angel-jd1

My parents heat with wood....we keep a humidifier running 24/7!! It really helps.

-Jessica

Here is the actual text from part of the bill that is in congress NOW!!

To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish labeling requirements with respect to allergenic substances in foods, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 8, 2003

Mrs. LOWEY for herself, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. LATOURETTE, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. HOEFFEL, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. NORTON, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, and Mr. WAXMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL

To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish labeling requirements with respect to allergenic substances in foods, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1 ) it is estimated that--

(A ) approximately 2 percent of adults and about 5 percent of infants and young children in the United States suffer from food allergies; and

(B ) each year, roughly 30,000 individuals require emergency room treatment and 150 individuals die because of allergic reactions to food;

(2 ) (A) eight major foods or food groups--milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans--account for 90 percent of food allergies;

(B ) at present, there is no cure for food allergies; and

(C ) a food allergic consumer must avoid the food to which the consumer is allergic;

(3 ) (A) in a review of the foods of randomly selected manufacturers of baked goods, ice cream, and candy in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 1999, the Food and Drug Administration found that 25 percent of sampled foods failed to list peanuts or eggs as ingredients on the food labels; and

(B ) nationally, the number of recalls because of unlabeled allergens rose to 121 in 2000 from about 35 a decade earlier;

(4) a recent study shows that many parents of children with a food allergy were unable to correctly identify in each of several food labels the ingredients derived from major food allergens;

(5 )(A) ingredients in foods must be listed by their `common or usual name';

(B ) in some cases, the common or usual name of an ingredient may be unfamiliar to consumers, and many consumers may not realize the ingredient is derived from, or contains, a major food allergen; and

© in other cases, the ingredients may be declared as a class, including spices, flavorings, and certain colorings, or are exempt from the ingredient labeling requirements, such as incidental additives; and

(6)(A) celiac disease is an immune-mediated disease that causes damage to the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, and other organs;

(B ) the current recommended treatment is avoidance of glutens in foods that are associated with celiac disease; and

(C ) a multicenter, multiyear study estimated that the prevalence of celiac disease in the United States is 0.5 to 1 percent of the general population.

SEC. 3. FOOD LABELING; REQUIREMENT OF INFORMATION REGARDING ALLERGENIC SUBSTANCES.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 343) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(w)(1) If it is not a raw agricultural commodity and it is, or it contains an ingredient that bears or contains, a major food allergen, unless either--

`(A) the word `Contains', followed by the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, is printed immediately after or is adjacent to the list of ingredients (in a type size no smaller than the type size used in the list of ingredients) required under subsections (g) and (i); or

`(B ) the common or usual name of the major food allergen in the list of ingredients required under subsections (g) and (i) is followed in parentheses by the name of the food source from which

the major food allergen is derived, except that the name of the food source is not required when--

`(i) the common or usual name of the ingredient uses the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived; or

`(ii ) the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived appears elsewhere in the ingredient list, unless the name of the food source appears elsewhere in the ingredient list only in the common or usual name of foods that are food ingredients that are not major food allergens under section 201(qq)(2)(A) or (B ).

`(2 ) As used in this subsection, the term `name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived' means the name described in section 201(qq)(1); provided that in the case of a tree nut, fish, or Crustacean shellfish, the term `name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived' means the name of the specific type of nut or species of fish or Crustacean shellfish.

`(3) The information required under this subsection may appear in labeling in lieu of appearing on the label only if the Secretary finds that such other labeling is sufficient to protect the public health. A finding by the Secretary under this paragraph (including any change in an earlier finding under this paragraph) is effective upon publication in the Federal Register as a notice.

`(4) Notwithstanding subsection (g), (i), or (k), or any other law, a flavoring, coloring, or incidental additive that is, or that bears or contains, a major food allergen shall be subject to the labeling requirements of this subsection.

`(5) The Secretary may by regulation modify the requirements of subparagraph (A ) or (B ) of paragraph (1), or eliminate either the requirement of subparagraph (A ) or the requirements of subparagraph ( of paragraph (1), if the Secretary determines that the modification or elimination of the requirement of subparagraph (A) or the requirements of subparagraph ( is necessary to protect the public health.

`(6 )(A ) Any person may petition the Secretary to exempt a food ingredient described in section 201(qq)(2) from the allergen labeling requirements of this subsection.

`(B ) The Secretary shall approve or deny such petition within 180 days of receipt of the petition or the petition shall be deemed denied, unless an extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the Secretary and the petitioner.

`(C ) The burden shall be on the petitioner to provide scientific evidence (including the analytical method used to produce the evidence) that demonstrates that such food ingredient, as derived by the method specified in the petition, does not cause an allergic response that poses a risk to human health.

`(D ) A determination regarding a petition under this paragraph shall constitute final agency action.

`(E) The Secretary shall promptly post to a public site all petitions received under this paragraph within 14 days of receipt and the Secretary shall promptly post the Secretary's response to each.

`(7 )(A ) A person need not file a petition under paragraph (6) to exempt a food ingredient described in section 201(qq)(2) from the allergen labeling requirements of this subsection, if the person files with the Secretary a notification containing--

`(i ) scientific evidence (including the analytical method used) that demonstrates that the food ingredient (as derived by the method specified in the notification, where applicable) does not contain allergenic protein; or

`(ii ) a determination by the Secretary that the ingredient does not cause an allergic response that poses a risk to human health under a premarket approval or notification program under section 409.

`(B ) The food ingredient may be introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce as a food ingredient that is not a major food allergen 90 days after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary, unless the Secretary determines within the 90-day period that the notification does not meet the requirements of this paragraph, or there is insufficient scientific evidence to determine that the food ingredient does not contain allergenic protein or does not cause an allergenic response that poses a risk to human health.

`(C ) The Secretary shall promptly post to a public site a list of all notifications received under this subparagraph within 14 days of receipt and promptly post any objections thereto by the Secretary.

`(x) Notwithstanding subsection (g), (i), or (k), or any other law, a spice, flavoring, coloring, or incidental additive that is, or that bears or contains, a food allergen (other than a major food allergen), as determined by the Secretary by regulation, shall be disclosed in a manner specified by the Secretary by regulation.'.

(b ) EFFECT ON OTHER AUTHORITY- The amendments made by this section that require a label or labeling for major food allergens do not alter the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) to require a label or labeling for other food allergens.

(c ) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS-

(1 ) Section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321) (as amended by section 2(b )) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(qq) The term `major food allergen' means any of the following:

`(1) Milk, egg, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, or cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, or shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, or walnuts), wheat, peanuts, and soybeans.

`(2) A food ingredient that contains protein derived from a food specified in paragraph (1), except the following:

`(A ) Any highly refined oil derived from a food specified in paragraph (1) and any ingredient derived from such highly refined oil.

`(B ) A food ingredient that is exempt under paragraph (6) or (7) of section 403(w).'.

(2) Section 403A(a)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 343-1(a)(2)) is

amended by striking `or 403(i)(2)' and inserting `403(i)(2), 403(w), or 403(x)'.

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section shall apply to any food that is labeled on or after January 1, 2006.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON FOOD ALLERGENS.

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the `Secretary') shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that--

(1)(A) analyzes--

(i) the ways in which foods, during manufacturing and processing, are unintentionally contaminated with major food allergens, including contamination caused by the use by manufacturers of the same production line to produce both products for which major food allergens are intentional ingredients and products for which major food allergens are not intentional ingredients; and

(ii) the ways in which foods produced on dedicated production lines are unintentionally contaminated with major food allergens; and

(B ) estimates how common the practices described in subparagraph (A) are in the food industry, with breakdowns by food type as appropriate;

(2) advises whether good manufacturing practices or other methods can be used to reduce or eliminate cross-contact of foods with the major food allergens;

(3) describes--

(A ) the various types of advisory labeling (such as labeling that uses the words `may contain') used by food producers;

(B ) the conditions of manufacture of food that are associated with the various types of advisory labeling; and

(C ) the extent to which advisory labels are being used on food products;

(4 ) describes how consumers with food allergies or the caretakers of consumers would prefer that information about the risk of cross-contact be communicated on food labels as determined by using appropriate survey mechanisms;

(5 ) states the number of inspections of food manufacturing and processing facilities conducted in the previous 2 years and describes--

(A ) the number of facilities and food labels that were found to be in compliance or out of compliance with respect to cross-contact of foods with residues of major food allergens and the proper labeling of major food allergens;

(B ) the nature of the violations found; and

(C ) the number of voluntary recalls, and their classifications, of foods containing undeclared major food allergens; and

(6 ) assesses the extent to which the Secretary and the food industry have effectively addressed cross-contact issues.

SEC. 5. INSPECTIONS RELATING TO FOOD ALLERGENS.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct inspections consistent with the authority under section 704 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 374) of facilities in which foods are manufactured, processed, packed, or held--

(1 ) to ensure that the entities operating the facilities comply with practices to reduce or eliminate cross-contact of a food with residues of major food allergens that are not intentional ingredients of the food; and

(2 ) to ensure that major food allergens are properly labeled on foods.

SEC. 6. GLUTEN LABELING.

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with appropriate experts and stakeholders, shall issue a proposed rule to define, and permit use of, the term `gluten-free' on the labeling of foods. Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a final rule to define, and permit use of, the term `gluten-free' on the labeling of foods.

SEC. 7. IMPROVEMENT AND PUBLICATION OF DATA ON FOOD-RELATED ALLERGIC RESPONSES.

(a ) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall improve (including by educating physicians and other health care providers) the collection of, and publish as it becomes available, national data on--

(1 ) the prevalence of food allergies;

(2) the incidence of clinically significant or serious adverse events related to food allergies; and

(3) the use of different modes of treatment for and prevention of allergic responses to foods.

(b ) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary.

SEC. 8. FOOD ALLERGIES RESEARCH.

(a ) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall convene an ad hoc panel of nationally recognized experts in allergy and immunology to review current basic and clinical research efforts related to food allergies.

(b ) RECOMMENDATIONS- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the panel shall make recommendations to the Secretary for enhancing and coordinating research activities concerning food allergies, which the Secretary shall make public.

SEC. 9. FOOD ALLERGENS IN THE FOOD CODE.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, in the Conference for Food Protection, as part of its efforts to encourage cooperative activities between the States under section 311 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243), pursue revision of the Food Code to provide guidelines for preparing allergen-free foods in food establishments, including in restaurants, grocery store delicatessens and bakeries, and elementary and secondary school cafeterias. The Secretary shall consider guidelines and recommendations developed by public and private entities for public and private food establishments for preparing allergen-free foods in pursuing this revision.

SEC. 10. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING RESPONDING TO FOOD-RELATED ALLERGIC RESPONSES

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, in providing technical assistance relating to trauma care and emergency medical services to State and local agencies under section 1202(b )(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-2(b )(3)), include technical assistance relating to the use of different modes of treatment for and prevention of allergic responses to foods.

I'm glad to hear that you aren't cheating!! I have heard so many people say the same phrase as you used, but they mean that they don't think their case of celiac disease is very severe so they can eat bad things and still be "ok". WIERD!!!

Take care!!

-Jessica

Jimmy Dean Sausages are Gluten Free!!

-Jessica

I'm SOOOOOOoooo excited!!

Tonight I tried the bunless carb burger in a bowl thing!! It was actually pretty darn good. They serve it in a small bowl complete with fork and knife!! I brought mine home and added cheese. The fries at my burger king were in a dedicated fryer so I also enjoyed some fries!! YUM!!

-Jessica

Up at the top you will see your user name then it says MY CONTROLS, NEW MESSAGES, VIEW NEW POSTS, and MY ASSISTANT

If you click on "view new posts" when you come to visit the board, it will show you all of the posts that have had activity since you last visited. This saves you going to each and every topic and sifting through what you have and haven't read.

Hope that helps you Soul04!!

-Jessica

Luckily I'm not a terribly severe case, because that would make life much harder.

I hope that you realize there isn't really a "severity" to having Celiac. You either have the disease or you don't. So please don't be cheating because you think you don't have a "severe case". If you aren't having symptoms you are still doing damage to your body by eating bad things.

Best wishes and good luck!

-Jessica

I am a moderator here on the board. I am still learning about all the things we can do to help the board, but from what I can see, when a topic is pinned, that is a topic that we(the moderators) feel that is important for you to read. It doesn't mean that it is an old topic.

Think of it as you have a bulliten board, you put a pin in the important things and put them on the board. This is what is going on with the pinned topics. It doesn't necessarily mean the other things are unimportant, just means the pinned ones are a good thing for you to notice.

If I am wrong, Scott please help here!! ha

-Jessica

I use Nature Made Vitamins. It says right on the label that they are Gluten Free!!

-Jessica

Congress Goes Back to Work January 20th

Food Labeling legislation is NOW pending in Congress. In the Senate S. 741, and in the House H.R. 3684, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. The Senate HELP Committee unanimously passed S. 741 (labeling provisions were added) on November 21, 2003. A floor vote in the Senate may happen early in the year. Both measures have strong bipartisan support.

NOW Members of the House of Representatives, all 435, need to hear from YOU, their constituent.

Urge your Representative to cosponsor H.R.3684. Cosponsors mean support, and support leads to ACTION.

Go to Open Original Shared Link -- plug in your zip code, to send a letter to your legislator.

Targeted alerts for key Congressional Districts, will be posted to listserv over the next weeks, and months. If you live in the targeted area, please give your lawmaker an extra push : )

WE CAN Get A Bill Passed This Year ! Let's Work Together and Get It Done !

We Want HR 3684 in 2004 !!

American Celiac Task Force

You might want to check with each Wendy's you visit. I was under the impression that fries there were gluten free until recieving part of a chicken nugget at the bottom of my fry container. YUCK!!!

-Jessica

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake

Basic and easy, and very versatile. Layer with white or

chocolate frosting, strawberries and whipped cream, etc. Make

sure your baking powder is gluten-free. Makes 2 -8 or 9

inch layers (24 servings).

Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Amy

1 1/2 cups white rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum 4 eggs

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons gluten-free

vanilla extract

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease

and rice flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

2 Mix the white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking

soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.

3 Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add

the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread

batter into the prepared pans.

4 Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes.

Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or

when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely then frost, if desired

I posted a yellow cake recipe in the recipe section that I use all the time. I top it with some homestyle vanilla cherry frosting or milk chocolate from duncin heinz. It is yummy!!

Enjoy-

Jessica

In the current/new Reader's Digest Magazine there is an article that lists several "hard to diagnose" diseases. It has a nice piece on Celiac Disease and tells a story about a lady and her troubles being diagnosed. It is well written and worth picking up!!

-Jessica

There is a button/link in the upper right hand of the text box that says track this topic, email this topic and print this topic. Just pick email. It takes you to a page where you can insert your sisters email and name and send her a link to the information that you want her to read. Hope that helps!!

-Jessica

I haven't even begun to try the other flavors, I am stuck on the Europen Rice Pudding!! I think I need a 12 step program , because I'm addicted to this pudding!!

-Jessica

I guess I'll go ahead and answer my own question here! ha

Here is the response I got back from Procter and Gamble on Joy Dish Soap:

Hi, Jessica.

Joy Dishwashing Liquids do not contain gluten. I hope this helps! Thanks for

stopping by.

Angie

Joy Team

Hope that can help someone else!!

-Jessica

Some people have absolutely NO symptoms at all. Some people have a ton of symptoms. That is what makes Celiac Disease hard to diagnose without theblood and scope tests. Some people even have false tests, yet still have Celiac and great results on the diet. Some people have diarrhea and others have constipation, and even others have alternating bouts of both!! There are SOOOO many symptoms.

The best idea would be to talk to the doctor and try the gluten free diet and see how she is feeling on it.

Here is the symptom list that can be found here on celiac.com :

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

There is no typical celiac. Individuals range from having no symptoms (asymptomatic or "latent" forms of the disease) to extreme cases where patients present to their physicians with gas, bloating, diarrhea, and weight loss due to malabsorption.

In between these two extremes lie a wide variety of symptoms that include:

Diarrhea

Constipation

Steatorrhea (fatty stools that float rather than sink)

Abdominal pain

Excessive gas

Any problem associated with vitamin deficiencies

Iron deficiency (anemia)

Chronic fatigue

Weakness

Weight loss

Bone pain

Easily fractured bones

Abnormal or impaired skin sensation (paresthesia),

Including burning, prickling, itching or tingling

Edema

Headaches*

Peripheral Neuropathy* (tingling in fingers and toes)

Individuals have reported such varied symptoms as:

White flecks on the fingernails

Fuzzy-mindedness after gluten ingestion

Burning sensations in the throat

In children, the symptoms may include:

Failure to thrive

Paleness

Querulousness, irritability

Inability to concentrate

Wasted buttocks

Pot belly with or without painful bloating

Pale, malodorous, bulky stools

Requent, foamy diarrhea

In addition to all of these, dermatitis herpetiformis, a disease in which severe rashes appear (often on the head, elbows, knees and buttocks) is related to celiac disease.

Reactions to ingestion of gluten can be immediate, or delayed for weeks or even months.

The amazing thing about celiac disease is that no two individuals who have it seem to have the same set of symptoms or reactions. A person might have several of the symptoms listed above, a few of them, one, or none. There are even cases in which obesity turned out to be a symptom of celiac disease.

Best Wishes and Good Luck, you have come to a great place to begin learning!!

-Jessica

Valentine's Day Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

I LOVE Bette Hagaman's Cookbooks, they have such great information in the front of them, along with GREAT recipes!! My favorite is her The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy. I use it alot. There is a great recipe in there for enchilada sauce!!

She has a new book comming out this month that deals with cooking comefort foods. I can't wait to get it!!

Ok...that's my 2cents!!

-Jessica

I just wanted to get a topic going for Valentines day . Holidays seem to be so centered on foods...and for folks like us, that makes things difficult!! So Post your ideas for romantic dinners, candies that are safe, baking recipes here!

As far as candies go: Russell Stover Chocolates are gluten free(except for ones that contain cookies). They have some pretty boxed chocolates for your sweetie.

-Jessica

Go ahead and enjoy your Peanut M&M's. All M&M's are gluten-free EXCEPT for the Crispy(in the blue package).

There are actually quite a few candies that we can enjoy

Here is a list that was printed on a yahoo group that I belong to for halloween:

Gluten-Free

Trick or Treating for 2003

(This list is for reference only and the user should contact manufacturers directly. It is a guideline and the user accepts full responsibility for use of it. At the time of it

I haven't found any great bread either. Everything I have tried has been NASTY!! So I have sort of givin up on that route of sandwich making. Instead of bread, I just do a meat roll-up with cheese and sometimes mayo in the middle. Lay the meat out flat, add your cheese or whatever in the middle and then roll it up. It isn't bad at all.

Sometimes I also put a piece of lettuce on the outside and roll it up with the lettuce on the outer layer, then you don't get uckey lunchmeat fingers.

Good luck on your bread search, but in the meantime you can try that!!

-Jessica

Ok....someone on the board the other day mentioned dish soap(something I had not thought of) . Which/what dish soaps are gluten-free? Currently I am using JOY! Anybody have any info?

-Jessica