Urgent Call to Action: Comment today on FDA’s temporary policy allowing manufacturers to make certain ingredient substitutions without changing the ingredients list

Urgent Call to Action: Comment today on FDA’s temporary policy allowing manufacturers to make certain ingredient substitutions without changing the ingredients list

Background: If you are not familiar with this policy, it states in a nutshell that during this period of food shortages and supply disruptions, FDA is allowing manufacturers to make certain ingredient substitutions without changing the ingredients list. For additional background information, please read last week’s post on this guidance document available at https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/fdas-temporary-policy-regarding-certain-food-labeling-requirements-implications-for-those-with-celiac-disease/

Letter submitted to FDA In an extraordinary effort, seven patient/consumer advocacy and professional groups joined forces to submit a letter to FDA outlining concerns about this policy and the impact it may have on the celiac disease community.  This letter was submitted to FDA staff including Susan Mayne (Director, CFSAN), Stephen Hahn (Commissioner, FDA), and the Hon. Alex Azar (Commissioner, HHS). It was also posted to the FDA docket as a comment. A huge thank you to all groups who came together to make this effort possible:

Gluten Free Watchdog

Beyond Celiac

Gluten Intolerance Group

National Celiac Association

Celiac Community Foundation of Northern CA

Dietitians in Gluten & Gastrointestinal Disorders

Society for the Study of Celiac Disease

What you can do Please submit a comment to the docket at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2020-D-1139-0009 If this link doesn’t work (on certain days the link goes directly to the docket for commenting; on other days it goes to a Beta site), use https://beta.regulations.gov/comment/FDA-2020-D-1139-0009).

When submitting your comment, please feel free to use any portions of (or the entire) above-mentioned group letter in your comment. You may also state in your letter that you are writing in support of the letter submitted by Gluten Free Watchdog and upload it to the docket. The file is available HERE.

Thank you so much for your continued advocacy efforts!

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Comments (9)

  • Erin Smith Reply

    Thank you for putting this together. The letter to the FDA is thorough, fact-based, and thoughtful.

    June 4, 2020 at 4:49 pm
  • Ann Reply

    It’s done! Thanks so much to all who put this all together. I am hoping everyone will submit a comment. The way you set it up, it only took a couple minutes & was so easy!

    June 5, 2020 at 1:24 am
  • Mary Reply

    Since this pandemic is lethal to people with autoimmune diseases exposing these same people to unidentified allergens could be a double whammy.
    It’s a serious problem for millions of people in this country and labeling foods correctly is not much to ask of the FDA.

    June 5, 2020 at 3:00 am
  • Cherri Nelson Reply

    I submitted a comment! Thank you for this alert. I’m gluten intolerant. It’s a medical issue for me, I will end up in the emergency room. I was beginning to wonder myself about gluten in some products that I’ve trusted in the past. I’ve been experiencing some constipation (first sign) and a little bit of anxiety. I did begin to wonder if some of the foods were slipping in wheat or barley due to the economy. This was good confirmation to be more vigilant.

    June 10, 2020 at 10:09 pm
    • Tricia Thompson Reply

      Thank you so much for taking the time to submit a comment to the docket. It truly makes a difference.

      June 11, 2020 at 7:06 pm
  • Max Reply

    Thank you so much for this letter to FDA and for this news post. I have added my comment along with the rest!

    June 11, 2020 at 12:45 am
    • Tricia Thompson Reply

      Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on the docket.

      June 11, 2020 at 7:06 pm

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