CBC News – Stricter food label rules target allergens

HUGE Win for the Canadian Food Allergic Population

Food manufacturers have 18 months to adhere to tighter rules dealing with the labelling of food allergens, Health Canada announced Monday.

The amended rules would target food allergens, gluten sources and sulphites, which will have to be explicitly identified on packaging.Manufacturers will be required to list what type of allergens, gluten sources or sulphites are present in a product or in any of the ingredients used to make that product.

For example, a food product that lists “spice” or “seasoning” as an ingredient would have to specify whether the ingredient contains allergenic substances.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Monday the new labelling requirements do not include beer and wine, which are being dealt with separately, because the government needed to move on food now.

The revised rules were first introduced in 2008 by then-health minister Tony Clement.

Most of the new regulations were published officially Monday in the Canada Gazette, the government publication that lists all laws and Orders-in-Council.

Read the full article via CBC News – Politics – Stricter food label rules target allergens.

May Declared Food Allergy Awareness Month in Canada

This just came across my desk from Anaphylaxis Canada. I have yet to find a link online but as soon as I do i’ll post it.

News Release from Anaphylaxis Canada

Anaphylaxis Canada welcomes Parliament’s declaration of May as Food Allergy Awareness Month

“It means so much to me” – Sara Shannon, whose daughter Sabrina died of an allergic reaction

Toronto, May 4, 2010 – Anaphylaxis Canada applauds Parliament’s motion
recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month and will be commemorating the
occasion by promoting a number of initiatives intended to support the
1.3 million Canadians who live with food allergies. This is the first
year such a month has been designated in Canada and will now be a
permanently recognized occasion. Several other countries including the
US, UK, Italy, New Zealand and Australia have similar declarations.

“The declaration of Food Allergy Awareness Month is a significant step
in the ongoing effort to educate the public about food allergies,”
said Laurie Harada, Executive Director of Anaphylaxis Canada and
herself the mother of a teenager with multiple food allergies. “We are
thrilled that all political parties united to support this motion.”

Food allergy is a growing public health issue in Canada. More than
fifty percent of Canadians know someone with a food allergy. While
allergic individuals must take responsibility for their condition,
awareness and support of the community are key to keeping people,
especially children, safe. Without treatment, anaphylaxis, the most
severe form of an allergic reaction, can cause death.

In the visitor’s gallery to watch Parliament vote on the motion was
allergy advocate Sara Shannon. Sara’s daughter, Sabrina, had her own
advocacy efforts tragically cut short by a fatal anaphylactic reaction
in 2003 when she was just 13 years old.

“This means so much to me,” said Sara Shannon, “and it would have
meant so much to Sabrina. In her short life Sabrina experienced many
parts of Canada, from the mountains of British Columbia to the
beautiful city of Montreal. She would want everyone to share in this
country’s beauty and possibility and would therefore be very pleased
that the serious issues around food allergies are getting attention
from our federal lawmakers.”

Anaphylaxis Canada will be recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month
through a number of planned initiatives and events. This includes the
organization’s annual conference, hosted this year in Toronto, during
which exciting new food allergy research will be presented by leading
Canadian experts. Anaphylaxis Canada will also be launching two key
initiatives for teens and young adults: a new French version of its
website especially created for allergic teens to help them manage
their food allergies more effectively; and the Sabrina Shannon
Memorial Award for youth involvement in community anaphylaxis
education. The award is dedicated to the life of Sabrina Shannon.

Avoiding Milk Protein Blog: Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Act

This came to my attention from Karen’s blog at Avoiding Milk Protein Blog. If you are in the US please read this! This act, even though it is in the US could add leverage to get similar acts passed in other countries.

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Act

This E-mail reminder came from A Anderson Authour of Flourishing with Food Allergies

If you care about a child with food allergies will you take a few minutes to help The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2009 get passed by Congress this year and to ask for more food allergy research funding?

   Read the rest of this entry »

Chef Ming Tsai’s Groundbreaking Food Allergy Law Passes in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Chef Ming Tsai helps to pass new regulations to assist restaurant goers with food allergies.

This is a fantastic push to assist people looking for places to eat that are allergy aware.
Some points are that the restaurants are required to post guidelines on preparation of food for visitors with food allergies. As well as informing the visitors to inform the waiting staff that there is someone in the party with food allergies. Educating the staff about food allergies via video is also a new requirement.

There can never bee too much information about this and as we move towards making the public aware that food allergies are more than a “fad” and that there are peoples safety at risk this will help to ensure our families are better taken care of.

Orlando schools take peanuts from menu

Contrary to Nova Scotia, Orlando is goign the other way. Yay Orlando!

According to the Orlando Sentinel,
“Aside from apple pie, no food is more American than the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.

But schools across Florida are taking it off lunchroom menus and, in some cases, banning peanuts altogether to try to protect a growing number of children with peanut allergies. “

Read full article here.

Nova Scotia revamps food allergy rules for schools

As reported by CBC news

“An allergy specialist in Nova Scotia is working on a plan that could see a banned substance back in schools — peanut butter.” …

Read the full article here

Ottawa announces new labelling rules

New labeling laws are coming to food packaging in Canada.
“…Tony Clement says the proposed labelling requirements will provide Canadians with information they need to manage their own allergies, and give parents greater assurance about the food they give their children who may have allergies.”

Source: Canadianpress.google.com

Additional info (PDF) from Anaphylaxis.ca (Anaphylaxis Canada)

From Health Canada