Toronto, ON, May 2, 2019 – Food Allergy Canada is celebrating the new federal regulations concerning allergen labelling rules for beer products, where standardized beer will now require allergen labelling. Now Canadians with food allergy will get to know what’s in their beer.
“The more than 2.6 million Canadians with food allergy, and those who shop for them, depend on complete and accurate ingredient information on the foods and beverages they purchase to make an informed and safe choice”, said Jennifer Gerdts, Executive Director of Food Allergy Canada. “As even a small amount of an allergen, if ingested, can cause a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, it is essential that allergen information be clearly labelled. All Canadians have a right to know what is in the food and beverages they consume, and these changes recognize that.”
We have advocated for clear, consistent allergen labelling regulations for many years as it is a cornerstone of our advocacy platform. The exemption afforded to the beer industry to the 2012 Enhanced Allergen Labelling Regulations had been an ongoing concern to the allergy community and one we have advocated to change since. We actively participated as a key stakeholder and involved members of the community during each step of the consultation process.
Thanks to Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau for their leadership in implementing these much-needed changes.
While we are happy with this change, there is still more work to be done to further improve food allergen labelling rules, including addressing key gaps on the use of precautionary allergy labelling (e.g. “may contain”) and other current product exemptions. We remain committed to working with Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on these issues.
Thanks to the many advocates who have worked for this change, including our dedicated Food Allergy Canada staff and consultants, who have continued to push for changes that have helped lead to these new regulations!
About Food Allergy Canada
Food Allergy Canada is a national non-profit charity and Canada’s leading patient organization committed to educating, supporting, and advocating for the more than 2.6 million Canadians living with food allergy. We focus on improving the daily quality of life of individuals and families by providing education and support needed to effectively navigate food allergies, building informed and supportive communities, and acting as the national voice on key advocacy issues. Visit foodallergycanada.ca for more information.
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For more information please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Food Allergy Canada
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca