Having severe food allergies comes with a fair share of responsibilities. Carrying Epi-Pens to every location, triple-checking an order with the waiter, and rereading labels on new food products. One of the most difficult tasks, however, is navigating the “May Contain” labels that are so common on day-to-day food items. Unlike the labels that clearly state which allergens are in a product, the much more infamous “May Contain” labels are unregulated, varied, and simply impossible to understand. In small shops or bakeries, this labeling system makes sense; the baker cannot guarantee that their food product has not come into contact with a potentially deadly allergen. However, for large-scale corporations, such as Hershey or Mars, “May Contain” labels are ineffective, and frankly, useless.
To begin, “May Contain” labels can take many forms, ranging from “may contain,” to “manufactured in a facility that uses,” or even “processed in a facility that uses.” The varied labels can be interpreted differently and can cause stress, confusion, and grief for those trying to navigate food. They leave many consumers asking: “Is this safe for me to eat?”
“May Contain” labels are so vastly different from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulated “Contain” labels, which are required to list the top nine allergens in a food product. Any product with a “Contain” label must always comply with the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which states that peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, shellfish, fish, and most recently, sesame, must be specifically indicated on the packaging, separated from the other ingredients, so that they stand out to consumers with food allergies or other dietary restrictions. “May Contain” labels, however, serve no such purpose. They are only there to act as protection for a company should an incident occur.
For many companies, avoiding cross-contamination of products during their manufacturing process is not an important aspect of their business plan. They simply seek to pump out as much product as they can while slapping on a “May Contain” label as insurance. However, I would argue that this thought process actually hinders their profits. Peanut allergies, for example, are the most common and most deadly food allergy in the world, accounting for about three million people in this country alone—and that number is only rising. Most consumers with peanut allergies avoid all products that have a “May Contain” label because having a snack is simply not worth the risk of having a severe allergic reaction. There is, however, a simple fix: companies should manufacture food products that contain deadly allergens separately. By doing so, companies will open the door to millions of new potential consumers who will be able to buy and safely enjoy the product. Companies such as Hershey already utilize similar methods, processing a majority of their products with nuts separately from their products without nuts, while companies such as Häagen-Dazs (my personal favorite) have done the opposite—combining facilities and adding “May Contain” labels to formally safe products.
Eliminating the use of “May Contain” labels will take one more stressful burden off of those already suffering from severe food allergies. It will improve the lives of millions and has the potential to increase profit margins for major food companies across the globe.
Works Cited
Food Allergy Research & Education. “How to Read a Food Label.” FoodAllergy.org, https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/how-read-food-label. Accessed 25 March 2024.
Food Insight. “Food Allergen Labeling: Helpful Hints To Manage “May Contain” Labeling Risks – Food Insight.” Food Insight, 19 May 2020, https://foodinsight.org/food-allergen-labeling-helpful-hints-to-manage-may-contain-labeling-risks/. Accessed 25 March 2024.
Laperouse, Tanya. “We have a BIG Problem with 'May Contain' Labels — The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.” The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, 13 September 2022, https://www.narf.org.uk/blog/we-have-a-big-problem-with-may-contain-labels. Accessed 25 March 2024.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. “Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).” FDA, 29 March 2018, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/laws-enforced-fda/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-fdc-act. Accessed 25 March 2024.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. “Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.” FDA, 29 November 2022, https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-protection-act-2004-falcpa. Accessed 25 March 2024.
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