Report: Food Labels a Danger to Allergic Kids
A TribuneiInvestigation: Allergy threat
Friday, Feb 27, 2009 | Updated 1:58 PM CST
An estimated 30,000 Americans require emergency-room treatment and 150 -- most of them children -- die each year from allergic reactions to food.
Inaccurate and deceptive food labels can have devastating affects on children with allergies, as the nation witnesses a dramatic rise in allergies in kids.
A special report from The Chicago Tribune on Friday states that children are, in effect, "used as guinea pigs," with the food industry and the government taking steps to change labels only after someone has been hurt.
While parents and teachers are diligent about reading labels for known allergens, the paper reports that the labels often omit damaging ingredients, which send an estimated 30,000 Americans to emergency rooms for treatment. Of those, "150 die each year from allergic reactions to food."
The Trib sites examples of misleading labeling and instances of dramatic illness caused by them.
"Alarms sounded by consumers seldom result in products being pulled," the paper reports.
Posted Thursday, Jul 16, 2009 - 5:32 PM CST
