Sesame: More Than Just a Street
Sesame allergy has been all over the news lately. Last year, a teenage girl tragically died at Heathrow Airport after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing sesame—the ingredient was not listed on the packaging. This incident drew attention not only to the severity of sesame allergies, but also to deficiencies in food allergy labeling.
A growing body of research indicates that sesame allergy is on the rise. A recent study published in Pediatrics estimates that 0.2% of the U.S. population has a sesame allergy, making it the ninth most common food allergy.
The spike in sesame allergy has triggered a closer look at the way sesame is labeled on food packaging. This past October, the FDA released a statement indicating that it was considering sesame for mandatory allergen labeling on food packaging pursuant to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). Enacted January 1, 2006, FALCPA imposes special labeling requirements for the top eight most common food allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, eggs, milk, and soy. As you can see, the list does not currently include sesame. That could soon change. Notably, Canada, the European Union, Australia, and Israel currently require allergen labeling for sesame.
For those out there managing a sesame allergy, know that you are amazing. Sesame is insidious, and because it does not fall within FALCPA labeling laws, it is infinitely harder to manage.
If you’ve followed us for a while, you know that I have a daughter with serious food allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. She was diagnosed with these food allergies at one and is now six (and crushing Kindergarten!). What I haven’t mentioned is that from ages two through three we avoided sesame like the plague because of an anaphylactic reaction she’d had to hummus just before her second birthday.
She’d eaten hummus multiple times previously, but one day, while eating hummus at lunch, her lips began turning blue and she started coughing. One epinephrine auto-injector, several hours at our children’s hospital, and some IgE blood testing later, she was home safely with a new food allergy added to the list: sesame.
Sesame often hides under the guise of “natural flavors” or “spices” on food labels. I used to keep a spreadsheet of every manufacturer I called knowing the ingredient could be lurking behind these vague categories. To make matters worse, some manufacturers won’t share this information, citing trade secret protection. I quickly learned that I had more success if I asked if sesame was included as an ingredient in any of these proprietary categories, as opposed to asking for the whole ingredient list. Sesame also lurks under different names like tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. If you’re managing a sesame allergy, here’s a great list of food and non-food items that may contain sesame or any of its derivatives.
It’s been over four years since my daughter’s anaphylactic reaction, and I can joyfully say that she’s outgrown her sesame allergy. But it was no walk in the park to manage, and I still vividly remember my sesame spreadsheet and the tears of frustration that went along with tracking all of the different food ingredients.
For those managing a sesame allergy, the struggle is real, and FALCPA labeling for sesame would make things a LOT easier! Interestingly, the Pediatrics study we referenced earlier cited that the highest rates of epinephrine auto-injector prescriptions were found for children with peanut, tree nut, and SESAME allergies.
We’ll be following the regulatory deliberations closely, and will be sure to keep you all updated on social media as the discussion unfolds. Do you or does your child have a sesame allergy? What’s your experience been like?
- Meg and the Allergy Amulet Team