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

Over the past couple weeks members of the ACDA have stepped forward to
represent the  celiac community before important governmental panels.   

Testifying before the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA, Scott
Mandell, CEO and President, Enjoy Life Foods, and Carol McCarthy Shilson,
Executive Director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center,
offered views on what is working and what isn’t in the National School
Lunch Program.  

Scott Mandell told the panel that celiac kids are being left out of the
lunch program.  He urged the USDA “to make the necessary changes to the
National School Lunch Program to ensure that ALL eligible students can
benefit from this important, federally assisted meal program."  He
supported his comments by citing the growing number of children affected by
Celiac Disease, food allergies, food intolerances and autism.  Carol
Shilson, in turn, highlighted results from the ACDA’s recent school lunch
survey, which revealed that among 2,229 parents of children with Celiac
Disease only 111 were able to get a gluten-free lunch at school. The others
had to pack a lunch or go without the school provided meal.  She also
referenced the concerns of the Center’s Director, Stefano Guandalini, M.D.,
that "It is not right that children with Celiac Disease should be denied a
safe meal or given food that is nutritionally inadequate. Surely we cannot
expect our children to learn and thrive with such conditions. It is our
duty to see that all children are provided with a nutritious and safe meal
at school. " 

Days later, the FDA convened a meeting to help the agency in developing a
long-term strategy to assist manufacturers in using allergen advisory
labeling that is truthful and not misleading.   

Once again, the ACDA ensured that the celiac community was heard.  In his
presentation, Enjoy Life’s Co-founder Scott Mandell noted, “Advisory
warnings are confusing, inconsistent and do not provide adequate
information in order for the millions of Americans who must follow special
diets due to food allergies, food intolerances, Celiac Disease, autism and
other health concerns to make smart and, most importantly, safe food
choices."  

He cited evidence from FDA and the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
(FAAN) that current advisory labeling does not provide useful and clear
information for consumers.  Specifically that almost 50 percent of
food-allergic people have reported having serious problems using food
labels to help them avoid eating certain foods, while FAAN has documented
over 30 different advisory warnings on food products.  He further explained
that in the absence of clear standards for advisory statements, consumers
are making their own risk assessments based on the various warnings. 

These are the most recent examples of the ACDA’s efforts to highlight the
needs and concerns of our community and to work with others to find
solutions.   

Beth Hillson
President, ACDA

--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web LIVE – Free email based on Microsoft® Exchange technology -
http://link.mail2web.com/LIVE

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*
*******
To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[log in to unmask]
*******