Alpha-Gal Syndrome is a growing epidemic in our country and there is currently no regulation on labeling for mammal-based products.  Many items that claim to be "non-dairy" or "plant based" often still include byproducts that are animal based, most of which the average person wouldn't recognize or know to look out for (i.e. anthropodeoxycholic acid and glyceryl tristearate). 

Alpha-Gal is a sugar molecule found in non-primate mammals such as cattle or pigs. Even if the patient has been eating animal products their whole life, when transmitted through the Lonestar tick, your body immediately attacks this seemingly new molecule. Thus, causing the one who's bit to be allergic to mammal based products such as dairy and red meat. However, this can also include byproducts in foods and pharmaceuticals as well as personal care and household cleaning products, or cross-contamination.

From 2009 to 2019 the amount of AGS cases rose from 12 to over 34,000.
Currently 110,000 cases have been identified and there is a total of 450,000 suspected. This means that there are thousands of people out there who may be experiencing symptoms who don't even know what they're dealing with.  

Alpha-Gal is not nationally notifiable with the CDC and therefor we truly don't know how many people are affected. This also means that there are not yet any clear guidelines on how to protect yourself from exposure or for treatment.

 Around 60% of people with AGS have anaphylactic reactions, and 30-40% experience cardiac symptoms.  
This is HUGE!

We are all aware how a severe allergic reaction can absolutely be fatal, its time the FDA takes responsibility for providing the safety they promise for anyone struggling with a food allergy!

What do we want?

- Add alpha-gal to the list of major food allergens regulated under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act
- Produce a complete and regularly updated list of all mammalian byproducts and their naming.
- Regulate the use of the terms “vegan” and “plant-based” in the labeling of both traditionally produced and cell-based products and restrict producers and manufacturers from using them on products that contain mammalian ingredients.
- Require the disclosure of the use of mammalian byproducts (and carrageenan which also contains alpha-gal) as processing aids.

Please help the AGS community by signing this petition and getting us one step closer to making this change! <3