The Unexpected Challenge of Buying Bread
Allergies
Food allergies have always shaped my relationship with what I eat. Like many who face the same challenges, I have a laundry list of allergens—peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and, crucially, sesame seeds. Growing up with these restrictions made me wary of trying new foods, leading to some rather selective eating habits. Among my staples were bread-based items like bagels and sandwiches, which I could trust because I knew exactly what was in them.
As a precaution, I developed a habit of checking the ingredients on everything I consumed. This practice, while perhaps excessive, has always provided me with peace of mind, ensuring that nothing life-threatening sneaks onto my plate. For the most part, this routine felt redundant—until about a year and a half ago, when a significant policy change made it necessary to scrutinize every label on store-bought baked goods, thanks to a newly ubiquitous ingredient: sesame seeds. Even if they aren’t visible on the surface, sesame has become a common addition, drastically limiting the options available to people with sesame allergies. Foods that were once safe — like sandwiches at restaurants, panko breadcrumbs, and store-bought bagels — are now potential hazards.
How did we get here?
The FASTER Act: A Double-Edged Sword
The sudden prevalence of sesame in bread products can be traced back to the FASTER Act (Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act), which came into effect on January 1, 2023. This legislation recognized sesame as a major allergen (ninth most common in the U.S.), requiring clear labeling and careful management of its presence in food 1.
However, the FASTER Act also presented a significant challenge to manufacturers. If a product is labeled as sesame-free, production facilities must be thoroughly cleaned to remove any trace of sesame. Given the tiny, easily dispersed nature of sesame seeds, completely eliminating cross-contamination is nearly impossible. To navigate this issue, many bakers have opted to include sesame flour in their products, thus avoiding the risk of undeclared allergens while complying with the law.
Flowers Foods — owner of brands like Nature’s Own, Wonder, and Merita—has added sesame flour to all buns, rolls, and hoagies, even labeling some loaves with a "may contain" warning due to possible cross-contact. This trend is echoed by fast food chains such as Wendy's, Chick-fil-A, and Olive Garden, which have all announced that their bread products may now (or definitively) contain sesame 2.
The American Bakers Association claims that these changes are intended to enhance consumer safety. By including sesame as an ingredient, they ensure transparency and reduce the risk of undeclared allergens. However, for those with sesame allergies, this well-intentioned decision has had harmful consequences. The FASTER Act's implementation was marred by poor communication, leaving many people with little time to adjust to these sweeping changes. Myself and many others were blindsided by these changes, leading to unexpected reactions and a dimishing list of foods that are safe to eat.
Snake in the Grass
I learned about these changes the hard way, during an ordinary night out at a local pub. Having ordered the same burger countless times before, I was shocked when I suddenly experienced an allergic reaction. I felt the familiar sensation of an allergic reaction spreading across my mouth, but luckily I did not require any further treatment than a Benadryl and a few hours in the bathroom. The culprit, it turned out, was a sesame-laced Kaiser roll — something I had never encountered at this particular place. I asked the pub the next day if they had changed their Kaiser roll provider, which they denied.
Determined to avoid a repeat experience, I swore off the pub’s dinner menu for a while. But when I went grocery shopping days later, I discovered that my usual brand of bagels (Thomas's) had also succumbed to this trend. The packaging was subtly different, and sure enough, the ingredient list now included sesame.
What was once a rare concern had suddenly become a widespread issue, infiltrating everyday foods I had always trusted.
I Still Eat Bread Sometimes
Fortunately, not all bread has been affected. Brands like Pepperidge Farm's Hearty White Bread and most NYC bagel shops have managed to keep their products free of sesame flour, although caution is still necessary with shared equipment like toaster ovens.
The FASTER Act should have been a victory for those with sesame allergies. Instead, the burden of compliance fell disproportionately on consumers, with companies choosing the path of least resistance—adding sesame instead of improving their cleaning practices. This decision has reduced our food options and forced us to adapt, but it didn’t have to be this way. Proper execution could have provided the safety we deserve without compromising our ability to enjoy basic foods.
Food safety is important. And still, I miss being able to eat a stadium hot dog.
1 You can read more about the FASTER act here.
2 Other companies and chains have also added sesame to their manufacturing lines. There are too many examples to name in this blog post alone.