I gave my two year old son a product. I had called the company that made it and verified it was safe. Within minutes he was having an anaphylactic reaction, we nearly lost him.

While all foods require labeled ingredients for top 8 allergens they are not required to label for cross contact. Meaning a company can produce almond butter, wash the equipment used to their own satisfaction then produce something else, like pasta for example then, box and sell that pasta with no disclosure or warning stating the contact with almonds. This is incredibly dangerous for people with anaphylactic reactions to these allergens.

The current system we as consumers have for assuring our safety is as follows:

Call the company that produced the product. Ask if any chance cross contamination occurred. Hope and pray they give you accurate information. Post on social media groups to see if anyone else has had a reaction or died from the product. Only to repeat this process on every single product, every single time.

Top 14 allergens can be found in the most unexpected places, for example: gardening products, potting soil, sunscreen, cosmetics, personal care items, toilet paper, essential oils, construction supplies, glues, craft supplies, toys and sensory items and of course foods.

We need a better system and we need it now.

My position is that ANY product, food or not, that has been produced with a possibility of cross contact of any Top 14 allergen should be required to carry a label. Period.