Sesame: The Next Major Food Allergen?

Ahh, sesame. We all know those pale, tiny seeds that sit on top of hamburger buns, speckling them with bursts of flavor and texture. But sesame is used for much more than making your buns more fun. It is also used in other popular, everyday dishes. You can find sesame in hummus as a smooth paste called tahini or as a mouth-watering finishing oil used in Asian-inspired dishes. In the news Sesame has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue recently—not only as a food ingredient, but also as a topic of conversation. Recent studies suggest that nearly 1.5 million Americans could have a sesame allergy. If so, this leaves 0.49% of our population at risk of an allergic reaction to sesame-containing foods. Food allergy symptoms can range from mild skin irritations and hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Increased attention to sesame allergies may leave you wondering if sesame should be labeled as the ninth most common food allergen in the U.S. Should processed foods include warning labels for foods containing this popular ingredient? Should restaurants and retail establishments inform you about the presence of sesame in your meal? The state of Illinois seems to think so. New state regulations for sesame Unlike the Big Eight, the FDA does not currently recognize sesame as a major food allergen nor require it to be labeled as an allergen on food labels. In time, this could change. Illinois recently became the first U.S. state to require sesame allergen labeling. This decision makes Illinois the first and only state in the U.S. to require sesame to be labeled as an allergen. Such labeling already is required globally in Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. These regulations are due in part to the fact that sesame-containing foods are widely consumed in these regions, resulting […]

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International Food Information Council Expands Food, Nutrition & Agriculture Expertise To Advance Its Mission, Serving The Public Good

IFIC Welcomes New Board of Trustees and Milton Stokes, PhD, MPH, RD, FAND as IFIC Senior Director, Food & Nutrition  (Washington, D.C.) — The International Food Information Council (IFIC) recently expanded its team and confirmed a new slate of Trustees to further strengthen its food, nutrition, and agriculture expertise as well as guide and execute its new strategic vision. IFIC is led by a public-private Board of Trustees comprised of academic and food industry leaders with expertise in nutrition, food safety, risk communications and biotechnology, along with government liaisons. The majority of IFIC’s Board is comprised of independent academic researchers.   As a food-focused research and educational nonprofit under new executive leadership, IFIC is set to release new consumer behavioral research and insights; enhance its science communication capabilities, including its digital and social media platforms; and broaden its multi-sector stakeholder engagement partnership platform this year. IFIC remains proactively invested in the mission-driven priorities most necessary and valuable to support multiple stakeholder needs, including those of consumers, in making informed food decisions.  “IFIC’s mission is to effectively communicate accurate and actionable information at the intersection of science, food, and the consumer,” said IFIC President & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN. “Through best-in-class consumer research, science communications and convening thought leadership, we look forward to working with our Trustees to advance the food systems dialogue and science-based decision-making.”   At the December 2023 Annual Meeting, IFIC confirmed the following Board of Trustees:   A full list of IFIC Trustees and Public Liaisons can be found here.   Additionally, IFIC named Milton Stokes, PhD, MPH, RD, FAND as Senior Director, Food & Nutrition. Stokes will lead the organization’s food and nutrition strategy in support of its mission to effectively communicate science-based information on food safety, nutrition, and sustainable food systems.   A registered dietitian and communications professional, […]

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A Closer Look at Meat Safety During COVID-19

Summer may be grilling season, but while we’re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are looking to buy and cook food and host gatherings in different ways. World health authorities are putting an emphasis on safe food handling (which includes frequent hand washing), social distancing, and mask wearing. All of these practices are noted as being potentially helpful in minimizing germ transfer, including transmission of the novel coronavirus. Still, while we look to plan meals, many of us may also be concerned about the safety of the meat that is on the shelves in our local markets. Or, we may wonder about the safety of the meat dishes on menus at our favorite drive-thru or takeout places. If your “meat-inquiring mind” wants to know more about how safe our meat supply is, read on. Food safety regulators speak out In the midst of the pandemic, many media outlets have been reporting on the health status of farmers, ranchers and meat-processing-facility workers. With this news coverage, questions have arisen about the novel coronavirus being transferred to consumers via meat products and packaging. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the World Health Organization, and many other international health organizations have affirmed repeatedly for many months that the coronavirus is not transmitted to people via food products, and their confidence includes foods that may have been handled by potentially infected food system workers. The primary method of transmission of the coronavirus is via person-to-person contact that promotes the spread of respiratory droplets (the body’s carrier of the coronavirus). The FDA’s most recent statement (issued on June 24, 2020) notes, “The United States understands the concerns of consumers here domestically and around the world who want to know that producers, processors and regulators are taking every necessary precaution to […]

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Food Packaging and the Quality of Your Food

When we go to the grocery store and buy products such canned soups, cookies, juice and other foods and beverages, we interact with different forms of food packaging. For example, milk is usually packaged in plastic or glass, but shelf-stable versions of the product may also be found in packaging such as cans. Food packaging is durable, strong, and protective, and it also plays a role in safety, convenience, efficiency, and consumer information. It additionally acts to block light and protect nutrients and colors in food products—keeping a food’s quality consistent throughout a product’s shelf life. The packaging options offered by food and beverage producers have changed over time to meet the demands of consumers and enhance manufacturing productivity. Milk is a great example of how food and beverage packaging has changed over time. In the early 1950s, milk was delivered to people’s homes in glass bottles. Today, having a visit from a milk man is not the norm and the glass packaging has since transitioned to High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) plastic. Milk may also be packaged in a plastic-paper combination (paper carton with a plastic liner) that allows for an even longer shelf life. To understand how different forms of packaging allow for quality and reliability, let’s break down some of the main forms of packaging material. Paper Paper may be the oldest form of food packaging, dating back to the first or second century BCE, when it was used by the Chinese to wrap their food. Over the next 1,500 years, materials from bark and flax fibers to linen rags and wood pulp were used. During this time, the first commercial cardboard was invented to replace wooden crates used for trade. The paperboard carton was invented in the 1870s and became popular in making cereal cartons. Paper […]

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It’s Not Just The Message, It’s Also The Messenger: New IFIC Research Re-examines Trust In Food & Nutrition Science  

(Washington, D.C.) — As March shines a spotlight on food, nutrition, and science—with National Nutrition Month® recognizing the important role of registered dietitians as well as March 26 marking National Science Appreciation Day—new research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) re-examines and underscores a timely truth: when it comes to food and nutrition science, who delivers the message and how the message is delivered matters.   The 2026 IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Trust In Food & Nutrition Science, which re-examines findings from a similar survey fielded in 2024, finds that trust remains a critical prerequisite for Americans to embrace sound, science-based food guidance. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) express at least some trust in food and nutrition science, yet one in five (20%) remain uncertain—neither trusting nor distrusting it.   “Trust is the gateway to behavior change,” said IFIC President & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN.  “If Americans don’t trust the science behind food guidance or the messenger delivering it, even the most well-intentioned recommendations won’t resonate. Our research shows that skepticism doesn’t necessarily mean resistance, but it does mean we have work to do.”  Is Trust In Food & Nutrition Science Softening?  Compared to the 2024 fielding of a similar IFIC Spotlight Survey, trust has softened modestly. While the percentage of those who neither trust nor distrust food and nutrition science remains stable, distrust has edged upward from 12% to 16%. Still, among those with lower levels of trust in food and nutrition science, nearly half (48%) of Americans say they would be more willing to change their diet if their trust in food and nutrition science increased.  “That’s the opportunity,” Reinhardt Kapsak added. “Nearly half of those with lower trust tell us they’d reconsider their food choices if their trust improved. Building trust isn’t abstract—it has tangible implications for public health.”  When Advice Feels Like It Is Always Changing  More than seven in ten Americans (72%) say recommendations about what to eat and drink seem to be “always changing.” While this perception has decreased slightly since October 2024 (79%), it continues to shape emotions and behaviors around food.  Among those who perceive shifting guidance, 41% report feeling confused, 33% frustrated, and nearly one in five (18%) feel stressed. Yet the reaction is not […]

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2022 Food & Health Survey: Diets, Food Prices, Stress and the Power of Gen Z

(Washington, D.C.) — Major changes in Americans’ food attitudes and behaviors are emerging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2022 Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC).  The 17th annual survey of U.S. consumers has revealed a substantial impact of stress on the way we eat, significant increases in the adoption of specific diets and eating patterns, concerns over food and beverage prices, and the food priorities and buying power of Gen Z.  “Even more so than in past years, the 2022 Food & Health Survey is showing sharp changes, over a relatively short period, in many of our beliefs and behaviors when it comes to the foods we purchase and consume,” said IFIC CEO Joseph Clayton. “Some of these changes are clearly attributable to the lasting scars of the pandemic, while others bear all the hallmarks of significant generational shifts,” he added.  The 2022 Survey involved 1,005 adults ages 18–80, and for the first time it also included an oversample of adult Gen Z consumers, ages 18-24.   The Emerging Influence of Gen Z  Gen Z might be the youngest cohort of adults, but they are beginning to flex their consumer muscle in ways that previously haven’t been seen, driving attitude changes on sustainability and the environment across the broader population. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z believe that their generation is more concerned about the environmental impact of food choices than other generations, followed closely by Millennials (71%), with whom they share many perspectives and common purchasing behaviors. Compared with Baby Boomers, Gen Z is more likely to purchase products labeled as “Small carbon footprint/carbon neutral” and “Plant-based.”   And yet, some of Gen Z’s viewpoints may come as a surprise: compared with Millennials, they are less likely to believe that […]

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Heavy Metals

Hearing more about heavy metals and want to get up to speed? Explore the IFIC Heavy Metals Toolkit, where you’ll find insights, continuing education and evidence-based resources to help improve understanding about heavy metals in food, their potential health impact and the steps being taken to monitor and reduce their presence in the food supply.

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Celebrating Women Food Scientists During Women’s History Month

It should come as no surprise that women have been shaping food science for centuries. From food-product packaging to animal handling to plant genetics, women have had a hand in many innovations that have helped make today’s food system vast, safe, and healthy. March is Women’s History Month, and this year we’re highlighting two spectacular women in food science—one who revolutionized frozen food safety and another who harnessed plant science to impact the health of millions. Dr. Mary Engle Pennington Sometimes referred to as the “Ice Woman,” Dr. Mary Engle Pennington played a pivotal role in refrigerated and frozen food safety in the early 20th century. Born in 1872, Dr. Pennington was refused a bachelor’s degree by the University of Pennsylvania in 1892 because of her gender. However, she persisted and received a certificate of proficiency in chemistry and then continued her studies to garner her doctorate in chemistry at the university in 1895. Following the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act, Dr. Pennington became the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) first woman lab chief, heading up the Bureau of Chemistry’s Food Research Lab. During her time at the FDA, Pennington revolutionized cold food storage, discovering that fresh foods that are consistently kept at a low temperature last longer than those that go through multiple temperature fluctuations. This finding was particularly important for the transportation of food products like cheese, milk, and eggs; if these foods were kept at a consistent temperature from starting location to their final destination, their bacteria levels stayed low and they were less likely to spoil. Pennington’s discovery led to the development of refrigerated transport as a means to maintain low temperatures over long distances, as well as an upgrade to home refrigeration, which began to use technology similar to that […]

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