MP Gallant Hosts Pembroke Food Labelling Consultation

September 03, 2008

Pembroke, Ontario - Cheryl Gallant, MP, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is pleased to host an information session at the Marguerite Centre, 700 Mackay Street, Pembroke, regarding the proposed new labelling requirements for pre-packaged foods. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 5, 2008, 9am to 11am.

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stated that food safety is a priority for our government. In the last two years, 200 new safety inspectors have been hired. It’s not worth the risk when it comes to the health of Canadians not to have the people in place to get the job done,” sated Cheryl Gallant, MP.

Officials from the Federal Department of Health will be on hand to give a presentation and answer any questions interested members of the public may have on the proposed changes. 

“Earlier I announced that the federal government was seeking input from interested individuals regarding proposed changes to the food labelling requirements for food allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites contained in pre-packaged foods. This public meeting is intended to inform the public before the changes are enacted,” said MP Gallant. “I would particularly like to hear from our business community about the new labelling requirements. Our government recognizes that small bakeries, for example, face different challenges than the large chain stores. This must all be considered whenever new rules are proposed”.

“The issue of food allergies and food labeling is a particularly sensitive one here in the Ottawa Valley thanks to the efforts of Pembroke resident Sara Shannon on behalf of her daughter Sabrina,” remarked MP Gallant. “Sabrina's Law was named after 13-year-old Sabrina Shannon, who died in September 2003, after sitting down at her Pembroke, Ont. school cafeteria to eat lunch. She had a severe allergic reaction to french fries contaminated with a dairy product. Before staff could retrieve her medicine from her locker, Sabrina died from anaphylactic shock.”

For those with food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances, avoiding specific foods and ingredients is an important health challenge. An allergic individual coming into contact with an undeclared allergen such as peanuts in a food product may have symptoms that develop quickly and rapidly progress from mild to severe, including anaphylactic shock and death. For those suffering from celiac disease, the only current treatment is to maintain a strict gluten-free diet.