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Example Letter

This Example Letter is discussing the H. R. 3684 legislation regarding food labeling

(date)

The Honorable (your Representative) 

United States House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative (name):

Please consider a simple addition to H.R.3684, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish labeling requirements with respect to allergenic substances in foods, and for other purposes. The addition of the words "rye, barley and oats" to the list of major food allergens which must be noted on the label would accomplish much for many.

I have been diagnosed with celiac disease (CD). The only treatment for CD is a lifelong self-managed gluten-free diet. I must avoid wheat, barley, rye and oats because the proteins they contain trigger an autoimmune response, which causes the villi in my small intestine to flatten. This damage to the villi leads to malabsorption of nutrients, and thus many other illnesses. I consider myself lucky, though, because this disease is manageable through diet. That puts me in control.

But in order for me to control my diet, to ensure optimum health, I need to know what is in the products I buy. I understand there is a bill just passed by the Senate, the Food Allergen Bill, which requires that manufacturers label the presence of any of the eight major food allergens, one of which is wheat. This would be very helpful, however, other issues have been tacked on to the bill which could dilute the effectiveness for people like me who just want to know what is in the products I purchase. 

S.741, Section 206 refers to defining "gluten-free" for labeling purposes. There is currently no determined tolerance level for gluten in the United States. Determining a level of gluten, which can be tolerated by people with gluten intolerance illnesses such as CD, could take years. I would rather know what is in the product than how much gluten is contained. I can determine not to consume the product if I know its source ingredients.

There is a simple way to amend the House version of the Food Allergen Bill, in order to make managing my diet controllable: Simply add to the list of major food allergens that must be noted on the label, the words "rye, barley and oats." Celiacs like myself would then be able to simply read the label to determine if the product is safe.

Sincerely,

(name)