Mother accidentally poisoned daughter with food including allergen added to get around regulation

A Philadelphia mom 'unknowingly poisoned' her daughter for several weeks with food she was allergic to due to ingredient changes made by companies to get around strict new legislation. 

Jessica McDermott was feeding her four-year-old daughter Mia McDermott, who is allergic to sesame, her usual food throughout January. 

But the young girl kept getting sick - as unbeknownst to Ms McDermott, many of the snacks she had always eaten safely had suddenly become dangerous. 

On January 1, a law intended to safeguard the 1.5 million Americans with sesame allergies came into effect, which states food companies must carry out careful cleaning to prevent cross-contamination between foods with and without sesame. 

But, according to the Washington Post, companies are now claiming they cannot be sure their equipment is at the highest level of cleanliness to avoid traces of allergens slipping through the net - and are choosing to add allergens to food so that it can be stated on the ingredients label instead.

Ms McDermott said her daughter became 'violently ill' after eating food that used to be safe for her allergies

On January 1, a law intended to safeguard the 1.5 million Americans with a sesame allergy came into effect

Ms McDermott told the outlet her daughter became 'violently ill' after eating a Wendy's cheeseburger - which was previously one of her favorite foods. 

She also suffered from headaches, became dehydrated and vomited frequently.  

Nashville mom Emily Tibbs also accidentally fed her two-year-old son Dave’s Killer white bread which made the toddler develop a rash on his face, a cough and stomach pain that made him cry, she told the outlet. 

When both moms checked the food labels they were horrified to find that the items were no longer safe as sesame had been added to the ingredient list. 

'I’d been unknowingly poisoning [Mia] for several weeks,' said Ms McDermott. 

The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (Faster) Act means that manufacturing equipment must be carefully cleaned to ensure all foods are sesame-free, and produce that contains the ingredient must be clearly labeled.

But some companies are claiming that adding the ingredient is the safest way to deal with the new rules as they cannot be sure their equipment is at the highest level of cleanliness. 

Other such laws have protected millions of Americans with other mild or life-threatening allergies for decades. 

Some companies claim that adding sesame is the safest way to get around the new rules

Wendy’s did not respond for comment on the specific incident

But campaigners warn that the allergen can be invisible if it is added in flour, rather than in seeds, which means kids with allergies might not be aware that certain foods are no longer safe for them to eat - especially if they are eating in group settings where labels aren’t nearby.

'A child accustomed to safely eating a burger for lunch at school last year will not know about the change and will be poisoned as a result,' Jason Linde, from advocacy organization Food Allergy Research & Education said.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates most food labeling, 'does not support' adding sesame as a strategy to comply with the law. 

'Labeling is not to be used instead of current good manufacturing practices with regard to allergens,' an FDA spokesperson told the outlet. 

Wendy’s and Dave’s Killer Bread did not respond to The Washington Post for comment on these specific incidents. 

Wendy’s has previously released a statement which said: 'We take food safety and allergen matters very seriously. … On our current national menu in the U.S., our premium and value buns contain sesame flour as an ingredient.' 

Wendy’s media relations confirmed that sesame is an ingredient in its premium and value buns.

Dailymail.com approached Wendy's and Dave's Killer Bread for comment.