What do you think of this labeling petition?

[Jessica]

I'm torn. On the one hand there are companies whose "cleaning processes" we trust. Those foods might be off limits for us if a law like this is passed since companies may be less careful if they have to use a may contain label anyway. On the other hand I do wish at times that certain companies would label for shared lines/facilities. I just wonder if a law like this would cause some companies that do clean well or keep ingredients segregated or whatever to label may contains willy nilly.

I doubt this will get enough signatures this round anyway but wondered what others think.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/change-labeling-laws-so-all-foods-be-labeled-appropriately-may-contain-and-manufactured-statements/nwrJn9k2

[lakeswimr]

I would like them to define terms.  Shared equipment doesn't necessarily mean 'may contain' if we are talking a company like Turtle Mountain that cleans and batch tests. 

I also deal with non-top 8 and wonder if some companies will be even less likely than they are now to give me any info.  I have to contact companies and have had a good chunk of them tell me, 'we are only required to give info on d, e, p, t, s, f, sh, w so we don't have to go you any info on non-top 8.'  I feel like it is a type of backlash response to the current requirements.  I don't know.  I'd like to see sesame required to be labeled much more than I want to see the type of labeling this petition is pushing to get.  However, I think if done right this would be good, too.  Depends on how things get defined and how companies react to it.  Will a bunch just do the CYA thing? 

I remember some seemingly very allergy-aware companies telling me they 'weren't allowed' to list sesame info on labels because the FDA said so (the FDA did NOT say so--that was their misunderstanding of the labeling laws.)

[lakeswimr]

I'm going to sign it anyway. 

[LinksEtc]

Not trying to be negative, but I don't really think this will get far.

The issues of advisory labeling & thresholds are somewhat complicated and FDA is still evaluating things ... they are working very sloooooowly (insert turtle icon) ... but that is where I'd expect these issues to be worked out.

[twinturbo]

Something I've been contemplating in general is when we (meaning we with food allergies) pose a question to a doctor or make a formal request such as a labeling request, need to be extremely careful in the exact question we ask and think, almost to the point of over thinking, the consequence(s) of the request. You almost have to be Chris Van Hollen on the senate floor all prepped with your big boards anticipating that you're bargaining with a party whose mindset on trust and truth is Gollum-like.

I'm not saying people are evil necessarily but our perspective entails quality of life whereas medical and business is rightly thinking in terms of responsibility and liability. The agendas occupy different hemispheres where we contextualize more with a larger set of variables.