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Wednesday's article in the Wall Street Journal highlights various changes to the food labeling laws which go into effect on January 1.  

It was noted previously that the article referenced "Gluten."  To clarify, the labeling requirement which goes into effect on January 1 does not require 'gluten' to be listed on product labels.  Rather the article is referring to FDA's development of rules to define the term 'gluten-free,'  which is due by August 2006.

Another question posed was whether the manufacturers will be required to indicate the presence of any of the eight allergens SEPARATELY from the main ingredient listing.  

The FDA has addressed this question on their website at:   http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alrgqa.html#q11  Specifically, 

   FALCPA requires food manufacturers to label food products that contain an ingredient that is or contains protein from a major food allergen in one of two ways. 
  The first option for food manufacturers is to include the name of the food source in parenthesis following the common or usual name of the major food allergen in the list of ingredients in instances when the name of the food source of the major allergen does not appear elsewhere in the ingredient statement. For example:

          Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and/or cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, whey (milk), eggs, vanilla, natural and artificial flavoring) salt, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), lecithin (soy), mono-and diglycerides (emulsifier)  

  The second option is to place the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients, in type size that is no smaller than the type size used for the list of ingredients. For example:

  Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy 



Andrea Levario, J.D.
Executive Director
American Celiac Disease Alliance
4331 E. Baseline Road
Ste B105 - # 216
Gilbert, AZ   85234-2961
(703) 622-3331
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www.AmericanCeliac.org

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