@ Sesame allergy law

[noodleoo]

My neighbor was telling me about this and I couldn't believe it, but apparently it is true.  A new law went into affect this year to add sesame to the list of allergens manufacturers are required to label for.  Instead of implementing the cleaning requirements, companies are adding sesame to formerly safe products so that they can label them as containing sesame.  This sucks so much for people with allergies.  Article contains @ content.

wapo.st/3Kzl1Or (gift link)

[pixy0stix]

I knew about this because I have a friend who is allergic to sesame, and suddenly foods that had been safe for her are now not due to it being added.

Capitalism over people is this country's motto.

[noodleoo]

Apr 12, 2023 10:38:28 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I knew about this because I have a friend who is allergic to sesame, and suddenly foods that had been safe for her are now not due to it being added.

Capitalism over people is this country's motto.

That sucks so much.  

@@@
My neighbor's kid is allergic to sesame and she said there are now only 2 brands of bread he can eat.  I feel so bad for them.  There were formerly a lot more.  It is so hard and scary to be an allergy parent.

[icedcoffee]

This is insanity. I do not understand why they can't just add a "May be processed in a facility that contains Sesame" like they sometimes do with gluten and peanut.

Perfection is getting in the way of progress here.

[tiki]

Arrrrghh! Are they actually adding sesame to existing products for the first time, or just listing sesame as an ingredient because they don't want to guarantee no cross-contamination?

[seeyalater52]

What the FUCK.

[noodleoo]

Apr 12, 2023 11:44:36 GMT -5 tiki said:

Arrrrghh! Are they actually adding sesame to existing products for the first time, or just listing sesame as an ingredient because they don't want to guarantee no cross-contamination?

The first, they are adding sesame to products that formerly didn’t have it. I guess the law doesn’t allow for “may contain”. It’s either it contains it (in which case it has to actually have it) or they implement stringent cleaning requirements so that they can say it doesn’t contain it. I also don’t understand how this is different than how they label for other allergens that they already label for like peanuts, etc. I’m wondering if because it’s bread, some products have sesame seeds and some don’t, so it’s not as simple as with other allergens.

[twilightmv]

WTF. DH is allergic to sesame, and I didn't know this...

[seeyalater52]

I know nothing about allergy laws and regulations but this strikes me as a somewhat predictable (although horrifying) outcome and I’m wondering why it wasn’t a scenario that regulators anticipated and were specific enough to avoid? From my experience working on regs it does seem like this was avoidable, especially given the way other allergens are labeled.

[rhian]

My son is allergic to sesame, and this has been incredibly frustrating. He was diagnosed in late 2022, and we learned then that the FASTER Act would go into effect in 2023, which we were grateful for. But the decision to add sesame by many companies has really narrowed our food options, especially bread products.

seeyalater52 I don't know why they did not write the new law in a way to prevent this, but there is a history of this with other allergens. I previously read an article about how this happened with peanut, but can't find it now ... will add a link if I come across it again.

Edit: Here's a link about adding peanut flour to products from 2016: www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/kelloggs-peanut-flour-keebler-austin-crackers/

[rhian]

Apr 12, 2023 11:43:19 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

This is insanity. I do not understand why they can't just add a "May be processed in a facility that contains Sesame" like they sometimes do with gluten and peanut.

Perfection is getting in the way of progress here.

"May contain" statements are completely voluntary and adding them does not mean that manufacturers can avoid required cleaning procedures after producing allergens. If they add "may contain" or "may be processed in a facility," they still have to perform the required cleaning after producing sesame-containing products. Adding sesame as an ingredient (almost always the very last ingredient in products I have seen, meanings it's likely a tiny amount) means they do not have to clean before producing that item, since it contains the allergen, just label for it.

[gretchenindisguise]

Wow. That really sucks. I’m sorry for those directly impacted, sesame is shockingly not one of our allergens in our house, but I can only imagine the rage I would feel if it was.

[rhian]

Apr 12, 2023 11:44:36 GMT -5 tiki said:

Arrrrghh! Are they actually adding sesame to existing products for the first time, or just listing sesame as an ingredient because they don't want to guarantee no cross-contamination?

So this is a little complicated. Many companies are indeed actively adding (a tiny amount of) sesame and then also adding it to the ingredient list. My understanding is that this complies with the letter, although obviously not the spirit, of the law. Others may just not be cleaning and adding sesame to the ingredient list since they produce other items with sesame on the same equipment (I am in a sesame allergy Facebook group, and there are some members who have contacted companies to ask about specific products, and have been told that the recipes have not changed, but that they are labeling because they cannot guarantee there will be no cross contact). I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think the latter scenario complies with the law - they cannot list an ingredient that is not actually in the product.

[seeyalater52]

Apr 12, 2023 13:50:36 GMT -5 rhian said:

Apr 12, 2023 11:43:19 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

This is insanity. I do not understand why they can't just add a "May be processed in a facility that contains Sesame" like they sometimes do with gluten and peanut.

Perfection is getting in the way of progress here.

"May contain" statements are completely voluntary and adding them does not mean that manufacturers can avoid required cleaning procedures after producing allergens. If they add "may contain" or "may be processed in a facility," they still have to perform the required cleaning after producing sesame-containing products. Adding sesame as an ingredient (almost always the very last ingredient in products I have seen, meanings it's likely a tiny amount) means they do not have to clean before producing that item, since it contains the allergen, just label for it.

Thanks so much for sharing all your expertise. I’m sorry your family is impacted by these changes it must be so frustrating.

[icedcoffee]

Apr 12, 2023 13:50:36 GMT -5 rhian said:

Apr 12, 2023 11:43:19 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

This is insanity. I do not understand why they can't just add a "May be processed in a facility that contains Sesame" like they sometimes do with gluten and peanut.

Perfection is getting in the way of progress here.

"May contain" statements are completely voluntary and adding them does not mean that manufacturers can avoid required cleaning procedures after producing allergens. If they add "may contain" or "may be processed in a facility," they still have to perform the required cleaning after producing sesame-containing products. Adding sesame as an ingredient (almost always the very last ingredient in products I have seen, meanings it's likely a tiny amount) means they do not have to clean before producing that item, since it contains the allergen, just label for it.

But from the article they are increasing the amount of sesame because they can't say it contains sesame unless it's an actual ingredient.  Previously, people were consuming potentially cross contaminated products (which I think should be labled as such).  

IDK.  My H has Celiac so we deal with may contain and/or contains gluten labels often.  He tries to avoid both, but will eat a "may contain" product in a pinch or if he knows he won't be leaving the house.

To me knowledge is power.  I want to know if it's actually in there or just made in the same facility, but these new rules seems to have taken a lot of the "may contain" products and made them higher in sesame.  That's according to the article.

[definitelyO]

Apr 12, 2023 13:45:42 GMT -5 rhian said:

Edit: Here's a link about adding peanut flour to products from 2016: www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/kelloggs-peanut-flour-keebler-austin-crackers/

that is horrible about the sesame!

My DS is allergic to peanuts and he ate those keebler cheese crackers filled with cheese at a summer camp.  He never even thought to read the ingredients.   (he was fine - no epi pen required).  But could have been worse for him (or others).  I've also found that trying to buy him snacks high in protein most often get their protein from peanut powder - like a strawberry grain bar - seriously -I read all labels - but would never have thought that it would have had peanuts in it. 

[rhian]

Apr 12, 2023 14:20:00 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Apr 12, 2023 13:50:36 GMT -5 rhian said:

"May contain" statements are completely voluntary and adding them does not mean that manufacturers can avoid required cleaning procedures after producing allergens. If they add "may contain" or "may be processed in a facility," they still have to perform the required cleaning after producing sesame-containing products. Adding sesame as an ingredient (almost always the very last ingredient in products I have seen, meanings it's likely a tiny amount) means they do not have to clean before producing that item, since it contains the allergen, just label for it.

But from the article they are increasing the amount of sesame because they can't say it contains sesame unless it's an actual ingredient. 

Yes, my understanding is that this is true, and the reason why many companies are actively adding sesame. My point was that, at least according to representatives of some companies, not all are actually doing this. I am not clear if they are violating the law, if equipment allergen testing that reveals that cleaning was insufficient to remove sesame proteins means that they can actually list it as an ingredient, or if their customer service representatives are misinformed. I have not personally contacted companies (it's not where I am choosing to spend my energy), but have seen screenshots of emails where manufacturer representatives have said that they have not changed the recipe, despite the addition of sesame to the ingredient list. ETA: the reason this matters is that if it's not actually a new addition to the ingredients, just a way of labeling for possible cross contact, some people who were previously safely eating the product might choose to continue to eat it.

There is no law that requires manufacturers to add "may contain" statements for any allergen. There is also no guidance on what "may contain" means (i.e. same equipment, same facility). I agree that it would be helpful if they would label for this, but I would not want that instead of the current requirements to clean well between production of top 9 allergen containing and non-top 9 allergen containing products.

[rhian]

Apr 12, 2023 14:24:10 GMT -5 definitelyO said:

Apr 12, 2023 13:45:42 GMT -5 rhian said:

Edit: Here's a link about adding peanut flour to products from 2016: www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/kelloggs-peanut-flour-keebler-austin-crackers/

that is horrible about the sesame!

My DS is allergic to peanuts and he ate those keebler cheese crackers filled with cheese at a summer camp.  He never even thought to read the ingredients.   (he was fine - no epi pen required).  But could have been worse for him (or others).  I've also found that trying to buy him snacks high in protein most often get their protein from peanut powder - like a strawberry grain bar - seriously -I read all labels - but would never have thought that it would have had peanuts in it. 

How scary! I'm so glad your son was okay. It's so frustrating when common allergens are in products that you wouldn't expect, especially when they have no meaningful impact on the flavor, etc. We are "fortunate" in that since my son's allergy was diagnosed shortly before the new law went into effect, there are few products that we are accustomed to being sesame free that now are no longer safe to eat. We are getting in the habit of reading labels all the time, but we've definitely slipped up a few times (we've had to dig packages out of the garbage a couple of times :/)

[noodleoo]

Apr 12, 2023 14:36:42 GMT -5 rhian said:

Apr 12, 2023 14:24:10 GMT -5 definitelyO said:

that is horrible about the sesame!

My DS is allergic to peanuts and he ate those keebler cheese crackers filled with cheese at a summer camp.  He never even thought to read the ingredients.   (he was fine - no epi pen required).  But could have been worse for him (or others).  I've also found that trying to buy him snacks high in protein most often get their protein from peanut powder - like a strawberry grain bar - seriously -I read all labels - but would never have thought that it would have had peanuts in it. 

How scary! I'm so glad your son was okay. It's so frustrating when common allergens are in products that you wouldn't expect, especially when they have no meaningful impact on the flavor, etc. We are "fortunate" in that since my son's allergy was diagnosed shortly before the new law went into effect, there are few products that we are accustomed to being sesame free that now are no longer safe to eat. We are getting in the habit of reading labels all the time, but we've definitely slipped up a few times (we've had to dig packages out of the garbage a couple of times :/)

@@@
My DD2 has a tree nut allergy, and we've been there.  I was really good at first but now that we've gotten used to it, I sometimes forget to recheck the labels.  That's what makes this sesame issue so infuriating to me.  If you *add* sesame, put a big label on the front so people know you changed the recipe!

I never appreciated how hard this is until I had a child with a food allergy.  

[gretchenindisguise]

Apr 12, 2023 15:00:31 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

Apr 12, 2023 14:36:42 GMT -5 rhian said:

How scary! I'm so glad your son was okay. It's so frustrating when common allergens are in products that you wouldn't expect, especially when they have no meaningful impact on the flavor, etc. We are "fortunate" in that since my son's allergy was diagnosed shortly before the new law went into effect, there are few products that we are accustomed to being sesame free that now are no longer safe to eat. We are getting in the habit of reading labels all the time, but we've definitely slipped up a few times (we've had to dig packages out of the garbage a couple of times :/)

@@@
My DD2 has a tree nut allergy, and we've been there.  I was really good at first but now that we've gotten used to it, I sometimes forget to recheck the labels.  That's what makes this sesame issue so infuriating to me.  If you *add* sesame, put a big label on the front so people know you changed the recipe!

I never appreciated how hard this is until I had a child with a food allergy.  

This reminds me of our last trip to cheesecake factory. I ordered a pasta dish I’ve been ordering for literally a decade and it came out with cheese. The waiter got snotty with me when I questioned it, said its never had cheese, etc. He said “they changed the recipe.” I said there was zero mention of a recipe change and cheese isn’t mentioned in the description. He tried to argue, got a menu to show me, and then had to sheepishly acknowledge I was right- its the exact same description that has been there for over a decade. No mention of the change or that it now contained dairy. I was pissed. I got a stupid salad instead because I lost trust and will never be back.

[Michelle]

Apr 12, 2023 14:19:16 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Apr 12, 2023 13:50:36 GMT -5 rhian said:

"May contain" statements are completely voluntary and adding them does not mean that manufacturers can avoid required cleaning procedures after producing allergens. If they add "may contain" or "may be processed in a facility," they still have to perform the required cleaning after producing sesame-containing products. Adding sesame as an ingredient (almost always the very last ingredient in products I have seen, meanings it's likely a tiny amount) means they do not have to clean before producing that item, since it contains the allergen, just label for it.

Thanks so much for sharing all your expertise. I’m sorry your family is impacted by these changes it must be so frustrating.

Thanks to both of you for asking and answering. I had the same train of thought. I'm sorry for your family's troubles with this rhian!

[momof2ms]

Yes- no more Dave’s Killer Bread for us. Tho I was reminded of a local brand that continues to be safe that I really should support anyways.

[CloudBee]

My son is anaphylactic to sesame and we’re suddenly struggling to find safe bread products. I couldn’t find safe hot dog buns last week. It’s scary. His first sesame exposure resulted in hives. Second time? Blistered lips. Third time? Difficulty breathing, epipen, and hospital.

[CloudBee]

Apr 12, 2023 11:44:36 GMT -5 tiki said:

Arrrrghh! Are they actually adding sesame to existing products for the first time, or just listing sesame as an ingredient because they don't want to guarantee no cross-contamination?

Our safe plain bagels from TJ’s now list sesame. We don’t think it’s added, but if you look at then through the pack we have been seeing sesames stuck to the bottom and baked in. It appears they no longer clean the equipment.

[t]

Has anyone found a bread that does not contain sesame? My cousin has an anaphylaxis reaction to all nuts and sesame, and I cannot find a burger bun/roll or sliced bread that doesn’t contain sesame. I’m hosting a party in two weeks and try to avoid any cross contamination. Also looking for panko. The brands I used to buy all now contain sesame.

[Bad Dingo]

t, I don't know if they've changed but the Aldi brioche rolls didn't contain sesame previously:
www.aldireviewer.com/specially-selected-brioche-buns/

I have some at home I'll check the package tonight and report back.

[rhian]

Apr 17, 2023 8:25:05 GMT -5 t said:

Has anyone found a bread that does not contain sesame? My cousin has an anaphylaxis reaction to all nuts and sesame, and I cannot find a burger bun/roll or sliced bread that doesn’t contain sesame. I’m hosting a party in two weeks and try to avoid any cross contamination. Also looking for panko. The brands I used to buy all now contain sesame.

The Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse line (except for a multigrain one, I believe) does not contain sesame if you're looking for sliced bread, we can usually find this at most stores. I'm not sure about their buns/rolls. Calise sells bread and rolls that do not have sesame. This brand is a little harder to find and might be regional (I am in New England and our Costco sells them, and I have sometimes seen them at other grocery stores). I believe the Kikkoman panko is still sesame free.

[rhian]

Oh, I have heard that King's Hawaiian rolls are also sesame free, though we have not attempted to buy them recently.

[niemand88f]

Bumping because FDA is warning a company about misleading labels - sounds like they weren't actually adding sesame to the product, but did put it on the ingredients list

FDA warns maker of Sara Lee and Entenmann’s not to claim foods contain allergens when they don’t

[noodleoo]

Jun 26, 2024 9:13:57 GMT -5 niemand88f said:

Bumping because FDA is warning a company about misleading labels - sounds like they weren't actually adding sesame to the product, but did put it on the ingredients list

FDA warns maker of Sara Lee and Entenmann’s not to claim foods contain allergens when they don’t

That's infuriating.  And confirms the suspicions that companies slap the allergy label on products to protect themselves from liability. 

It is also frustrates me that they don't label for individual tree nuts.  DD2 is allergic to cashews and pistachios, but no other tree nuts.  I'm sure there are a lot of products that are probably fine for her that may contain walnut or almond, but since they group them all together we have to avoid them all.