How To Decipher Food Labels for Allergies

Here's How:

1. Ignore most claims about allergy safety on the front of the label.

   You should be aware that the FDA has few rules for terms like "dairy-free." Sometimes you may see packaged foods touted as free from ingredients you're allergic to, but find out that they're manufactured on shared lines with allergens. Always dig deeper. In general, however, companies that prominently pledge that their factories are devoted to allergen safety and are free from your allergens are a safe bet. (You should still read the label.)

2. Read all the ingredients every time.

   Sounds simple, but it's easy to forget, especially in the case of a food you've bought before. A list of alternative names for your allergen(s) will be useful in decoding this part of the label and is a useful tool to have memorized or on hand -- absolutely vital if you're avoiding ingredients that aren't covered by FALCPA, and useful to protect you in case the manufacturer overlooked the required "plain language" warning (below).

3. Look for "plain language" names for FALCPA allergens.

   For foods containing dairy, eggs, soy, wheat, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, or crustacean shellfish (such as shrimp, lobster or crab), manufacturers are required to list the presence of these ingredients in plain language. These warnings must be listed either after the ingredient that contains the allergen (e.g., "Natural Flavors (from Soy)") or as a blanket list at the end of the ingredient list (e.g., "Contains peanuts and almonds.") Foods including tree nuts, shellfish, and fish should include which type of these ingredients are present in the product.

4. Beware of ambiguous or suspicious ingredients.

   One provision in FALCPA states, "A spice, flavoring, coloring, or incidental additive that is, or that bears or contains, a food allergen (other than a major food allergen) . . . shall be disclosed in a manner specified by the Secretary by regulation." However, the reality is that many spices, flavorings, and additives are allergenic and don't have their sources disclosed. The terms "vegetable," "natural flavorings," "modified food starch," and "dextrin" are among those that can come from multiple sources and may warrant a call to the manufacturer.

5. Check for cross-contamination warnings.

   On some products, you may see language that indicates that a food was processed on the same manufacturing line or in the same manufacturing line as a food that you're allergic to. Take these warnings seriously: In some cases, researchers have found that amounts of allergens sufficient to cause a reaction can be present in foods labeled this way. (For more information, see "Do 'May Contain Allergen' Labels Really Matter?")

   Note that manufacturers are not required to include these sort of warnings; you may need to call to find out whether a food poses a cross-contamination risk.

6. When in doubt, call the manufacturer. At least three scenarios warrant a call to customer service:
   • To learn the sources of potentially allergenic ingredients;
   • To report an adverse reaction to a food that should have been safe;
   • To learn more about manufacturing lines and conditions.

   You'll find the contact listed on the package or the manufacturer website. If you need more information about ingredients or cross-contamination, ask for a manufacturing supervisor who has day-to-day responsibility over these areas. If you get lackluster response to an adverse reaction, follow up with a VP in charge of customer relations.

Tips:

1. A definite adverse reaction to a food whose label doesn't indicate potential allergens should also be reported to your local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator.

2. Be aware that even the term "gluten-free" does not, as yet, have a clear legal meaning (although there is a proposed rule before the FDA).

What You Need

• Food label
• List of alternative allergen names (optional but useful)
• Manufacturer contact phone number/e-mail address (possibly)