The heart-rending story of Christina Desforges was a grim reminder of both the rationale behind the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and the challenges faced by processors in helping safeguard consumers with compromised immune systems.
A 15-year-old girl from Saguenay, Quebec, Christina went into anaphylactic shock in November when her boyfriend kissed her. The boy had eaten peanuts hours before. The protein residues in his mouth were sufficient to cause a severe reaction in the peanut-allergic girl. Despite receiving an adrenaline injection almost immediately and being rushed to a local hospital, Christina Desforges died a few days later.