The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for approving S. 741, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act on July 20, 2004. The bill requires food manufacturers to state clearly if a product contains one of the top eight food allergens: milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish and shellfish. Knowing if a product contains wheat would help someone with celiac disease avoid that product. In addition, the bill calls for the Food and Drug Administration to issue final regulations defining “gluten-free” by January 2008, so that people with celiac disease can know whether a product contains gluten, a protein that they must avoid. The Senate passed the bill earlier this spring.

This is the first time Congress has passed a bill that addresses the needs of individuals with celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that is triggered by eating the protein gluten, which is found in grains, including wheat, rye and barley.

“This is a major step in helping people with celiac disease,” explains Alessio Fasano, M.D., medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research and professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“There is currently no cure for celiac disease and the only way for people with the disorder to stay healthy is to completely avoid foods and products, like medications, with gluten,” adds Dr. Fasano, who is also director of gastroenterology at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children.

The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of celiac disease. Recently, the center completed a six-year, multi-center prevalence study on celiac disease, which found it is much more common than previously thought, occurring in one out of every 133 people in the United States.

After the University of Maryland study was published, the Center for Celiac Research formed the American Celiac Task Force (ACTF). The group’s main goal is to advocate for changing the food labeling laws in the United States. The ACTF has been instrumental in helping push the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act through Congress.

The National Institutes of Health now recognizes that as many as 3 million Americans may have celiac disease. This, coupled with recent studies that suggest there are more than 7 million Americans with food allergies, means passage of the bill will enable close to 10 million Americans to have an easier time reading food labels and staying healthy. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Bush.

University of Maryland Medical News

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