What Is The Law Exactly On Allergy Warnings

[VioletBlue]

I made a mistake today. I'll probably pay for it shortly. I'm allergic to GMO corn as well as sunflower oil. So finding a corn chip that I can eat is an exercise in futility most of the time. I came across Cabo Tortilla Chips in the store. They're made from organic non GMO corn. Then I read down to the oil. Safflower oil, great. Somehow I missed the last ingredient on the list which was Soy Sauce. Who the hell puts soy sauce in corn chips?

I bought a package, came back to the office and ate a couple before I happened to read the label yet again and saw the last ingredient list.

It was my understanding that if a product does not clearly list WHEAT in the ingredient list, but there is indeed known wheat in the product it must have an allergy warning on it for wheat? This product had no warning. Had there been one THAT I would have seen.

I'm pissed at myself, but I'm also pissed at this company. Am I not understanding the labeling law?

Violet

[happygirl]

They aren't required to put a warning. They are required to list it and not hide it.

Open Original Shared Link

I hope you don't feel too many side effects.

[cruelshoes]

Companies are not required to have an allergen warning per-se. They are, however, required to include the "big 8" somewhere on their ingredient statement if it is added to the product. The Big 8 allergens include milk, eggs, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans), peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Barley, rye and oats are not included in the big 8. They can do this one of 2 ways:

In the list of ingredients, put the name of the food source of the major food allergen in parenthesis after the common or usual name of the ingredient when that name does not already appear in the ingredient statement.

-or-

Immediately after or adjacent to the list of ingredients, put the word "Contains" followed by the name of the food for each of the major food allergens present in the food

[Franceen]

It IS possible that they used wheat-free Soy Sauce, since that does exist.

Most products that use soy sauce that contains wheat do something like this (Because of the law requiring they list wheat ingredients): "Soy Sauce (wheat, salt, soy, xxxx,xxxx)" with the ingredients contained within the soy sauce inside parentheses right afterwards.

I think that the law DOES require that they list, or make clearly visible, any ingredient that contains or is derived from wheat. SOooo, maybe it doesn't and you won't react!!!!!

[VioletBlue]

There is no warning on the package. It has a best by date of 02/22/08. How could this package possibly have been kicking around in the retail world for over two years??? If I remember right anything manufactured after 01/01/06 was required to have a warning?

Here is the response I got from them.

Thank you for your constructive email. Unfortunately, you must have

received one of our older bags that does not have the warning on it.

The labeling law does not pertain to our older product. All of our new

bags have an allergy warning that the product contains soy and wheat and

it is featured on our website as well. My roommate is actually a celiac

and we are sensitive to gluten and soy allergies.

Regarding the choice to put soy on our chips. I'm sorry you do not

think it is a good idea it is part of what makes our chips unique and

low in sodium. I don't think the world needs another plain chip or

Dorito. There are a number of people who do enjoy the chips otherwise

we would not make them. There are people with a lot of different tastes

out there and we can not please everybody.

Happy Holidays.

Christian Bunte

It IS possible that they used wheat-free Soy Sauce, since that does exist.

Most products that use soy sauce that contains wheat do something like this (Because of the law requiring they list wheat ingredients): "Soy Sauce (wheat, salt, soy, xxxx,xxxx)" with the ingredients contained within the soy sauce inside parentheses right afterwards.

I think that the law DOES require that they list, or make clearly visible, any ingredient that contains or is derived from wheat. SOooo, maybe it doesn't and you won't react!!!!!

[VioletBlue]

And yeah, it does contain wheat Fortunately my gastro reactions are mild compared to some. I'll probably feel it in my mood in the next couple days however. Sucks. Perhaps they just don't get it. They seem to think they have a warning on the package and on their website. While there is an ingredient list on the website, it makes no mention of the product specifically containing wheat. Now I know the difference, and most here know the difference; soy sauce usually contains wheat. But what if you don't know.

I made a mistake, I know that. But they could have improved my odds considerably with a very visible warning on the product somewhere near the ingredient list.

[happygirl]

Thanks for the information about this company.....I'm sorry that you had to find it out for us though

[tarnalberry]

it's not just when it was manufactured. companies are allowed to use up old stock of bags/boxes/packaging rather than trashing it all. a little added sticker on the ingredient list would be nice, though... :/