Food allergy articles
Article pagesThe Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), based in Fairfax, Va., has been an advocate for simple, clear and accurate food labels for a decade. "Reading food labels is the only way that food-allergic consumers can avoid dangerous allergens in packaged food," says Anne Muñoz-Furlong, FAAN founder and president. "If food manufacturers don't follow good manufacturing practices and carefully control that what is in the package matches what is on the label, we are all in big trouble."
According to Muñoz-Furlong, many large food companies have long been aware of how serious food allergies can be, and have made appropriate changes in their manufacturing and labeling practices. There are still many more companies that have yet to take the issue seriously.
For example, Muñoz-Furlong says that today there are more than a dozen ways to indicate the presence of milk protein without using the word "milk." Another common problem is the term "nondairy." Many consumers mistakenly believe that nondairy means there is no milk in a product. Current labeling guidelines allow the use of "nondairy" when the foods contain milk byproducts.
In addition, manufacturers may use the term "natural flavors" even when the product contains major allergens. To avoid a major allergen, a food-allergic consumer would need to call the manufacturer before purchasing the product to confirm that an allergen was present.
A review of food labels indicates an overuse of "may contain" statements, leaving food-allergic people to wonder whether food companies are really looking after their best interest, Muñoz-Furlong says. (See "Living With Food Allergies: Not As Easy As You Might Think.")
