Imagine you have a food allergy. To some people, it may not seem like a big deal — you simply have to avoid certain foods. But since many allergy-causing foods are used as ingredients in recipes, shopping becomes much harder and more time consuming.
According to www.foodallergy.org, up to 15 million Americans — and one in every 13 children — are affected by a food allergy. Eight foods — milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, pecans and almonds), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat — account for 90 percent of all food allergy reactions in the U.S. If you or a family member suffers from a food allergy, you know it takes additional time to shop, check food labels and make sure the allergen is avoided.
Production Planning Supervisor Allen Kent checks food labels every time he shops to make sure each item is safe for his family to eat. While he and his wife don’t have food allergies, their oldest child is allergic to shellfish, and their two youngest children have milk and egg allergies. That means the kids can’t eat or touch those foods.
“People who don’t experience food allergies don’t fully understand how big a deal it is to keep food separate,” said Allen. “It’s important to know food allergies exist and to be mindful and aware of others who may have an allergy.”
Identifying allergens
Publix understands the importance of keeping our customers safe, and we do our best to make it easy to identify potential allergens. Each fresh department posts an allergen advisory sign that notifies customers of any potential food allergens used in the department. In addition, product labels are an important reference for people with food allergies to determine if a product is safe to eat.
Some labels indicate an item was produced on shared equipment or in a facility that processes one of the eight major food allergens. This part of the label is voluntary and optional for manufacturers, but Publix often includes it to help customers with food allergens identify potential risks.
Food labels must identify any of the eight major food allergens in their ingredient statement.
