Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Sesame has joined the list of major food allergens defined by law, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The change, which went into effect January 1, is a result of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act, or FASTER, which was signed into law in April of 2021.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had been considering whether to place sesame seeds on the list of major food allergens, which also included milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans for several years.
The addition of sesame to the list of major food allergens means that foods containing it will be subject to specific regulatory requirements for food allergens, including requirements related to labeling and processing.
Sesame allergy affects people of all ages, and its symptoms may appear in the form of cough, itchy throat, vomiting, diarrhea, a rash in the mouth, shortness of breath, wheezing, and low blood pressure, according to what was mentioned by the allergy specialist, immunologist, and the attending physician. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA, Dr. Robert Iches, in an interview with CNN in 2020.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration website, the agency conducts tests and takes samples from food products to verify that major food allergens are correctly labeled on product labels, and to determine whether food establishments prevent allergens from being mixed.
“What it means is that starting January 1 of 2023, life will improve for the 1.6 million Americans who have a life-threatening allergy as a result of food allergies,” said Jason Lind, senior vice president of government and community affairs for Food Allergy Research & Education. Sesame”.
The organization, a private funder of food allergy research, helped pass the FASTER Act.
Lind noted that sesame is found in “dozens of ingredients,” but it was not always listed by name.
“For many years, people with a life-threatening sesame allergy had to look behind the label and contact the manufacturer,” Lind said. “If it (sesame) is listed, it is considered a seasoning or a natural flavouring.”
Lind stressed that the new law is “a great victory for the food allergy community.”