Good Lifestyle

About 32 million people in the United States have one or more food allergies and 200,000 are hospitalized each year because of it, according to theFood allergy Research and education organization. A new study published inThe Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunologyconcludes that the current labels of cautional allergens on food products must be updated because food buyers are not fully aware of them and this could lead to the purchase of food that they are sensitive to or allergic To.

One of the authors of the study,Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Director of the Food Expense and Research Center on Asthma and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Northwest Medicine School of Feinberg, says that allergens used in the ingredients are required by law On food packaging, but precautional allergen labels such as "may contain" or "made on shared equipment" are completely voluntary.

"Because there is no clear requirement for the way to communicate the potential presence of allergens in the products, families are left by taking their own decisions on whether certain foods are cautious to buy On the basis of the label wording, "said Gupta.

More than 3,000 participants in the study were asked to a series of issues related to purchases and labeling of food. Only 24.4% have correctly answered questions about allergy tags. In addition, the study participants were classified "do not suit people with" allergy "and" may contain "as the two most useful statements on food packaging. (Connected: secure stay withThe 7 healthiest foods to eat right now.)

"These results suggest that [food allergy] consumers are not aware of [precautional allergenic labeling] and make decisions based on the words of the labeling of the precautional allergen", "L Study ends. "They prefer to have clearer, more specific and consistent labeling on products, indicating that explicit [precautional allergen labeling policies] are needed to allow customers to easily identify safe foods. "

In other words, with better and clearer labeling, buyers may be able to make more confidence in the foods they buy, the authors of the study conclude.

Dr. Gupta says you should read a label whenever you buy a product because the ingredients or packaging could change. You must also be aware of the "contain" and "treated in an installation with declarations ..." because they are not obliged.

For more labels, read our helpful guide to understand the difference betweenA food allergy, sensitivity and intolerance. Then check8 food reminders you need to know now To make sure that the items in your kitchen are not on the list.

To get the latest health and food safety news is delivered daily to your inbox with your email,Subscribe to our newsletter!