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By Alia Shoaib
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In-N-Out Burger's CEO has been criticized for giving "dangerous" allergy advice after she said the amount of sesame in the chain's burger buns was safe for people with allergies.
On June 15, Sung Poblete, the CEO of Food Allergy Research & Education, said in a statement: "FARE is deeply concerned by this troubling, dangerous and public assertion made by Lynsi Snyder, Owner and President of In-N-Out, that the amount of sesame in In-N-Out Burger buns is safe for people with a sesame allergy.
"We cannot let this comment stand. Each individual has their own food allergy reaction sensitivity and what is safe for one may cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction for another."
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In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration declared sesame to be the ninth major food allergen. Last year, a law came into force that requires sesame be listed on food labels as a major allergen. Prior to this, sesame was often left off ingredient labels, meaning people with allergies were at risk of accidental exposure.
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Poblete's statement included a screenshot of an Instagram comment Snyder made about the amount of sesame in the burger chain's buns.
When a user urged the company to not use suppliers that put sesame flour in their burger buns, Snyder wrote in response: "My son has a sesame allergy and the amount in our buns is safe. The key is to not deprive them completely of the allergen or it becomes more deadly. I'm not a doctor, but it's not as drastic as some are making it."
Poblete criticized Snyder's comments, saying "it is disingenuous in the worst possible way to portray that it's 'not as drastic as some are making it.'"
Newsweek has contacted In-N-Out Burger for comment via a form on its website outside regular working hours.
Earlier in June, the fast-food company released a statement that said, beginning on June 12, its hamburger buns would contain a small amount of sesame flour, making up less than 2 percent of ingredients.
"We have found that many bakeries in the industry are unable to ensure that buns baked in their facilities are sesame-free," In-N-Out Burger said in the statement.
Poblete said bakers were adding sesame flour to plain products to avoid having to properly clean manufacturing lines.
Sesame is the ninth most common food allergy in the U.S., with about 0.23 percent of the population living with it, FARE said.
On its website, the nonprofit said sensitivity to sesame varied between individuals and that reactions could be unpredictable.
Symptoms of a sesame allergy can range from mild reactions, such as hives, to more severe reactions, including anaphylaxis.
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