An estimate of 17 percent of children who have food allergies are allergic to sesame, according to research published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. Sesame is one of the 10 most common childhood food allergies and severe reactions are common.
The Food and Drug Administration is currently considering adding sesame to the list of allergens requiring discloser on food labels. Failure to include required information about allergens on food labels is a violation of federal law. Undeclared sesame has resulted in a number of recalls in recent years for food under the jurisdiction of the FDA as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
An estimated 20 percent to 30 percent of children outgrow their sesame allergies. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) estimates that 1.1 million or 0.23 percent of the U.S. population has a sesame allergy.
“Given how frequently sesame allergy occurs among children who are allergic to other foods, it is important to use caution to the extent possible when exposing these children to sesame,” said Anthony S. Fauci, director of the NIAID.
Editor’s note originally posted Nov. 3: At this time, the credibility of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not to be trusted. Both agencies have shown a reckless disregard for the public’s right to know, and their reliability going forward remains suspect. For the next six weeks, Food Safety News will publish this note above on every story involving the FDA or CDC..
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