Starting Sunday, sesame will be the ninth substance classified as a “major food allergen” by the Food and Drug Administration.
Manufacturers must label products that contain sesame and prevent sesame from cross-contaminating products without it.
The other eight major food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
Some products on store shelves may contain sesame and not be labeled as the new rules are implemented, because their shelf life let them be distributed before sesame labeling was required by law, according to the FDA.
Consumers are urged to check with manufacturers if they are unsure of a food product’s sesame status.
Advocates are pleased that sesame will be openly identified, letting sesame-allergic consumers shop more safely.
“For years, (people) with a life-threatening sesame allergy would have to look at the back of the label, call the manufacturer and try to figure it out,” Food Allergy Research & Education Senior Vice President Jason Linde told CNN, calling the changes “a huge victory for the food allergy community.”
The stringency of the impending FDA regulations has led some manufacturers to add sesame to products and label them, as opposed to trying to prevent the cross-contamination of sesame and nonsesame products. Fast food chains like Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s have added sesame to buns, and bakers that serve schools have done so as well, according to the Associated Press.
Chick-fil-A indicated the addition of sesame to its white and multigrain brioche buns was spurred by its supply chain, which brings in bread from multiple sources.
“Chick-fil-A sources bread from multiple suppliers across the country, and due to the shared production lines in our supplier facilities and use of shared cooking and preparation areas, we cannot ensure that our menu items are sesame-free,” a spokesperson for the company told the food allergy news website Allergic Living.
The moves do not violate the letter of the law, as the newly added sesame will be labeled, but the FDA does not support the changes by manufacturers.
“While a practice of adding sesame and then declaring it on the label is not violative, it would make it more difficult for sesame-allergic consumers to find foods that are safe for them to consume,” a spokesperson for the agency told Allergic Living.
Mr. Linde took a harsher tack, calling out companies for adding sesame in response to Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act regulations.
“We are disappointed and frustrated that previously trusted companies would rather add small amounts of sesame flour to their bakery products than comply with the intent of the FASTER Act, clean their lines and safely feed members of our community,” Mr. Linde told Allergic Living.
Food industry manufacturers have emphasized their transparency in making these moves, and urged consumers to continue to check labels.
“Baking companies are working with their customers, including restaurants, to transparently disclose any allergen labeling changes to help ensure consumer safety,” American Bakers Association President Robb MacKie told Allergic Living.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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