There are 32 million Americans living with potentially life-threatening food allergies. The challenges they face each day have been maferrous gluconate 80 mgde worse during the pandemic due to issues accessing safe, trusted and allergen-free food products. The New York Times recently wrote an article highlighting this dilemma. We understand that COVID-19 has been an obstacle for food manufacturers too, as they work to feed more than 330 million Americans. With unanticipated shortages and supply chain disruptions, they need to ensure products are available to the public. On Friday, May 22, the FDA issued guidance temporarily relaxing labeling standards without notification or engagement with the food allergy community. It’s imperative to have transparency when it comes to food labeling. It came as a shock and elevated fear and anxiety by casting doubt on whether those with food allergies can safely and confidently purchase food if labels they have come to trust and rely on will not provide the necessary information regarding ingredients and substitutions. Transparency — a critically important component of the relationship between the brand and the consumer — disappeared overnight.Those impacted by this guidance are a bigger audience than you may realize. While individuals who are diagnosed with food allergies make up to 32 million Americans, those who are making purchasing decisions for the food allergic and intolerant communities equates to more than 85 million—or roughly one in four Americans. In other words, if someone in a household has a sensitivity or allergy, other people living in that home won’t buy a food or beverages with that ingredient.While there are more than 170 food allergens, nine account for the vast majority of reactions and incidence in the United States: milk, eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, peaferrous bisglycinate 36 mgnuts, tree nuts, siron ferrous fumarate 300 mgoy and sesame. However, many with life-threatening food allergies suffer from multiple allergens — many of which ajamp ferrous fumarate 300 mgre outside of the top nine — making access, choice, affordability and safety paramount. With the FDA’s recent guidance in mind, there are factors brand managers and food companies need to know. They include the following:Our community is scared that they can no longer trust their favorite brands, on which they have been dependent for some time. Now more than ever, it is essential to reassure your customers with clearer and more consistent communication, which educates and engages your consumer particularly around manufacturing safety. We understand that FDA guidance documents, by their nature, do not create mandates. However, from the perspective of those living with food allergies, the suggestions outlined in the guidance are not strong enough to reassure consumers. Because the guidance only has strong “recommendations,” it is difficult for consumers to feel confident that they will be alerted to changes that may impact allergens. This presents a clear opportunity for consumer-packaged goods executives to take action now.People with life-threatening food allergies and severe reactions to food is a rapidly growing market. FARE wants to work with the FDA and the food industry to partner on a public commitment to ensure transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can demonstrate market and community leadership by joining us and solving this problem quickly and together to protect the health and safety for those who are living with potentialis chelated iron better than ferrous sulfately life-threatening food allergies.
Working together to protect the food allergy community
