US Agency Permits Sesame to be Added to Foods
2023-08-04
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently said that by law food makers are permitted to add sesame to their products.
2They also must identify sesame content in their foods on product packaging.
3Sesame is the seed of the sesamum or benne plant.
4It is used to make oil and the seeds themselves are often used on bread or baked goods.
5The seeds come in black and white colors.
6Sesame is used in many foods to add a nutty flavor or some crunch.
7But the American non-profit group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says about 1.6 million people are allergic to the seeds.
8Someone who is allergic can get very sick after eating the seeds.
9People with the allergy usually learn to stay away from traditional foods that contain sesame.
10The CSPI is protesting to the FDA about a law that went into effect in January.
11The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act, known as FASTER, listed sesame as a major allergen requiring identification on packaging for the first time.
12Some food companies made changes to their production centers in reaction to the new law. Some cut sesame use completely.
13Others, however, decided to add sesame to products that did not usually contain it.
14As long as they identified the sesame on the food packaging, they were obeying the law fully.
15The CSPI and other organizations argue that adding sesame to foods that did not contain it in the past limits food choices for allergic people.
16Some food companies say it is too hard to prevent sesame from getting into some products, or it is too costly to change their production centers.
17It is easier to add sesame and identify it legally.
18Some restaurants are also adding sesame to their foods and noting it on menus or meal listings in order to meet the requirements of the food law.
19Robert Earl is a food safety advocate.
20He said the practice will put people with food allergies in danger of getting sick.
21"It puts our community at greater risk," he said.
22Earl added that food companies and restaurants adding sesame to products reduces food choices.
23Earl said his organization - Food Allergy Research and Education - has received a number of complaints from people who said they got sick by eating formerly "safe" products.
24Ruchi Gupta is a children's doctor at Northwestern University.
25She is director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma research there.
26Gupta called the FDA's decision "disappointing," and noted that the food company and restaurant changes are permitted by law.
27However, she said she hoped the FDA would have "come out in a way to try to discourage" putting sesame in unusual products.
28Robert Califf leads the Food and Drug Administration.
29In a message posted online in 2023, he wrote about companies adding sesame to their foods.
30He called it "a practice with an outcome we do not support."
31He said it does not break any rule but that it "limits options for consumers who are allergic to sesame."
32He also noted that consumers should "check the label every time you buy a food product - even if you have eaten it before and didn't have an allergic reaction."
33The F.D.A. also said companies cannot use language like "may contain sesame" if the product does not contain it.
34Peter Lurie heads the CSPI.
35He said he hoped the FDA's recent statements would send a message to food companies.
36He said "it's on the companies to act responsibly," if the FDA is not going to force them to make changes.
37I'm Dan Friedell.
1The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently said that by law food makers are permitted to add sesame to their products. They also must identify sesame content in their foods on product packaging. 2Sesame is the seed of the sesamum or benne plant. It is used to make oil and the seeds themselves are often used on bread or baked goods. The seeds come in black and white colors. 3Sesame is used in many foods to add a nutty flavor or some crunch. 4But the American non-profit group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says about 1.6 million people are allergic to the seeds. Someone who is allergic can get very sick after eating the seeds. People with the allergy usually learn to stay away from traditional foods that contain sesame. 5The CSPI is protesting to the FDA about a law that went into effect in January. 6The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act, known as FASTER, listed sesame as a major allergen requiring identification on packaging for the first time. 7Some food companies made changes to their production centers in reaction to the new law. Some cut sesame use completely. Others, however, decided to add sesame to products that did not usually contain it. As long as they identified the sesame on the food packaging, they were obeying the law fully. 8The CSPI and other organizations argue that adding sesame to foods that did not contain it in the past limits food choices for allergic people. 9Some food companies say it is too hard to prevent sesame from getting into some products, or it is too costly to change their production centers. It is easier to add sesame and identify it legally. 10Some restaurants are also adding sesame to their foods and noting it on menus or meal listings in order to meet the requirements of the food law. 11Robert Earl is a food safety advocate. He said the practice will put people with food allergies in danger of getting sick. "It puts our community at greater risk," he said. Earl added that food companies and restaurants adding sesame to products reduces food choices. 12Earl said his organization - Food Allergy Research and Education - has received a number of complaints from people who said they got sick by eating formerly "safe" products. 13Ruchi Gupta is a children's doctor at Northwestern University. She is director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma research there. Gupta called the FDA's decision "disappointing," and noted that the food company and restaurant changes are permitted by law. However, she said she hoped the FDA would have "come out in a way to try to discourage" putting sesame in unusual products. 14Robert Califf leads the Food and Drug Administration. In a message posted online in 2023, he wrote about companies adding sesame to their foods. He called it "a practice with an outcome we do not support." He said it does not break any rule but that it "limits options for consumers who are allergic to sesame." 15He also noted that consumers should "check the label every time you buy a food product - even if you have eaten it before and didn't have an allergic reaction." 16The F.D.A. also said companies cannot use language like "may contain sesame" if the product does not contain it. 17Peter Lurie heads the CSPI. He said he hoped the FDA's recent statements would send a message to food companies. He said "it's on the companies to act responsibly," if the FDA is not going to force them to make changes. 18I'm Dan Friedell. 19Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. 20____________________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22packaging -n. the outside container a product comes in, such as a box 23crunch -n. a word used to describe the sound or feeling of chewing something that has a hard outer part 24allergic -adj. used to describe the experience of getting sick from some part of food or a bite from a bug 25advocate -n. a person who speaks for something or someone else who does not have a strong voice 26discourage -v. to argue against something happening 27commissioner -n. a person who is in charge of an agency or organization 28practice -n. a way of doing things, such as making a food product 29option -n. something that may be chosen 30consumer -n. a person or group of people who purchase a product 31label -n. a piece of information on the outside of product that tells what is inside 32__________________________________________________ 33We want to hear from you. Do you have food allergies? To what? 34Here is how our comment system works: 35Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.