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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 10, 2025
Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act
This bill expands the definition of major food allergen to include galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (commonly known as alpha-gal). Under current law, food labels generally must identify each major food allergen found in labeled food products.
(Certain tick bites cause an allergic condition known as alpha-gal syndrome that can result in an allergy to the alpha-gal molecule, which is found in red meat and other products made from mammals.)
People & committees
Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] · R–NJ
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Oct 7, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-10 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act would add alpha-gal to the federal definition of a major food allergen. It would cover specified mammal-derived ingredients and certain red algae, while excluding mammal-derived ingredients the Secretary determines contain no alpha-gal above an established detection limit. This would change how those ingredients are classified under federal food law.
This Act may be cited as the Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act.
2. Adding alpha-gal to definition of major food allergen (a) In general Section 201(qq) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321(qq)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) (A) Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (commonly known as alpha-gal).
(B) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose includes— (i) ingredients derived from non-catarrhine primate mammals; and (ii) red algae in the order Gigartinales. (C) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose does not include mammal-derived ingredients for which the Secretary determines there is no galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose above an established, detectable limit (such as ingredients made from alpha-gal-knockout mammals).
The proposed definition would expressly include ingredients from the mammal category described as “non-catarrhine primate mammals” and red algae belonging to the scientific group Gigartinales.
(B) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose includes— (i) ingredients derived from non-catarrhine primate mammals; and (ii) red algae in the order Gigartinales.
Mammal-derived ingredients would be excluded if the Secretary determines that they have no alpha-gal above an established detection limit. The text gives ingredients made from “alpha-gal-knockout mammals” as an example; the exclusion remains tied to the Secretary’s determination.
(C) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose does not include mammal-derived ingredients for which the Secretary determines there is no galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose above an established, detectable limit (such as ingredients made from alpha-gal-knockout mammals).
If enacted, the amendment would begin applying 18 months after enactment.
(b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply beginning on the date that is 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated October 7, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on February 10, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-07T20:30:21Z. 2025-02-10: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2025-02-10: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-10. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains a narrow, conditional ingredient exception within its main allergen policy. Classification as a targeted benefit is not a judgment about its justification.
The proposal would give qualifying mammal-derived ingredients an exception from the added alpha-gal definition, benefiting producers using ingredients the Secretary determines contain no alpha-gal above an established detection limit. Ingredients made from alpha-gal-knockout mammals are an illustrative example, subject to that determination.
(C) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose does not include mammal-derived ingredients for which the Secretary determines there is no galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose above an established, detectable limit (such as ingredients made from alpha-gal-knockout mammals).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 7, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI