Comment from Niloofar Shambayati

I 've been shocked to learn that many food products that consumers don't suspect to contain animal derivatives indeed do have animal-derived ingredients. Experts have shown that such ingredients induce allergies in some people or contribute to illnesses. Due to our ethical standing on not harming any living being, my family and I have been consuming only plant-based food and, realizing that, inadvertently, we've been consuming products that contain animal extractions is horrifying to us -it's a betrayal of who we are as human beings. Companies are motivated by maximization of their profits and, unfortunately, it's cheaper to exploit and harm animals (because of governmental subsidies) than to use plant-derived ingredients. Food regulatory agencies have a duty to make sure that consumers have the necessary information in order to consume products that are safe and in keeping with our values. I strongly urge you to establish a mandatory inclusion of the disclaimer, “contains animal-derived ingredients”, on all food products. Studies have shown that, contrary to the common claim, such disclaimers drastically reduces consumers' confusion over their food selections.