Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman joined Long Island families Monday in leading a push to add gluten warnings to add packaged foods and restaurant menus across the country.
Blakeman, who is eyeing a potential run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination next year, called on the US Department of Health and Human Services to mandate that companies add labels clearly stating whether products or dishes contain gluten of any kind.
“This issue is important because there are so many people who have celiac disease,” said Blakeman at a press conference.
“We need to make sure people who have food issues, whether it’s a food allergy or an autoimmune condition, have access to proper labeling so they know what they can safely consume,” he said.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is advocating for gluten labels to be added to all food packaging and restaurant menus. Dennis A. Clark
Local parents with children who suffer from celiac disease — a condition where the immune system reacts harshly to anything containing gluten — also spoke in support of new federal rules identifying foods potentially harmful to them.
“It’s like torture,” 11-year-old Jude Leibson said of living with the autoimmune condition.
Roughly 14,000 people suffer from the disease in Nassau County alone — enough to nearly fill UBS Arena in Elmont, Leibson pointed out and officials confirmed.
“If we get gluten labeled, life would become so much easier,” another 11-year-old, Jax Bari, told The Post after the press conference.
The kids explained how difficult it is to navigate life while avoiding gluten, which includes wheat, barley, rye, and a slew of other everyday ingredients found in nearly all breads, pastas, cereals and processed foods.
Jude Leibson, 11, spoke to reporters about his experience living with celiac disease. Dennis A. Clark
11-year-old Jax Bari said his life would become much easier if food packages had to dearly label gluten. Dennis A. Clark
For instance, they described having to bring their own cupcakes to birthday parties, spending hours at the grocery store looking up individual ingredients in different products and having to avoid most snacks since it’s unclear whether the ingredients or dyes inside may contain even the slightest trace of gluten.
Adding labels on menus would also be life-changing when eating out the families said, noting that currently, going to a restaurant for a meal involves just praying that the staff are aware of which dishes contain gluten.
“Eighty-seven other countries already do it, they have the science down, we don’t need to rework the system — we just need the United States to get on board,” Liebson’s mother, Staci, told The Post.
“It would be life changing for their mental health, our mental health, and for their physical health,” she said. “This would change every single individual’s life living with celiac disease.”
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