Proposed bill would mandate alpha-gal labeling on food and drug packaging

Skip to content A woman discusses her progress with her allergist after she landed in the hospital because a tick bite gave her a severe allergic reaction to eating a burger. (Image credit: AP Photo / Rachelle Blidner) Transcript: Most people are used to seeing phrases like “contains nuts” or “contains soy” on food labels. If a proposed federal bill passes, the FDA will require manufacturers to also alert consumers to another allergen found in many packaged foods. Forsyth: “Alpha-gal is … extremely difficult to avoid.” That’s Sharon Forsyth of the Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund, an advocacy group for people who are allergic to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule found in most mammals. Alpha-gal syndrome is typically caused by the bite of a lone-star tick. These ticks have long been common in the Southeast. But as the climate warms, they’re spreading to other areas, too – even as far north as Maine and Minnesota. For most people with alpha-gal syndrome, eating red meat triggers an allergic reaction, with symptoms ranging from mild GI upset to dangerous anaphylaxis. In some cases, people also report reactions to dairy or ingredients that they did not know contain alpha-gal – like vitamin D3, which sometimes comes from sheep’s wool. So Forsyth’s group is urging Congress to pass a bill that would add alpha-gal to the list of allergens that require labeling. Forsyth: “Because then we’d just have to take a quick look at the label …” … to know if a food is safe to eat. Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media