6/1/01
AU PROF: NEW LABELS WILL HELP CONSUMERS MAKE BETTER CHOICES
AUBURN -- Food label guidelines newly adopted by industry will help consumers make better choices because they'll be more easily able to understand terms for ingredients that can cause allergic reactions, says an Auburn University nutritionist. Jean Olds Weese, an associate professor in the AU Department of Nutrition and Food Science, says the labeling guidelines will improve consumer's ability to understand what now are mostly technical terms for food.
For example, the label on foods that contain milk products may say "casein," or "albumen" for eggs, which is really the egg white, said Weese, who is also a nutrition specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Casein, a protein found in milk, is used in many products but the product may not contain the other parts of milk, Weese said, adding, "And some products may list albumen and not contain the entire egg."
"This has been an issue that has been debated for years," she said. "It's difficult because the law says companies have to list exactly what's in a product but doing that makes it confusing for the consumer."
The changes, which will likely be phased in, are not required by the Food and Drug Administration. Instead, they are recommendations the FDA calls a "significant step forward" and a "major health benefit to the food allergy sensitive consumer."
It's estimated that some 7 million Americans who suffer from food allergies rely on ingredient labels to determine which processed foods are safe.
The new labels will be especially helpful for those who face life-threatening allergic reactions to foods such as butter and peanuts. The new guidelines apply to eight food groups that are responsible for most allergic reactions: Crustaceans such as crab and lobster, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts such as almonds and walnuts and wheat.
"Overall, it will help consumers realize that companies are not putting weird chemicals into food and confuse them by using technical words," Weese said. "It will be easier for everyone to understand."
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CONTACT: Weese, 334/844-3269.