I’m a parent and one of my children was recently diagnosed with a corn allergy. The first bit of advice our doctor gave us was -- avoid foods with corn or corn derivative. The task seemed simple enough -- until we learned that corn was lurking, unlabeled, in nearly every processed food product in the grocery store.

Baking powder, semolina, vanilla extract, citric acid -- did you know each of these ingredients contains a corn derivative? Neither did we! And now we are tasked with memorizing a laundry list of ingredients you’d never associate with corn in order to keep our kid safe. All because manufacturers aren’t required to notify consumers of the presence of corn or corn derivatives in their food or product.

Bottom line: unlabeled corn allergens in food (and medicines!) threaten the health and safety of children and adults across the country. By excluding corn from the Food Allergen Labeling act, our government is putting its citizens at risk.

Keeping a child safe from food allergens shouldn’t be a daily game of chance. Parents shouldn’t have to gamble with their child’s health and well-being to keep them fed and nourished.

If you agree with me, please sign this petition. It’s time for food products containing corn and corn-derivatives to be CLEARLY LABELED -- like any other common food allergen. Tell the FDA to add CORN to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act today.