FDA recommends manufacturers list sesame as an ingredient on food labels

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The guide is not a requirement and is intended to help people with allergies to sesame identify foods that may contain the seed, the agency said.

“Many Americans are allergic or sensitive to sesame, and they need the ability to quickly identify products that may contain sesame,” said Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in a statement.

Under current FDA regulations, sesame must be declared on a label if whole seeds are used as an ingredient, but labeling is not required when used as a flavor or in a spice blend. . There is also no need for a product such as tahini, which is made from the paste of ground sesame seeds. Some consumers are unaware that tahini is made from sesame seeds, the agency said.

“In these cases, sesame may not be declared by name in the ingredient list on a product label. We encourage food manufacturers to voluntarily list sesame as an ingredient whenever a product has been made with sesame, ”Mayne said.

Under federal law, eight products are listed as “major food allergens” and must appear on food labels. These are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.

The FDA has been considering whether to include sesame seeds on the list for several years, but for now, it is only suggesting that manufacturers include them on labels voluntarily, where appropriate.

In light of the published guidelines, some food allergist experts have argued that a voluntary recommendation is not sufficient.

“On behalf of the 32 million Americans who suffer from life-threatening food allergies, and the 1.5 million Americans with allergies to sesame, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is disappointed with the guidance offered by the FDA to the industry, ”said Lisa Gable, the organization’s chief executive, in a statement.

“Although the guidelines are a step in the right direction, sesame must be recognized as the ninth top allergen and it must be labeled.”

The belief that Americans “deserve to know what is in the food they eat and buy” is the reason FARE worked to pass the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education & Research (FASTER) Act, the organization said in a message on Twitter.
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Intended to improve the safety of people with food allergies and expand research into new treatments, the bill, if passed, would update allergen labeling laws to include sesame.

The bill would also require the US government to analyze “the most promising research opportunities to help scientists develop more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for food allergies,” the FARE website states. The bill has been introduced in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.

The FDA recommendations are “totally wrong because sesame is much more of a problem,” said Dr. Robert Eitches, allergist and immunologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “Volunteering is a door to do something that is not necessary.”

Stay safe and aware

As plant-based and vegan foods become increasingly popular, Eitches said, the widespread use of nuts and seeds is an issue that come more often. While the sesame seeds on a hamburger bun are obvious, the sesame seeds handled in tahini, baked goods, soups, desserts, pasta and more are more difficult or almost impossible to identify.

Food manufacturers are more careful about disclosing the ingredients they contain, otherwise it would be grounds for prosecution, Eitches said.

“If you take away the ability to be contentious, then there will be problems,” Eitches said. For example, he added, bakers in supermarkets may be less afraid of including powdered or ground sesame seeds if they are not required to do so and therefore are not responsible for the potential damage to them. clients.

“The way an allergen is identified by the FDA as an allergen that must be labeled is due to the number of people with allergies,” Gable said in a previous interview with CNN. “Take sesame, for example: what has happened is that the number of people suffering from anaphylaxis due to sesame has increased. There are various opinions as to why this is happening, but one reason could be that it is now more of an underlying ingredient in many dietary trends. ”

When people with sesame allergies buy and eat food, they can stay safe by being “very careful” when eating certain foods and in restaurants, Eitches said.

Middle Eastern, vegan and Japanese restaurants are more likely to cook different forms of sesame seeds in their dishes, he added.

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Sesame allergies affect people of all ages and can appear as a cough, itchy throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash in the mouth, shortness of breath, wheezing and drops in blood pressure, Eitches said. Those who suspect that they are sensitive or allergic to sesame should see a specialist who can answer their questions and provide medication and devices for emergencies.

Adrenaline and epinephrine are more effective than diphenhydramine, he added. If an allergic reaction occurs, prepare with all medications and devices and see a doctor.

CNN’s Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.



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