Sesame: Ninth Major Food Allergen in U.S.

Food Industry Compliance
Under the FASTER Act, sesame must be listed on the label in one of two ways:

1. Include a “Contains” statement following or adjacent to the ingredient statement that identifies the food allergen
   Example: Contains: milk, soy, sesame
2. Include the common or usual name in the list of ingredients, followed by the food source of a major allergen in parentheses. Ingredients that include the common or usual name of the allergen as the ingredient are exempt. If the allergen is already listed on the ingredient statement elsewhere, it is not required to be listed twice.
   Example: Gingelly (Sesame)
   Example: Sesame Seeds
   Example: Gingelly (Sesame), Tahini

Food manufacturers may use common equipment to produce multiple items, which could lead to cross-contamination of allergens. Some manufacturers may choose to disclose this potential cross-contamination with a “may contain” or “produced in a facility” statement, although these statements are not required in the U.S.