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The following allergy alert is from the IFT and FDA on January 14, 2008.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned Newman’s Own Organics in a letter that packages of the company’s spelt pretzels fail to note “the presence of wheat.” Under the Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, major food allergens must be listed on the packaging. Allergens are defined as milk, egg, fish, crustacean, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans, as well as any food ingredient that contains protein derived from one of these foods, with the exception of highly refined oils.
The packaging on the company’s spelt pretzels includes the statement, “While spelt is a member of the same grain family as oats and wheat, it's an entirely different species.” Although this statement is true, the FDA has stated that “wheat” means all species of the genus Triticum, of which spelt (Triticum spelta L.) is a part. The FDA is concerned that the statement may give the impression that the spelt pretzels product does not contain the allergen found in wheat and is safe and suitable for consumption by consumers who are allergic to wheat. This is not the first time the company has been warned about this issue. The FDA sent a similar warning letter in Dec. 2006. According to an article on Bloomberg.com, Peter Meehan, Newman’s Own Organics’ CEO, said that the pretzel’s packaging will change.