Sesame Becomes the Ninth Major Allergen in the United States: Lessons for Allergen Management
Since 1 January 2023, sesame must be declared as a major food allergen on foods sold in the United States. The change is a reminder that allergen lists differ between markets.
Key points
- Sesame became the ninth major food allergen in the United States on 1 January 2023 under the FASTER Act.
- Exporters must check the allergen list of each destination market, not only their own.
- Allergen control depends on accurate labels as much as on cleaning and segregation.
What changed
Foods that contain sesame must declare it on the label, and manufacturers must control sesame cross-contact in the same way as the other major allergens. Sesame was already a regulated allergen in other markets, including the European Union and the Gulf countries.
What it shows about allergen management
An allergen programme built for one market can fail in another. Regulated allergen lists differ, and they change. Mislabelling remains one of the most common reasons for food recalls.
A checklist
- Keep an allergen list for every market you sell to, and review it each year
- Hold allergen information for every raw material and update it when suppliers change
- Validate the cleaning used between allergen and non-allergen products
- Control label design, approval and line checks at changeover
- Use precautionary labelling only after a documented risk assessment