California could become the first U.S. state to require restaurants to disclose common food allergens in each menu item under legislation being considered by state lawmakers.
Restaurants often don’t know what’s in their food, largely because of cross contamination. Baked goods are a particularly dangerous area for those with food allergies, due to how carelessly ingredients like flour is processed.
In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in brands use major allergens as cost-saving filler in their products. Those are intentional contamination. The incidents of accidental contamination are much higher, as much equipment is shared in the processing and packaging if various products, equipment which is exposed to major allergens.
Society needs to start taking this seriously and place rigorous controls on how food containing major allergens is processed and handled. Products and ingredients that contain major allergens should be carefully regulated and inspected, and should not be reused for products that do not contain those allergens in their recipes. We also need to be more stringent about preventing companies from using allergens as fillers. The carelessness with which our food is handled is shocking.
There are literally people who are allergic to water. How common does an allergy need to be for it to be declared?
I haven’t looked at the law but I would assume its the same common allergens as are already required to be listed on ingredient lists.
Edit: indeed, it’s the 9 most common: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame and soybeans. It’s in the article.
Seems reasonable and not a huge burden. It’s not like restaurants don’t know what’s in their food. Right?
Restaurants often don’t know what’s in their food, largely because of cross contamination. Baked goods are a particularly dangerous area for those with food allergies, due to how carelessly ingredients like flour is processed.
In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in brands use major allergens as cost-saving filler in their products. Those are intentional contamination. The incidents of accidental contamination are much higher, as much equipment is shared in the processing and packaging if various products, equipment which is exposed to major allergens.
Society needs to start taking this seriously and place rigorous controls on how food containing major allergens is processed and handled. Products and ingredients that contain major allergens should be carefully regulated and inspected, and should not be reused for products that do not contain those allergens in their recipes. We also need to be more stringent about preventing companies from using allergens as fillers. The carelessness with which our food is handled is shocking.
Wild stuff. Is this consistent world wide? Do any countries set good examples?
How can someone be allergic to the main component of their bodies?
WHO, among others, have guidelines for this.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09009
For comparison, here is Canada’s list of recognized “priority food allergens.”
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-allergies-intolerances/food-allergies.html