The FASTER Act requires sesame to be labeled as a major food allergen on packaged foods, with FDA resources available to help consumers understand the new labeling requirements.


RT’s Three Key Takeaways:

  1. Sesame Now a Major Food Allergen: The FASTER Act designates sesame as the ninth major food allergen, requiring it to be labeled on packaged foods and dietary supplements as of Jan 1, 2023.
  2. FDA Provides Educational Resources: The FDA has developed materials, including a webpage, social media toolkit, and video, to help consumers and their loved ones understand the new sesame labeling requirements and prevent allergic reactions.
  3. Consumers Should Check Labels Carefully: Due to long shelf lives, some pre-2023 packaged foods may lack updated allergen labeling, so the FDA advises consumers to read labels closely and contact manufacturers with any concerns.

The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act identified sesame as the ninth major food allergen on Jan 1, 2023. Sesame is now required to be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods and dietary supplements. This change aims to help those with food allergies quickly identify whether a packaged food item contains sesame.

To help increase awareness of the FASTER Act, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed new educational materials to describe how this change affects consumers. Millions of Americans have food allergies and experience adverse reactions to food allergens. While most allergic reactions cause mild symptoms, some can be severe or life-threatening. Understanding how the FASTER Act changes food labeling could help consumers prevent these adverse reactions.

Available materials for consumers to explore on the FASTER Act include:

These educational materials are available to help those with food allergies or loved ones with food allergies learn more about how the FASTER Act will affect the way we read food labels. FDA’s FASTER Act materials are also available in Spanish.

The FDA advises people to read food labels closely and contact the food product’s manufacturer or distributor with any concerns about potential allergens. Some packaged foods have long shelf lives. Items that were produced before the FASTER Act took effect may not include updated labeling. 

With the enactment of the FASTER Act, sesame will be required to be listed along with the other eight major food allergens, which are:

  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Fish, like bass, flounder, and cod
  • Crustacean shellfish, like crab, lobster, and shrimp
  • Tree nuts, like almonds, walnuts, and pecans
  • Peanuts
  • Wheat
  • Soybeans

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