Understanding Food Allergy Lingo

When you have food allergy, it is important to be extra careful in choosing the food that you eat, as well as choosing food products that you purchase. Ann Muqoz-Furlong, founder of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network said that the FDA doesn’t require food allergy claims, so it is your responsibility to determine if the product is safe.

According to a recent study, 5% of packaged goods with an advisory label had detectable levels of several common allergens while 2% of those without warning labels contained an allergen.

To determine if the product is safe of allergens, it is important that you know the language these food producers use to warn you of any allergen that their products may contain.

Baxterbulletin.com shares the 3 most commonly used terms and what they really mean.

May contain

Although there is no allergen in the product’s ingredients, there may be small amounts present due to cross-contamination — sharing a production facility with a product that contains allergens, for example.

Manufactured on the same line as

The food was produced in machines used to make other products containing an allergen, such as peanuts. Major food companies tend to have better allergy controls in place than smaller companies.

Gluten-free

These products shouldn’t contain gluten, a main component of wheat, but studies show that some have low levels. The FDA is working to develop standards for this label, but for now people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease (a digestive disorder caused by an allergy to gluten) can log on to csaceliacs.org for a list of safe foods.

So before you grab food products into your cart, take a look at the label and look for these terms.

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