Beware When the Label Says "Made in a Facility That Processes..."

While patients might be tempted to ignore food labels that say "made in a facility that processes" (something they're allergic to), new research suggests products with these labels are in fact more likely to be contaminated with peanuts, milk or eggs than unlabeled foods. "Our study underscores the need for allergic consumers to avoid advisory-labeled products, which present a small but real risk," the authors write in the study, which was reported online July 12th in a letter to the editor in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. While companies are required to clearly state if their products have possible allergens in the ingredient list, there are no particular regulations on whether they need to add statements such as "may contain traces of peanuts," for example, for foods that aren't supposed to contain such allergens. . read more.