Food Allergy Awareness – Sesame

On January 1, sesame officially joined the major allergens list. Along with wheat, eggs, dairy, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy, sesame must now be identified on all packaged food labels.

Unit this year, companies could say a product contained “spice blend” or “natural flavors” instead of listing sesame. With the new FDA ruling, sesame must be called out whether it is an ingredient or in a blend of spices. If you or someone you care for has an allergy, you should take extra precautions with older products, because they may have been on the shelves or in your cabinets before the adoption of the new labeling requirements.

When reading the ingredients list on a packaged food item, sesame can be identified in two ways:

1. In parentheses following the ingredient’s name, g., “natural flavor (sesame).”
2. In the “contains” statement below the ingredients list, e.g., “Contains sesame.”

Sesame is found in numerous types of cooking, from baked goods and sweets to savory foods. Sesame is a seed, but you can also find its other forms, such as pastes, oils, and extracts. Like all allergens, if you aren’t sure a product contains sesame, avoiding this food or researching its safety is always best.

Click here to learn more about foods to avoid if you have a sesame allergy. Click here for more information about the “Big 9” food allergens.