US | Revised Guidance on Food Allergen Labeling Requirements

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued both draft and final guidance regarding food allergen labeling requirements.  The draft guidance document provides updated information on food allergens and includes questions and answers related to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) and the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2021 (FASTER Act). The guidance document explains the requirements for declaring major food allergens on food product labels and includes changes to the definition of a major food allergen to include sesame, effective January 1, 2023. This is a draft guidance document, and comments are being solicited before it becomes a final document. This guidance is not legally binding, but rather provides the FDA's current thinking on the topic and should be considered only as recommendations.