Share Your Celiac Story With the FDA
We can change the way packaged food is labeled for the better.
Last week, I spoke with Jonathan Bari, whose 10-year-old son, Jax, has celiac disease.
Jax is an incredibly inspiring kid—he’s a celiac advocate working hard to change the way allergens are labeled on packaged food in the US. (Check him out here at the White House talking about food policy with President Biden!)
Let’s get gluten labeled as a major food allergen on packaged food
If you have celiac disease (or you’re the parent of a child with this condition), then you’re well aware that food labels here in the US leave a lot to be desired—which is what Jax is hoping to change.
Here’s the deal: Currently, wheat is required to be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods, but gluten isn’t. The thing is, gluten is also found in barley and rye—and, in many cases, oats too (due to cross-contact, which you can learn more about in my gluten 101 guide). That makes it more difficult for people with celiac disease to decipher food labels.
Jax’s goal is for the US to label gluten as a major food allergen (just like over 85 other countries already do).
In honor of the first anniversary of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, Jax submitted a Citizen Petition to the FDA to require the labeling of gluten on all packaged food in the US.
Now, it’s your turn to help!
Share your celiac story with the FDA
Jax needs you to share your lived experience with celiac disease and the gluten-free diet with the FDA so we can get gluten labeled as a major food allergen in the US. This will help take the guesswork out of grocery shopping for the more than three million Americans living with celiac disease.
The process is really simple (I just went through it this weekend):
First, read this article written by Jax’s parents. It includes talking points and instructions for filing a public comment on the Citizen Petition.
When you’re ready to file a comment, here’s where to do it. All you have to do is click on the blue box that says “Comment,” and you can either type your comment directly into the box or attach a letter as a PDF or Word document. You can even submit your comment anonymously, if you prefer.
Jax’s family has detailed instructions for filing a comment in their article in case you need any help. You can also read the comments that have already been submitted to get some inspiration. (I filed my comment over the weekend, and it’s currently under review. I’ll share it on my Instagram once it’s approved.)
I hope you’ll join Jax’s effort to get gluten labeled as a major food allergen on packaged food in the US—this would be a big step forward in helping people with celiac disease navigate food more easily. And please share this post with other people in the celiac community to spread the word!