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Law requires food labels to list allergens

Physician Practice Advisor, December 28, 2005

Food labels will soon have to disclose in plain language whether the products contain ingredients that could sicken people with food allergies. The federal law, which goes into effect January 1, requires food labels to list ingredients made from proteins derived from any of the eight major allergenic foods: milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, wheat, tree nuts, soybeans, and peanuts.

Under the new law, food labels must list the common name of the product as well as the name of the specific allergen it contains. Labels also must specify the type of fish, crustacean, or tree nut the product contains.

The FDA estimates 2% of adults and 5% of young children suffer from food allergies. Each year about 30,000 people require emergency room treatment for food allergies and an estimated 150 die.

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