PRINTER'S NO. 232
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 24
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, HAYWOOD, COMITTA AND COSTA,
FEBRUARY 25, 2025
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, FEBRUARY 25, 2025
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Congress of the United States to pass a food labeling
2 modernization act and an allergen disclosure in non-food
3 articles act.
4 WHEREAS, A food labeling modernization act would require
5 updates to the list of ingredients on packaged foods and add
6 front-of-packaging food labeling requirements, including the
7 disclosure of gluten-containing grains; and
8 WHEREAS, An allergen disclosure in non-food articles act
9 would require that the label of a drug intended for human use
10 identify each ingredient in the drug that is, or is derived
11 directly or indirectly from, a major food allergen or gluten-
12 containing grain; and
13 WHEREAS, Certain food and drug ingredients can pose serious
14 health risks, including death, to those with allergies or
15 intolerances to such ingredients; and
16 WHEREAS, Celiac disease, an illness caused by an autoimmune
17 reaction to gluten, affects about 1% of the United States
18 population, while another 6% of the population has an
 1 intolerance to gluten; and
2 WHEREAS, Those with celiac disease or an intolerance to
3 gluten suffer from symptoms such as hives, skin rash, nausea,
4 stomach cramps, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, joint pain,
5 infertility, early osteoporosis, bloating and low blood counts;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, Lack of compliance to a strict, gluten-free diet for
8 those with celiac disease puts them at a six times greater risk
9 of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a four times greater
10 risk of developing cancer of the small intestine than the
11 general population; and
12 WHEREAS, Food labels play a critical role in managing diet-
13 related diseases, allergies and intolerances; and
14 WHEREAS, Current food and medication labels do not always
15 provide the simple, straightforward information that consumers
16 need to stay healthy and safe; and
17 WHEREAS, Under Federal law, food products containing wheat
18 must be labeled to identify its presence; and
19 WHEREAS, Gluten can be found in grains other than wheat,
20 including barley, oats and rye; and
21 WHEREAS, Without properly labeling all products that contain
22 gluten, we put many of our fellow citizens at risk of developing
23 severe reactions to the food and medicine they ingest; and
24 WHEREAS, It is of utmost importance that we do all we can to
25 help those with celiac disease and others with an intolerance to
26 gluten better identify food and medicine that could be harmful
27 to them; therefore be it
28 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
29 urge the Congress of the United States to pass a food labeling
30 modernization act and an allergen disclosure in non-food
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1 articles act; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
3 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
4 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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