FDA Names 9th “Major Food Allergen,” First in 19 Years
EDIRNE, TURKIYE - OCTOBER 05: A farmer harvests sesame which is used in many fields from tahini to bakery products, from cosmetic industry to animal feed, during harvest season in Meric district of Edirne, Turkiye on October 05, 2022. While the seeds that meet the soil in May are harvested as early as August, some farmers start harvesting sesame, which they grow as the second crop after wheat, in October. The farmers, who harvest sesame by hand, tie it in bunches and leave it to dry. (Photo by Gokhan Balci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
We all know someone or have heard of someone with a food allergy. My daughter has a mild allergy to shellfish. She eats it because she likes it, but has to enjoy it in moderation or she get hives. A good friend of mine can’t have anything peanut related at all, he’ll blow up so much that it looks like he went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson. Not pretty, and really scary.
The FDA says sesame is now a “major food allergen.” It’s the ninth food to be added to their list, joining fish and crustacean shellfish, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Sesame can be found in sesame oil, a main ingredient in Asian cuisine, and foods like granola, tortilla chips, and bagels.
According to CNN, the Food and Drug Administration has been considering this for a very long time and requested that food manufacturers voluntarily add it to their ingredients a few years ago. They said that, “the change, which went into effect on January 1, comes as a result of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research Act, or FASTER Act, which was signed into law in April 2021.”
FoodSafety.gov states that “the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), identified the eight foods listed above as major food allergens back in 2004. These “accounted for over 90 percent of documented food allergies and serious allergic reactions in the U.S. at the time the law was enacted, and represented the foods most likely to result in severe or life-threatening reactions.”
With sesame being added to the list, those who are allergic to it no longer need to contact the manufacturer or guess as to whether or not it’s in the product. It will now be listed on the label. It is important to note that items already on shelves in food stores do not need to be removed, according to the law.
Ways to Spread Love and Happiness Every Week in 2023
I believe that all of us would love to spread kindness as much as possible. We don’t perform random acts of kindness for a variety of reasons, maybe we think we don’t have time, or perhaps we feel money is the issue (it’s not), or some might feel it’s “weird.” One extremely small way I try to be kind and friendly is when I’m on my daily run I give a quick wave to anyone and everyone I pass or see. I used to sometimes wait until someone else waved before I’d wave back, but at some point, I decided to always be the “wave initiator.” Again, this is a very tiny, teeny-weeny thing I like to do, but there are so many other ways to spread joy.
The fine folks at The Guardian have compiled “52 Acts of Kindness: how to spread joy in every week of 2023” to help us make 2023 a better place and more enjoyable for all of us. Some are as simple as helping a dying bee or donating a coat, while others can be more complex, but certainly doable.
Here are some of the “52 Acts of Kindness” on the list, see how many you feel you could accomplish this year…
Joel Katz is the Morning Show Personality, Assistant Program Director, Podcast Host, Voiceover artist, audio producer, and Digital Content Writer for Magic 98.3. Joel has been working in New Jersey radio since college and started at Magic in 2002 as the Morning Show Host, “I can’t think of another place where I’d fit more perfectly; it’s just a great company with awesome people.” Joel is married to Kathleen, his elementary school sweetheart (they were each other’s first dates at age 9), shares a birthday with his oldest son, Ty, and has twins, Kiera and Liam. Joel runs at least 3.1 miles every day and enjoys playing basketball, doing laundry, saving his turn signal for when he really needs it, kissing dogs through a fence, using coasters, making that cool noise by rubbing his fingers on balloons, and chasing after ping pong balls on a windy cruise ship.
