Mother accidentally poisoned daughter with food including allergen added to get around regulation

A Philadelphia mother “poisoned” her daughter with foods she was allergic to for several weeks following changes in ingredients by companies to circumvent strict new legislation.

Jessica McDermott gave her four-year-old daughter Mia McDermott, who is allergic to sesame, her usual food in January.

But the young girl kept getting sick – unbeknownst to Mrs. McDermott, many of the snacks she had always safely eaten had suddenly become dangerous.

On Jan. 1, a law designed to protect the 1.5 million Americans with sesame allergies went into effect, requiring food companies to clean carefully to avoid cross-contamination between foods with and without sesame.

But according to the Washington Postcompanies now claim they can’t be sure their equipment is at the highest level of cleanliness to prevent traces of allergens from slipping through the net – opting to add allergens to food so that it’s on the ingredients label can be listed.

On January 1, a law intended to protect the 1.5 million Americans with a sesame allergy went into effect

Ms McDermott told the outlet that her daughter became “deeply ill” after eating a Wendy’s cheeseburger – which used to be one of her favorite dishes.

She also suffered from headaches, became dehydrated and vomited frequently.

Nashville mom Emily Tibbs also accidentally fed her two-year-old son Dave’s Killer white bread, which left the toddler with a rash on his face, a cough and a stomach ache that made him cry, she told the outlet.

When both moms checked the food labels, they were shocked to discover that the items were no longer safe because sesame had been added to the ingredient list.

“I was unknowingly poisoning [Mia] for several weeks,” said Ms McDermott.

The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (Faster) Act requires careful cleaning of manufacturing equipment to ensure all foods are sesame-free, and products containing the ingredient must be clearly labeled.

But some companies argue that adding the ingredient is the safest way to go about the new rules because they can’t be sure their equipment is at the highest level of cleanliness.

Other such laws have protected millions of Americans with other mild or life-threatening allergies for decades.

Some companies claim that adding sesame is the safest way to get around the new rules

Wendy’s did not respond for comment on the specific incident

But campaigners warn that the allergen could be invisible if added in flour rather than seeds, meaning children with allergies may not be aware that certain foods are no longer safe for them to eat, especially if they eating in groups. where labels are not around.

“A child who was used to safely eating a hamburger for lunch at school last year will not be aware of the change and will become poisoned as a result,” says Jason Linde of advocacy group Food Allergy Research & Education.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates most food labeling, does not “support” adding sesame as a strategy to comply with the law.

“Labeling should not be used in place of current good manufacturing practices regarding allergens,” an FDA spokesperson told the outlet.

Wendy’s and Dave’s Killer Bread did not respond to The Washington Post for comment on these specific incidents.

Wendy’s previously released a statement saying, “We take food safety and allergens very seriously. … On our current national menu in the US, our premium and value buns contain sesame flour as an ingredient.’

Wendy’s media relations confirmed that sesame is an ingredient in her premium and value buns.

Dailymail.com reached out to Wendy’s and Dave’s Killer Bread for comment.