FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
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Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#2It's may favorite example of unintended consequences.
FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen.
So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't.
FDA doesn't like it.
So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#3It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
I don't know in the US (though it is mentioned at the end of the article) but here, UK, they tend to warn to the product "may contain ..." if there is any chance of contamination and that indeed appears a lot on bakery products and sandwiches.
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#4It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
The next iteration will be adding 1 mg of almond flour, 1 mg of peanuts, and 1 mg milk to every ton of dough they make. Then it really will have the allergens.
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#5It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
It already happened: "New federal food label law has unintended effect: Sesame now in more foods" https://www.fox9.com/news/new-us-food-label-law-unintended-e... (HN discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34116211 (244 points | Dec 2022 | 420 comments))
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#6It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
It already happened: " New federal food label law has unintended effect: Sesame now in more foods " https://www.fox9.com/news/new-us-food-label-law-unintended-e... (HN discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34116211 (244 points | Dec 2022 | 420 comments))
When a friend whose son has tree and ground nut allergies told me this, I didn't believe it, but to her, it made perfect sense. With the thresholds for anaphylactic response so low, it's costlier not to be able to guarantee that there's no cross contamination than to just add the allergen.
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#7It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
And imagine that it probably happens for every instance of centralisation and regulation in our society - with few people connecting the dots and tracing things back by some well-meaning but clueless bureaucrats
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#8It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
It's closer to:
FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen.
So? Bakers look at their production processes and determine there's a chance that enough allergens get into the product due to cross contamination to list it on the label, just in case.
FDA doesn't like it. They expect the bakers to fix their cross-contamination issues at great expense to themselves.
So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them. It's cheaper than setting up a clean room for every product line.
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#9It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
That is pretty funny, in a really sad way.
Re: FDA warns top U.S. bakery not to claim foods contain allergens when they don't
#10It's may favorite example of unintended consequences. FDA orders bakers to list allergens. There are stiff penalties if you are allergenic but don't list the allergen. So? Bakers claim their product contains allergens, even if they don't. FDA doesn't like it. So? Bakers add allergens on purpose, so they can rightly claim it contains them.
That is pretty funny, in a really sad way.
It's evil.