Report: Incorrect food labels a threat

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CHICAGO, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Food products with incorrect labels are a threat to children with severe food allergies throughout the United States, the Chicago Tribune says.

The newspaper reported Friday, based on an investigation it conducted, children with major food allergies nationwide have begun suffering severe reactions to food products mislabeled by their manufacturers.

The Tribune said its investigation found a significant number of allergen-free labeled food products contain harmful amounts of common allergens such as eggs, milk and peanuts.

Such alleged mislabeling would prevent parents and teachers from recognizing potentially hazardous items being fed to children with allergies.

The newspaper said the government appears to be doing little about the situation, citing scores of complaints to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 2001.

The Tribune said of the 260 reports it examined, only 7 percent resulted in recalls of food products. At the same time, the newspaper has created a list of 2,800 recalls linked to food allergies during the last decade.