Amend The Falcpa To Include Barley & Rye

[les.retrouvailles]

Many food companies (ie: Safeway Brand) still don't disclose the presence of rye & barley in their food products. Only Congress has the authority to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand the definition of a major food allergen to include rye and barely. I am urging all Celiac sufferers and their caregivers to send an email to their members of congress. It will only take 5 mn but it may make a huge difference for all of us...It will only take you 5mn. You can use my letter as a template.

1. Find your members of Congress by clicking on your state on the map:

Open Original Shared Link

2. Then you enter your information & copy/paste the letter

To Whom It May Concern:

My child was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye.

More than two million people in the United States, or about 1 in 133 people have the disease. According to a study conducted by the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University along with CIGNA HealthCare, the annual mean medical cost of an undiagnosed Celiac patient is 8500$ per capita compared to 7100$ for Celiac patients on a strict gluten free diet. Thus an adherence to a gluten-free diet could significantly reduce the overall medical cost on the health care system.

However, living a gluten free diet is extremely challenging with the current FDA regulations on food labeling. The FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) requires that the eight most common allergens be declared in food products (eggs, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and wheat). However, Celiac sufferers have to avoid rye & barley in addition to wheat.

I am requesting an amendment of the FALCPA to include barley and rye in the list of common allergens. This amendment will ensure that individuals, particularly parents of children with Celiac and others providing food to those children, can easily and accurately identify food products containing gluten ingredients.

I am aware that the FDA is scheduled to make a final rule on the use of the term