Major Change in Labeling Law Scheduled for January 1

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), passed back in 2004, finally goes into effect on January 1, 2006.

The full text of the bill, formally Title II of Public Law 108-282, can be found here.

The presence of any of eight potential major allergens - milk, egg, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, or cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, or shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, or walnuts), wheat, peanuts, and soybeans – must now be revealed in plain English and in easy-to-see and –read form on labels.

What does mean for those with milk allergies, or who want to avoid milk for other reasons? I copied the following from about.com:

• List the allergen on the ingredient list. For example: MILK, listed with other ingredients.
  
  
• Use the word "Contains" followed by the name of the major food allergen, printed at the end of the ingredient list or next to it. For example: CONTAINS MILK.
  
  
• Use a parenthetical statement to clarify technical ingredient terms. For example: CASEIN (MILK), or WHEY (MILK).

Most labels already do have this information in the U.S. Still, making sure that all labels do is an important step for the millions who must watch out for potential allergens.

And the Act also calls for follow-ups, including a study on the effectiveness of the legislation and the collecting and publishing of research pertaining to food allergies.