FASTER Act Identifies Sesame as a Top Allergen

On January 1st, 2023, FASTER, the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act, recognized sesame as the ninth major food allergen and required it to be labeled as such on all packaged foods. However, this has caused many major manufacturers to add sesame to products that didn't previously contain it, making it unsafe and potentially life-threatening for consumers with sesame allergies. 

"With approximately 32 million Americans living with food allergies, it's important for us to take targeted steps to address the growing challenges posed by food allergies and to protect those who are vulnerable," said Senator Tim Scott, a republican senator representing South Carolina and the lead senatorial sponsor, in a 2020 press release.

When companies produce a product that contains one of the "Big 9,"* they are legally required to label the allergen information on the package clearly. With sesame as a new labeled allergen, it can be a huge liability for companies that use it in their products or have it in their factories.

While this act created additional difficulties for the estimated 1.5 million people in the United States living with sesame allergies, it was intended to help people.

"My community uses a lot of sesame oil and seeds in their cooking, and it's been hard to notice when food has sesame in it. I'm glad that people are becoming more aware of the sesame allergy, so I know how to navigate it better," says Taara Parthasarathy, a young food allergy advocate with sesame allergies who was positively affected by the act.

 The FDA issued a statement saying that it had not envisioned companies adding sesame to their bread and that it does not support the practice.

"We are appalled that instead of complying with the law as promised and eliminating the risks faced by the sesame allergic community before the passage of the FASTER Act, bakery manufacturers and brands have instead done the exact opposite. Their intentional action to add sesame to previously safe products is wrong and threatens the lives of Americans with a sesame allergy," says Jason Linde, Senior Vice President of Government and Community Affairs, FARE, in an official 2023 statement. 

*The "Big 9" allergens are the nine most common food allergies determined by the FDA. The FALCPA Act of 2004 identified the "Big 8" (milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soybeans, and crustacean shellfish), with the FASTER Act adding sesame as the ninth.