Comment from Michelle Jones
AnonymousSupportIndividual
Summary: A food biochemist and mother of a child with severe allergies supports the progress of the FASTER Act but argues that the proposed guidance needs to address cross-contamination labeling. She highlights the difficulty of tracking shared equipment and requests more stringent requirements for manufacturers to disclose these risks.
Though the FASTER Act of 2021 is a huge step for families dealing with food allergies, as a Food Biochemist with a detailed understanding of food industry and a mother of a child with severe food allergies, I understand that there must be further progress. A concern that does not seem to be addressed in the US except by choice in the food industry is the listing of cross contamination. I have spent many hours of my life contacting food manufacturers to find out if a product shares equipment with with foods that contain sesame or nuts. Many companies have shared that a product with sesame will run first thing and then all other products after. My son has also had allergic reactions to food that do not declare his allergens or declare any cross contamination. Thank goodness for companies who do this voluntarily! Please read the following articles for more information. https://snacksafely.com/2016/04/when-a-manufacturer-says-trust-us/ and https://snacksafely.com/2013/07/understand-the-limitations-of-the-label/Thank you.