The manufacturing act of labeling our food products in terms of the ingredients a particular product contains and nutritional data is sometimes taken for granted, We often see the labels on our food products. , but ignore them because we are so used to seeing them in our daily lives. Surprisingly, food product labeling, particularly that relating to allergen warnings, was not always accessible to consumers until a government mandate in 2004 (FALCPA). I think part of the reason for such a delay in regulation is a social stigma surrounding allergies, whereby having them was a sort of natural selection and not a problem that needed to be taken care of. Another surprising notion I discovered was that even though there were no government regulations, food manufacturers were taking a lot of initiative to inform their consumers about potential allergens in their products. During my research, I found it quite alarming that allergy labeling on products was only mandated by the government ten years ago. If allergens were not clearly labeled on the products we consume, people allergic to nuts or gluten, for example, would have extreme difficulty purchasing food products. Studies show that approximately 30,000 people require emergency room care in the United States due to allergy-related incidents and approximately 150 deaths occur as a result of allergic reactions to foods. Additionally, approximately 2% of adults in the United States and 5% of children have food allergies. Judging from these allergy demographics, it can be assumed that if allergen labeling were not required for consumer products, we would see a considerable number of hospital treatments and deaths in the United States and the whole world. . middle of paper ......n potential death. What the FDA should do is support funding for increased advertising, encouraging all citizens to be more aware of the potentially dangerous products they consume. I'm sure if people without food allergies were more aware of the potential harm their daily snack could cause to someone else, they would start being a lot more careful. HR3147. Np, and Web. April 23, 2014. “Food.” Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-282, Title II). Np, and Web. April 23, 2014. Marotta, Giuseppe, Mariarosaria Simeone and Concetta Nazzaro. “Product reformulation in the food system to improve food security. Evaluation of policy interventions.” Appetite 74. (2014): 107-115. Academic research completed. Internet. April 23, 2014. "S. 1653: Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2013." GovTrack.us. Np, and Web. April 23. 2014.