Sesame became the ninth allergen that must be declared on food labels as mandated in the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act. The FASTER Act was signed into law, by President Biden, on April 23, 2021. This change applies to any food for interstate commerce and goes into effect on or after January 1, 2023. Currently, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004 requires the declaration of eight major food allergies, including egg, ... Full Article
Tips to Avoid Spreading Food Allergens
Cross-contact occurs when a food or surface (utensil, equipment, gloves, towels, etc.) containing an allergen or gluten touches an allergy-/gluten-free food. This contact may be direct (putting croutons which contain wheat and gluten on a salad which is typically free of allergens and gluten), or indirect (hands or utensils carrying food bits, or flour particles in the air). Tips to Prevent Cross-Contact of Allergens and Gluten: Wash all work surfaces, cutting boards, utensils, ... Full Article
Gluten-Free Claims: Does Your Product Qualify?
FDA regulations to make gluten-free claims went into effect in August 2014. Our gluten and allergen expert, Diane Moyer, MS, RD, has summarized rules for making gluten-free claims. Criteria for Gluten-Free Claims For a food to be labeled “gluten-free” it must meet the following criteria: The food must be inherently gluten-free, such as unaltered fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat. The food must be free of the gluten-containing grains defined as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and crossbreeds of ... Full Article
Gluten Free Labeling and Claims
Gluten free labeling has officially been defined by the FDA. The FDA published regulations to define the term “gluten-free” for food labeling on August 5, 2013. This ruling will provide a uniform standard definition for “gluten-free.” Some highlights from the final rule for labeling foods “gluten-free” include: - To use the term “gluten-free” the presence of gluten in the food must be less than 20 parts per million. - The final rule applies to all FDA-regulated foods and excludes foods ... Full Article
Answering Your Customers’ Nutrition Questions
Nutrition Customer Support “Is your potato cheese soup vegetarian?” “Why aren’t your chips and salsa on your gluten-free menu?” “My son has a soy allergy. Do you fry your fries in soy oil? If so, does it contain soy protein?” “If I leave the cheese and sauce off your BBQ Bacon & Swiss Burger, how many calories would it be?” “Potatoes are usually high in fiber, but your potato skins are only showing 2 gram of fiber per serving. Is that correct?” Are you equipped to answer questions like ... Full Article
