[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FOOD LABELING

  Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Jacob's letter 
and my response letter be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Dear Senator Rubio: Approximately a year and half ago I was 
     diagnosed with Celiac, which means that I can only eat gluten 
     free foods.
       There are not a lot of things that are labeled gluten free 
     and there should be more. A lot of things right now I have to 
     look up to see if they're gluten free. I have read some 
     articles that explain how every company should label their 
     products. It's also hard to know for sure if something is 
     safe to eat when I go food shopping, out with my friends, and 
     to restaurants. It would be great if the government could 
     find a way to put food labeling on packages consistently.
       Thank you for putting your time into this.
           Sincerely,
     Jacob Tannenbaum.
                                  ____



                                         United States Senate,

                                    Washington, DC, June 20, 2018.
     Jacob Tannenbaum,
     202 Royal Palm Way,
     Boca Raton, FL.
       Dear Jacob: Thank you for your letter regarding food 
     labeling. Hearing from fellow Floridians on issues that 
     affect millions of Americans, including children, is 
     important for me to do my job in the U.S. Senate.
       Food allergies are sometimes mild and easily preventable by 
     avoiding consumption of certain foods, while other cases may 
     be life-threatening. With respect to celiac disease, the U.S. 
     Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that there are 
     approximately 3 million people in the United States, like 
     you, who must refrain from ingesting gluten.
       Among its many roles, the FDA is responsible for ensuring 
     the safety of our nation's food supply by enforcing labeling 
     laws and regulations. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer 
     Protection Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-282) was enacted to 
     require a list of ingredients that may cause allergic 
     reactions to be included on food labels. Further, the law 
     tasked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to define 
     the term ``gluten-free'' on food labels. The FDA issued its 
     final ``gluten-free'' rule in 2013. Currently, all FDA 
     regulated food products and dietary supplements (including 
     imports from other countries) which bear a ``gluten-free'' 
     label must comply with the agency's 2013 voluntary labeling 
     law. Under the rule, ``gluten-free'' means a food is either 
     naturally gluten-free, is not constituted from gluten-
     containing grains, is constituted from gluten-containing 
     grains that have been processed to remove gluten, or has an 
     ``unavoidable presence'' of gluten of not more than 20 parts 
     per million.
       With the prevalence of food allergies impacting millions 
     across our nation, the federal government plays an important 
     role in enforcing voluntary labeling requirements, based on 
     sound science, to ensure consumer safety and confidence. 
     National, uniform, voluntary labeling standards establish 
     consistency for businesses engaged in interstate commerce, 
     while providing necessary protections for consumers to make 
     safe choices when selecting what food products to purchase 
     and eat. Mandatory labeling, however, could pose significant 
     burdens on industry and produce confusion for consumers with 
     a multitude of labels for every food allergy recognized by 
     the federal government on each product.
       I understand your concerns that it may be difficult at 
     times to determine what is safe to eat. The good news is that 
     we live in a country blessed with a plethora of food options, 
     and a market that responds quickly to consumer needs and 
     demands. This evolving market, in concert with federal 
     standards for voluntary labeling, means that it will only get 
     easier for all Americans to find the ingredient and nutrition 
     you need to make safe and smart choices in the future.
       It is an honor and a privilege to serve you as your United 
     States Senator, and I commend you for bringing awareness to 
     this important issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Marco Rubio,
     U.S. Senator.

                          ____________________