Mary Jane Marchisotto1, Laurie Harada2, Opal Kamdar3, Bridget M Smith4, Susan Waserman5, Scott Sicherer6, Katie Allen7, Antonella Muraro8, Steve Taylor9, Ruchi S Gupta10. 1. Food Allergy Research & Education, Inc, McLean, Va. 2. Food Allergy Canada (formerly Anaphylaxis Canada), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 3. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. 4. Edward J. Hines Jr VA Hospital, Spinal Cord Injury QUERI, Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care, Hines, Ill; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill. 5. Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 6. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. 7. Centre of Food and Allergy Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, the Royal Children's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Institute of Inflammation and Repair, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 8. Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 9. Food Allergy Research & Resource Program, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb. 10. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Ill; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill. Electronic address: r-gupta@northwestern.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mandatory labeling of products with top allergens has improved food safety for consumers. Precautionary allergen labeling (PAL), such as "may contain" or "manufactured on shared equipment," are voluntarily placed by the food industry. OBJECTIVE: To establish knowledge of PAL and its impact on purchasing habits by food-allergic consumers in North America. METHODS: Food Allergy Research & Education and Food Allergy Canada surveyed consumers in the United States and Canada on purchasing habits of food products featuring different types of PAL. Associations between respondents' purchasing behaviors and individual characteristics were estimated using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 6684 participants, 84.3% (n = 5634) were caregivers of a food-allergic child and 22.4% had food allergy themselves. Seventy-one percent reported a history of experiencing a severe allergic reaction. Buying practices varied on the basis of PAL wording; 11% of respondents purchased food with "may contain" labeling, whereas 40% purchased food that used "manufactured in a facility that also processes." Twenty-nine percent of respondents were unaware that the law requires labeling of priority food allergens. Forty-six percent were either unsure or incorrectly believed that PAL is required by law. Thirty-seven percent of respondents thought PAL was based on the amount of allergen present. History of a severe allergic reaction decreased the odds of purchasing foods with PAL. CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of consumers falsely believed that PAL was required by law. Up to 40% surveyed consumers purchased products with PAL. Understanding of PAL is poor, and improved awareness and guidelines are needed to help food-allergic consumers purchase food safely.
BACKGROUND: Mandatory labeling of products with top allergens has improved food safety for consumers. Precautionary allergen labeling (PAL), such as "may contain" or "manufactured on shared equipment," are voluntarily placed by the food industry. OBJECTIVE: To establish knowledge of PAL and its impact on purchasing habits by food-allergic consumers in North America. METHODS:Food Allergy Research & Education and Food Allergy Canada surveyed consumers in the United States and Canada on purchasing habits of food products featuring different types of PAL. Associations between respondents' purchasing behaviors and individual characteristics were estimated using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 6684 participants, 84.3% (n = 5634) were caregivers of a food-allergicchild and 22.4% had food allergy themselves. Seventy-one percent reported a history of experiencing a severe allergic reaction. Buying practices varied on the basis of PAL wording; 11% of respondents purchased food with "may contain" labeling, whereas 40% purchased food that used "manufactured in a facility that also processes." Twenty-nine percent of respondents were unaware that the law requires labeling of priority food allergens. Forty-six percent were either unsure or incorrectly believed that PAL is required by law. Thirty-seven percent of respondents thought PAL was based on the amount of allergen present. History of a severe allergic reaction decreased the odds of purchasing foods with PAL. CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of consumers falsely believed that PAL was required by law. Up to 40% surveyed consumers purchased products with PAL. Understanding of PAL is poor, and improved awareness and guidelines are needed to help food-allergic consumers purchase food safely.
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