Why Food Labeling Fails Food Allergic Consumers
Did you know? Other than ‘gluten free’ there’s no regulation-backed labeling for ‘free from’. This is important to know if you or a loved one has #foodallergies.
Precautionary allergen statements on packaged good food labels — like “May Contain” and “Made on the same equipment” — are voluntary statements. The FDA only requires them to be accurate and not misleading.
And that’s when manufacturers choose to use them.
But not all manufacturers put those statements on their food products. When you don’t see those statements, their absence doesn’t mean the food is free of allergens. It doesn’t mean the food product is any safer to eat than foods with the disclosures. The only way to determine if a food may contain your allergens is to call the manufacturer and ask detailed questions.
More manufacturer ingredient transparency is desperately needed for our food allergy, celiac, FPIES, alpha-gal, EoE, and MCAS communities.
A ‘Free From’ Certification You Can Trust
Meet MenuTrinfo, a company committed to bringing greater transparency to food labeling for consumers who rely on food labels to avoid allergens and gluten. To achieve this, MenuTrinfo offers a ‘Certified Free From’ (CFF) certification program that is fully accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB.)
MenuTrinfo certifies food manufacturers and hospitality locations (think college dining halls & food stations) ‘free from’ after reviewing their allergen controls and processes during in-person audits versus rigorous compliance standards. Once certified, these manufacturers and hospitality locations must:
- Regularly test for the presence of allergens in their foods/facilities,
- Report findings, and
- Undergo annual audits to maintain their CFF certification.
The certification can be extended for 1, some, or all of the Top 9 (or 11 or 14 if you live in Canada or Europe) allergens (and gluten, too).
As a consumer with food allergies you can be confident when you see the CFF seal displayed on a food product or food service location, your allergens won’t be present in the food. The certification makes trust possible.
More and more brands that value ingredient transparency to earn customer trust are pursuing the certification like Barney Butter, Deep River Snacks, gfjules, Lorissa’s Kitchen, Mulay’s Sausage, The Pink Bakery, Red Plate Foods, and many more. See the complete (and growing!) list.
Look for this seal when you shop for groceries.
Now that the huge bubble of food allergic kids born in the early 2000s are college-age, universities like Vanderbilt, University of Missouri and University of North Texas, among others, are offering ‘Certified Free From’ dining options to safely fuel their students on campus. Look for the CFF seal at dining halls/stations when you visit campuses on your college search. Ask for it when you meet with Dining Services.
‘Certified Free From’ and ‘Verified’ Are Not The Same
When you grocery shop, if you don’t see a ‘Certified Free From’ seal on a product with a ‘free from’ claim, you need to question if it’s a claim you can trust. After all, it’s your life or the life of your loved ones you’re protecting.
‘Verified’ and ‘Certified Free From’ do not mean the same thing. Did the manufacturer just complete and submit a form to be verified that their product or facility is ‘free from’? Or did they undergo an on-site 3rd party audit and provide ongoing testing results to earn and maintain a certification that they are 100% ‘free from’? This is the difference between an unsubstantiated claim and a substantiated one and it’s critical for food allergic consumers to know the difference.
To Learn More…
If you’d like to learn more about ‘Certified Free From’ (CFF) visit their website and get their newsletter. And if you’d like to help the CFF program’s expand to more brands, write manufacturers and ask them to certify your favorite products. (MenuTrinfo offers a letter template that makes this easy.)
Allergy Force is passionate about equipping the food allergy community with actionable information and tools that help them navigate allergic life with more confidence. We have joined the Allergy Advisory Council founded by MenuTrinfo to support their work to improve ingredient transparency for the millions of Americans with food allergies, celiac disease, other allergic diseases, intolerances, and sensitivities. Learn more about our why for supporting the ‘Certified Free From’ program.
Allergy Force is committed to helping people with food allergies live freely — with less fear, less anxiety, more confidence — through technology and education. The Allergy Force food allergy app is peace of mind in your pocket.. |
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Image: Hobi Industri on Pexels and MenuTrinfo