4 ms·

Seems to have worked for gluten, at least. i.e. Consumers look for "gluten free" labelling rather than "This product contains gluten" labelling. If I were the

by umvi 2y ago

Seems to have worked for gluten, at least. i.e. Consumers look for "gluten free" labelling rather than "This product contains gluten" labelling. If I were the FDA I'd standardize the nutrition label to have a clearly labelled allergen section in which you can reliably use to check that the product is free of X allergen. Of course a naive implementation of this would mean that water bottles and stuff will have a big long list of "gluten free, peanut free, dairy free" so it probably requires a bit more thought.

john01dav 2y ago
It's fine to have such long lists because the alternative is more complicated rules that might even be subjective. Clarity from subjectivity or mistakes with complicated rules is more important when safety is at risk than having less text on a label.
nsilvestri 2y ago
As someone who can't eat gluten, we look for that label because gluten isn't included as one of the mandatory allergens in the US. I would prefer if things were simply labelled as "contains gluten" because instead I have to evaluate the ingredients of things without a GF label to see if it's suitable.
samtho 2y ago
“Gluten free” is a little different because gluten is a protein not only found in wheat, but also wheat derivatives like spelt, semolina, graham, and other grains like barley, rye, and malt. This is different from a wheat allergy, in fact, its also not an “allergen” in the same way that peanuts are (digestive problems vs anaphylaxis), and would probably be better classified as an intolerance similar to lactose (which is covered by milk but is also an indirect indicator of lactose that can be a false positive because lactose free milk exists).
- Miner49er 2y ago
  Gluten is an allergen for people with celiac, just not IgE-mediated. Celiac shouldn't be classified with lactose intolerance, it's much more serious, arguably more dangerous then even IgE-mediated allergies.
  - zackbrown 2y ago
    ^ This is correct. > (digestive problems vs anaphylaxis) ... and would probably be better classified as an intolerance similar to lactose is misinformation — "digestive problems" and "intolerance" drastically understate the seriousness of celiac disease, and contribute to the educational challenges surrounding the condition. The chronic impact of gluten exposure to a celiac patient include: permanent damage to the small intestine, malnutrition, reduction of lifespan, and significantly increased risk of comorbid autoimmune diseases (MS, diabetes, and more) and cancer. The acute symptoms span from gastrointestinal symptoms to neurological issues, systemic pain, and cognitive impairment. The reason for all of this is gluten causes the celiac patient's immune system to mobilize and attack the patient, i.e. "autoimmunity." Not anaphylactic, correct, but not a digestive problem nor an intolerance.
    - stoperaticless 2y ago
      Did I understand it correctly? - Single meal will not kill you. - Continuous use will shorten your life significantly. (Something like smoking then?)
      - zackbrown 2y ago
        Not a perfect comparison, but probably closer to mycotoxin exposure than smoking.
kalleboo 2y ago
Gluten free is kind of weird because there's a trend of a "gluten free diet" for weight loss among people without a specific gluten intolerance (my wife was doing this for a while after she saw something on Instagram). I don't think it would be as popular with a "sesame free diet". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet#As_a_popular_diet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet#As_a_popular_... > In the US, it was estimated that more than half of people who buy foods labeled gluten-free do not have a clear reaction to gluten, and they do so "because they think it will help them lose weight, because they seem to feel better or because they mistakenly believe they are sensitive to gluten."

by umvi 2y ago

john01dav 2y ago

It's fine to have such long lists because the alternative is more complicated rules that might even be subjective. Clarity from subjectivity or mistakes with complicated rules is more important when safety is at risk than having less text on a label.

nsilvestri 2y ago

As someone who can't eat gluten, we look for that label because gluten isn't included as one of the mandatory allergens in the US. I would prefer if things were simply labelled as "contains gluten" because instead I have to evaluate the ingredients of things without a GF label to see if it's suitable.

samtho 2y ago

“Gluten free” is a little different because gluten is a protein not only found in wheat, but also wheat derivatives like spelt, semolina, graham, and other grains like barley, rye, and malt. This is different from a wheat allergy, in fact, its also not an “allergen” in the same way that peanuts are (digestive problems vs anaphylaxis), and would probably be better classified as an intolerance similar to lactose (which is covered by milk but is also an indirect indicator of lactose that can be a false positive because lactose free milk exists).

Miner49er 2y ago
Gluten is an allergen for people with celiac, just not IgE-mediated. Celiac shouldn't be classified with lactose intolerance, it's much more serious, arguably more dangerous then even IgE-mediated allergies.
- zackbrown 2y ago
  ^ This is correct. > (digestive problems vs anaphylaxis) ... and would probably be better classified as an intolerance similar to lactose is misinformation — "digestive problems" and "intolerance" drastically understate the seriousness of celiac disease, and contribute to the educational challenges surrounding the condition. The chronic impact of gluten exposure to a celiac patient include: permanent damage to the small intestine, malnutrition, reduction of lifespan, and significantly increased risk of comorbid autoimmune diseases (MS, diabetes, and more) and cancer. The acute symptoms span from gastrointestinal symptoms to neurological issues, systemic pain, and cognitive impairment. The reason for all of this is gluten causes the celiac patient's immune system to mobilize and attack the patient, i.e. "autoimmunity." Not anaphylactic, correct, but not a digestive problem nor an intolerance.
  - stoperaticless 2y ago
    Did I understand it correctly? - Single meal will not kill you. - Continuous use will shorten your life significantly. (Something like smoking then?)
    - zackbrown 2y ago
      Not a perfect comparison, but probably closer to mycotoxin exposure than smoking.

kalleboo 2y ago

Gluten free is kind of weird because there's a trend of a "gluten free diet" for weight loss among people without a specific gluten intolerance (my wife was doing this for a while after she saw something on Instagram). I don't think it would be as popular with a "sesame free diet". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet#As_a_popular_diet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet#As_a_popular_... > In the US, it was estimated that more than half of people who buy foods labeled gluten-free do not have a clear reaction to gluten, and they do so "because they think it will help them lose weight, because they seem to feel better or because they mistakenly believe they are sensitive to gluten."