In a wild crunch to meet the New Year's deadline, thousands of people read every ingredient in countless food labels last month. I would know, because I was one of them. My task: To list the eight most common allergens in over 1,500 food products sold by a private grocery store chain in Dayton, Ohio.
As a result of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, which Congress passed on Aug. 2, 2004, food producers are now required to list the common names of the eight major allergens at the end of an ingredient list after the word "Contains." These allergens are: wheat, soy, milk, eggs, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, fish and peanuts - in addition, three of the allergens (tree nuts, fish and crustacean shellfish) must specifically identify the name of the organism used.
For food consumers, this system serves as an efficient warning as to what exactly is contained in the products they choose. According to the report, most adults with children suffering from allergies "were unable to correctly identify in each of several food labels the ingredients derived from major food allergens." This means most people are fooled by unfamiliar ingredients and do not know that whey comes from milk, sodium caseinate comes from eggs and gluten comes from wheat - a hidden danger for allergy suffers not well-versed in food chemistry.
Food allergies, also known as celiac diseases, are caused by immune system reactions to normally non-threatening compounds. According to the act, around one percent of the U.S. population suffers from symptoms. Depending on the nature of the allergy, food reactions can cause damage to the digestive system, nervous system and other organs - anaphylactic shock is one of the most severe reactions and has the potential to kill an allergic individual. Although scientific research is currently investigating food allergies, no known cure for allergies exists at the present time.
What's worse is when it comes to accuracy of the warning, any of the eight food allergens can be completely hidden within an ingredient list. In many ingredient lists, "natural flavoring," "spices" and their counterparts won't make the cut any longer; by law, food producers may have to risk listing the contents of secret recipes to keep consumers informed of common allergens.
This poses a significant problem because many producers are not even aware allergens exist in the foods they make. This is because methods of testing for fish, shellfish, soy and some tree nuts don't exist, and foods often contain an array of stabilizers and flavorings derived from common allergens. In a cyclical way, food producers provide other food producers with ingredients and outdated ingredient lists might not reflect the actual contents of a food product.
This problem places an exceptional pressure on food producers, both legally and financially. Because the law now requires listing of the eight ingredients, consumers may become too comfortable with the system, inadvertently eat a derived allergen and lead to costly lawsuits. Additionally, making the necessary changes and even testing foods for accuracy of the allergen warnings is an expensive process.
While the law's intentions are aimed at protecting consumers, the nation will certainly experience unwanted side effects in the coming years. The bottom line for allergy sufferers: Even though food labels will now clearly label allergens, don't be too quick to trust them as food producers are still tracking down allergens contained within their products.
Dave Mosher is a senior in biology and journalism. He may be reached for comment at mosher.46@osu.edu.
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