Boy....where are their brains? Hope this doesn't include substituting peanut

oil, etc., etc. We have a lot of peanut allergies in the family. I wonder if this

will include naming the manufacturing lines as running foods with the

ingredients that aren't really in the item you are buying. (like.."This item

is made in manufacturing plants that also process.....(peanuts, or whatever).

They *are* trying to kill us.

The article mentioned some restrictions on substitutions. One example was they could sub canola oil for sunflower oil. My first thought was peanut oil, too, because of peanut allergies, but I think peanut oil is very expensive so not likely to become a substitute. I do have a friend who is allergic to sunflowers/oil, so this could be bad for her.

Good grief! I haven't found the list yet, but this is bad! I read an article that said substituting canola for sunflower oil was okay because they're the same kind of fat. I haven't heard of people being allergic to canola (I don't think they'd be using sunflower instead of canola because of the relative availability), but people are allergic to weird things, including well documented cases of people being allergic to water.

I'm always worried about undisclosed coconut products already.

Most of what I was able to find in articles were more reasonable, like substituting unbleached flour for bleached. I mean, one could have druthers for one or the other, and it could affect the product a bit, but no one who can eat white flour is going to be endangered by unbleached.

They should be required to add a sticker or stamp if they change a potential allergen.

I don't care as much about the nutrition info. I use those labels, but if they have to reformulate and have more salt, or something, even for people with reduced salt diets, this is something that can be overcome.

people are allergic to weird things, including well documented cases of people being allergic to water.

Just so folks don't get the wrong idea, there are people who get hives when their skin comes in contact with water, but they can drink it. (And a good thing too, since much of what we eat contains water.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquagenic_urticaria?wprov=sfla1

That’s very problematic for me, as I have a life-threatening allergy to the artificial sweetener, Aspartame/Aspartamine. That’s the one used in diet drinks, and (too) many other foods these days. I’ve had some unintentional, but very scary, mistakes served to me over the years. As a result, I’ve learned the hard way that I just can not order ANY presweetened drink in a restaurant, etc. I have to sweeten them myself with an unopened package of sugar, if need be. When flying, I have to have the flight attendant pour a regular Coke right in front of me and hand it directly to me, before I feel safe to drink it. To no longer be able to count on accurate ingredient labels, frankly, scares the heck out of me!

There was a girl on a TV report who couldn't even touch her own blood because of the water in it and they had to design special protocols when she had to have surgery. Obviously she could eat things, but I don't know what. One assumes there's water in everything, and if the food isn't wet they don't have to list it on the label, but for all I've heard about people narrowly defining "allergic" as only applying to proteins, and only those that cause anaphylaxis, there are all kinds of weird things that make people seriously ill. Additionally, many known, common allergens can make people sick or bring on anaphylaxis when only a teeny tiny amount is ingested. I knew someone who was violently ill from an amount of egg under the amount required to be on the label. I think that's why they have the Contains statement and the notice about what else is prepared on the same production line.

This is very worrying to me as well. Shellfish, alliums ... Could be some very nasty surprises down the road.

This might not be as scary as it sounds. Here are the guidelines from the FDA site.

• Safety: the ingredient being substituted for the labeled ingredient does not cause any adverse health effect (including food allergens, gluten, sulfites, or other foods known to cause sensitivities in some people, for example, glutamates);
• Quantity: generally present at 2 percent or less by weight of the finished food;
• Prominence: the ingredient being omitted or substituted for the labeled ingredient is not a major ingredient in the product;
• Characterizing Ingredient: the ingredient being omitted or substituted for the labeled ingredient is not a characterizing ingredient; for example, omitting raisins, a characterizing ingredient in raisin bread;
• Claims: an omission or substitution of the ingredient does not affect any voluntary nutrient content or health claims on the label; and
• Nutrition/Function: an omission or substitution of the labeled ingredient does not have a significant impact on the finished product, including nutritional differences or functionality.

I think it's only scary for people who have allergies that are uncommon, like my friend who is allergic to sunflower oil. I'm sure there are other things that some are allergic to, which are uncommon, who rely on labeling to avoid.

Thank goodness I'm not allergic to peanut butter :o)

Uncommon allergies, yes, because they're not supposed to sub in common allergens, but this like product thing is a big trap. Like I can deal with "palm" oil in the small quantity I might get in an infrequently used packaged product (though I've had a reaction when it was the main fat in a baked product),, but if they subbed in outright coconut oil, I could have a reaction. Similarly, I know someone who can't have soy of any kind. Can they sub in soy oil for peanut oil or other bean/legume oil? For corn oil? If they can't provide a correction to the ingredients, they should just X out the ingredients lis, so that people won't risk their health and lives. I'm really ticked!!

Oh BOY! I'm going to have to send a link to DD#2. Thanks for the warning.

DH found out he was very sensitive to glycerin after having a strong reaction to it in a commercially baked good. It was used in place of honey because of it's sweet flavor and it is cheaper. We had never come across it as an ingredient before so didn't know he would have a reaction. You have to be a chemist today to be able to read and understand food labels.

"Many foods and beverages use glycerin as a solvent, sweetener and/or preservative. It helps thicken foods, control moisture and stabilize emulsions of oil and water. You can find glycerin in food such as processed meats, soybean products, condensed milk, convenience foods, commercially baked goods, beverages, condiments and a range of other processed foods."

I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out not to be temporary. Several regulations have been loosened or abandoned during the pandemic because it's easy to slip these things through while people are distracted by worry and practical issues related to the quarantine.

Drip, drip, drip...on the de-regulations. And yes, it's good for them to have "distractions."

About 25 years ago, we had a student from Ukraine stay with us. All of the students had diabetes, and were going to attend diabetes camp in Santa Cruz.

At the time, they had NO nutrition info on their food packages an just ate what they wanted and hoped for the best and got a shot of insulin if needed!

This was my start of reading labels! I fed her so low carb/sugar she ended up having to suck on a candy!

Nutrition info is so important!