Would you like better food labelling?
Help us pass new legislation. Write to Health Canada Now!
Over the last seven years the AAIA and other food allergy consumer organizations, the food industry and Health Canada have been consulting on amendments to Canada's Food and Drug Regulations, which regulate the labelling of priority allergens on food packages.
Health Canada has done an excellent job of working through the fine print on these proposed amendments to ensure that all allergens are fully and clearly labelled on prepackaged foods. The amendments are ready to move forward into law – but the process appears to have stalled.
At present, manufacturers and importers follow only a set of guidelines for allergen labelling that are subject to interpretation. Making these guidelines into law will clarify the labelling requirements and will help the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with enforcement of both domestic and imported foods. Even more importantly, this will ensure that consumers have the information needed to make safe food choices in the marketplace.
Although there are a number of changes in the legislation, these are three primary revisions:
Listing priority allergens by their common names. As one example, milk sometimes appears on the label as casein or whey; with new legislation, it will need to appear as whey (milk). Consumers are not food scientists. Reading labels shouldn't require a detailed knowledge of the alternate names for food components, and this use of different terminology can be challenging.
Removing some existing exemptions. As one example, foods that are used as an ingredient in another food (such as margarine in a cake mix) don't currently need to list their component ingredients. The ingredient label on the cake mix simply says “margarine”, and doesn't indicate that milk or soy or other ingredients are part of the margarine. Under the new legislation, all priority allergens present in these exempted foods will need to be declared on the label. (Note: Some food will remain exempt from labelling laws, such as products from vending machines and bulk foods.)
Identifying the plant or animal source in the common name of all hydrolyzed proteins, starches, or lecithins. As one example, hydrolyzed protein is often made from soy or wheat, but the plant source is not required to be on the label. Many people currently avoid products with these ingredients because they don't know the source. Under the new legislation, the plant source will need to be declared.
We need your help to urge Health Canada to pass the “Proposed Regulatory Amendments to Enhance the Labelling of Priority Allergens in Foods”. Please see our sample letter, which offers some of the points you might want to make. Make your voice heard.
Sample letter: please adapt to your specific situation.
The Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Health
Minister's Office - Health Canada
Brooke Claxton Building, Tunney's Pasture
Postal Locator: 0906C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Dear Mr. Clement,
I am writing to urge you to pass The Proposed Regulatory Amendments to Enhance the Labelling of Priority Allergens in Foods.
My child has a food allergy which is potentially life-threatening. I understand that Health Canada's proposed amendments to Canada's Food and Drug Regulations are designed to make allergen labelling on foods clearer and more complete.
There is no cure for food allergy. My child's safety depends on the safety of the food he eats. We must choose our food very carefully and we rely on the government to ensure that the foods we buy in the grocery store list all of the priority allergens accurately on the labels.
This proposed legislation has been in development for more than seven years. It is time to make these amendments into the law. Please do not allow this to be delayed any longer.
Sincerely,
cc: Mr. Morris Rosenberg, Deputy Minister of Health
Your Member of Parliament
Please enclose a photograph of or letter by your child. This helps to put a human face to the issue. Please also send a copy of your letter to the AAIA (see our contact page).
Mr. Morris Rosenberg
Deputy Minister's Office - Health Canada
Brooke Claxton Building, Tunney's Pasture
Postal Locator: 0906C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
from Allergy & Asthma News, Issue 2 2007
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