Panel urges rewrite of food labels
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new report is calling for a makeover of the labels used to warn consumers that a food might accidentally contain peanuts or other allergy-prone ingredients.
At issue are warnings such as “may contain traces of nuts” in a food that shouldn’t have any. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says those labels don’t give consumers enough information to evaluate the risk.
The report urges regulators and the food industry to clear consumer confusion with labels that better reflect the level of risk.
The Food and Drug Administration says it is reviewing the report. One industry group indicated support.
The report says food allergies are a serious health problem but more research is needed to determine how many people are affected and if the problem is increasing.