is a potential for cross contamination due to use of shared equipment’s[1]. Example ‘Silk’ a plant-based milk brand claims on their Soy milk label that “they use shared equipment’s, however, they employ strict quality control with all their manufacturing facility”. This statement does not deny the presence or the absence of an allergen and that cross contamination is possible. The reason why you might not see this statement on some products is because this advisory label is voluntary for manufactures per the FDA. The FALCPA does not require manufactures to make this claim. If the advisory label is not present it does not mean the product is safe and free of the top 8 allergens. Per the FDA, advisory labels must be truthful and not misleading2.If you truly want to know if a product is absolutely safe for your family, the FDA recommends that you call the company and ask them yourself about their manufacturing process.
Other Allergen statements
You will also notice claims on products such as “Dairy-free” and “Peanut-free”, these claims are not FDA or FALCPA regulated. These statements cannot be a reassurance that these products do not have cross-contamination[1].
Things to remember
- If your child or your loved ones has a life-threatening allergy never let your guard down. Even if you grab an item from your pantry make a habit to check the label. There have been instances where my husband or I have grabbed the wrong product of the shelf because the labels looked similar.
- FALCPA labeling does not apply to food that you purchase in a container (Paper or box) or wrapper following a customer’s order at the time of purchase2.
- Be very mindful when buying foreign/ imported products at the international section of the grocery store. International rules of labeling vary by country, majority of imported items are supposed to follow FALCPA regulations however not always[1].
- If you find a product that does not have a label do not buy it[1] .
- If you are unsure of a product do not buy it.
- An item as simple as a lollipop will have allergens that might surprise you so read everything you offer to your child.
I understand that this is a lot of information to take in all at once for anyone. For parents/caregivers like me who love to do research and be prepared before jumping into a world of unknown this blog post would have been very helpful. Every time you make a trip to the grocery store make a point to grab 1 or 2 new products and read the labels, as some products might surprise you. Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) has provided a pdf file (provided below) that lists out all the allergen and their alternative names used on a label. I would recommend you print it out and keep it on your refrigerator as reference.
https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/tips-avoiding-your-allergens-pdf
I promise you the more you read the labels the efficient you will get at it. If you have kids with allergies, that are old enough to start reading, get them involved while reading the labels as they can always be your second set of eyes.
[1] How to read a food label. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2021, from https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/how-read-food-label. Food Allergy Research & Education
2 Commissioner, O. (n.d.). Have food allergies? Read the label. Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/have-food-allergies-read-label. U.S. Food & Drug Administration
