<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

This is a great day for Celiacs.  Dave Taylor posted earlier on a radio
announcement of new food allergen labeling.  I saw it on CNN and when I
heard it was voluntary, I was a bit skeptical.

But I read about the new guidelines in the newspaper today and, while
voluntary, the new guidelines are a HUGE, ENORMOUS step forward for us.
And, while voluntary, the industry seems content to embrace them.  I guess
they see the inevitable.  Check your local paper.

"Natural flavors" now have to be explained in clear, laymen's terms.  If
it's a natural peanut flavor, then it has to say peanut.  If it contains a
technical content, it has to have the everyman's version next to it.  For
instance, if it contains casein, it also has to say milk as well.  The
words"may contain" are essentially taboo...if it contains something, it
has to say so.  The "flavorings, colorings and spices" riddles have to be
much more clearly explained.

Apparently the big pushers on this were the Food Allergy Issues Alliance
and Rep. Nita Lowey of N.Y.  Rep. Lowey also wants civil penalties for
violating these rules.  Hats off to them.  We all ought to drop the
Alliance and Rep. Lowey a thank you e-mail.

This isn't the end of the labeling battle, but it's the biggest single
jump I've seen in my years in the Celiac community.

Hooray!

Jere in SoCal