Most people know of someone who has a food allergy if they do not have one themselves since they are so common today. These allergies range from soy to peanut to gluten to eggs and many more. Between the years of 1997 and 2011 food related allergies among children rose by nearly 50% which makes the odds of knowing someone personally or having one of your own much higher (“Facts and Statistics - Food Allergy Research & Education”). The severity of allergies certainly varies between people which is why food labels have a high importance in our society today. Imagine getting home from school and just as you begin your homework the phone rings. Your mom is on the other end sobbing and you manage to make out something along the lines of, “Your aunt
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This means that food can be labeled as gluten free but still contain traces of gluten. Having this rule set has and still does cause intense pain and illness to many across the United States. Consumers believe they are eating food without the allergen they are avoiding when in reality there may be traces of it within their food even if the packaging claims to be free of said allergen. This is the similar case for many other labels such as vegan. Products that go through machines that meat go through can still be labeled as vegan, but to many that deems the product not vegan (“Vegan Certification”). Other labels such as organic and genetically modified organism (GMO) free are difficult to find due to these labels not being required and being difficult to attain (“About GE Food Labeling”). To some these labels are the equivalent to allergen labels which makes their presence significant. To others these labels are a way of life or religious practices which is also significant. Having the room for error when it comes to marking foods, such as foods with allergens, and not requiring certain labels on foods is misleading …show more content…
By publicly advocating for labels, organizations similar to the Non-GMO Project have been raising awareness for the potential health risks of GMO food. In time this may evolve into further action being taken by researchers and those who label the food we eat everyday. Since the risks of modifying food is not a large concerns to most of the population, research into this area is small. Without much concern there appears to be no reason for the study which results in researches not receiving enough funding to examine the health effects of these foods. As of now, the U.S. Food and a Drug Administration have ruled that the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods is voluntary. But, the FDA did advise against using the acronym “GMO” since the “O” stands for organism and many foods do not contain complete organisms which will result in false or misleading labeling which is not allowed (“Guidance for Industry”). This does not justify why the requirement of this labeling is nonexistent, but it does show that the option to label is available for producers, but is tricky to get ahold of. Producers may not see the value in going through all the trouble of confirming their food is GE free and then including the “not bioengineered” label on their product while preserving the aesthetic of their packaging. But, if it
This means that food can be labeled as gluten free but still contain traces of gluten. Having this rule set has and still does cause intense pain and illness to many across the United States. Consumers believe they are eating food without the allergen they are avoiding when in reality there may be traces of it within their food even if the packaging claims to be free of said allergen. This is the similar case for many other labels such as vegan. Products that go through machines that meat go through can still be labeled as vegan, but to many that deems the product not vegan (“Vegan Certification”). Other labels such as organic and genetically modified organism (GMO) free are difficult to find due to these labels not being required and being difficult to attain (“About GE Food Labeling”). To some these labels are the equivalent to allergen labels which makes their presence significant. To others these labels are a way of life or religious practices which is also significant. Having the room for error when it comes to marking foods, such as foods with allergens, and not requiring certain labels on foods is misleading …show more content…
By publicly advocating for labels, organizations similar to the Non-GMO Project have been raising awareness for the potential health risks of GMO food. In time this may evolve into further action being taken by researchers and those who label the food we eat everyday. Since the risks of modifying food is not a large concerns to most of the population, research into this area is small. Without much concern there appears to be no reason for the study which results in researches not receiving enough funding to examine the health effects of these foods. As of now, the U.S. Food and a Drug Administration have ruled that the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods is voluntary. But, the FDA did advise against using the acronym “GMO” since the “O” stands for organism and many foods do not contain complete organisms which will result in false or misleading labeling which is not allowed (“Guidance for Industry”). This does not justify why the requirement of this labeling is nonexistent, but it does show that the option to label is available for producers, but is tricky to get ahold of. Producers may not see the value in going through all the trouble of confirming their food is GE free and then including the “not bioengineered” label on their product while preserving the aesthetic of their packaging. But, if it