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About
Us
In early
2003, an ad hoc group of 15 leaders in the celiac
community came together to help persuade Congress to
require food labels to include information about
allergens.
A year later, in June 2004, the National Institutes of Health
convened a consensus panel on celiac disease. The
expert panel noted the lack of a national federation
working together to advance education, research and to advocate
on behalf of individuals with the disease.
Several speakers
highlighted the work of the American Celiac Task Force
(the predecessor to the ACDA) which was spearheading a
grassroots effort to improve the nation's food labeling
laws.
The Food
Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act was signed
into law on August 3, 2004, easing much of the
guesswork in food shopping for those with celiac disease
and food allergies. The unified voice of the
community had been heard.
With this achievement,
the Task Force realized the need for a permanent
advocacy organization and elected to become
the American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA).
The 501(c)(3)
non-profit represents and advocates on behalf of the
entire celiac community -- patients, physicians,
researchers, and food manufacturers, and other service
providers.
Our
efforts to serve the community include:
The ACDA
represents all segments of the celiac community the
needs of patients through
-- Providing the first ever
testimony to Congress about celiac disease and the need
for increased funding for celiac research. This
effort helped spur the need for the NIH Consensus
Conference on Celiac Disease;
-- Providing technical
assistance to House and Senate staff on the needs of
individuals with celiac disease in preparation for
congressional action on the landmark labeling
legislation.
-- Developing and executing
a grassroots strategy to advocate for passage of the
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act;
-- Providing guidance to
food manufacturers on requirements of the new labeling
law;
-- Providing assistance to
federal regulatory agencies - FDA, USDA, and the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid - on issues relating to celiac
disease;
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