- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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April 21, 2009
Why aren't we seeing 'gluten-free' on food labels?
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
If you have Celiac disease (gluten intolerance), you know that a gluten-free diet is the only known treatment for this disease. Eating a gluten-free diet means avoiding wheat, rye and barley — and any ingredients or contaminants that contain even minuscule amounts of these grains. Thus, it's critical that foods be labeled "gluten-free" so you know they're OK for you to eat.
In 2004 the U.S. Congress enacted the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). The law required that by 2006 food manufacturers list on their products — in plain English — the presence of the most common allergy-provoking, life-threatening foods: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, soy and wheat. FALCPA gave the Food and Drug Administration until 2006 to propose a rule to define the term gluten-free and to develop guidelines for how and when food manufacturers can use the term. Manufacturers were given until 2008 to begin labeling foods as gluten-free. So why hasn't this happened?
I picked up the phone and called the FDA. I found out that although they are behind schedule, the FDA is making progress:
- In 2007 the FDA proposed the definition for "gluten-free" and guidelines for its use on food labels, and invited consumers and manufacturers to comment. Defining "gluten-free" is challenging because foods are complex mixtures of ingredients. Currently a food is defined as gluten-free if it contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.
- Since then the FDA has conducted a safety assessment and is compiling expert comments on the assessment. When these are released, consumers and manufacturers will have an opportunity to respond.
- Before developing the final rule, the FDA will consider the comments it receives, including comments on ease of compliance, enforcement, economics, trade issues, legal aspects and potential concerns. The FDA encourages those who are interested to check the FDA web site for updates.
As a health care professional whose husband has Celiac disease, I'm grateful that a law has been passed requiring foods to be labeled gluten-free. I'm also grateful that the FDA is carefully defining the term. I'm pleased that experts, consumers and manufacturers have input into the processes. Finally, I'm hopeful and confident that this long process will make it possible for people with Celiac disease to easily identify gluten-free foods and be assured that these foods are safe for them to eat.
I too encourage you to check the FDA's web site for updates and provide your input.
- Jennifer
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