Certain California eateries soon will be required to provide customers with information on the “Big 9” major food allergens in menu items under a new law taking effect in July.
California Senate Bill 68, known as the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences Act, applies to restaurant chains with 20 or more locations.
After the legislation was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last October, Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D–Van Nuys), the bill’s author, said it made California the “first state in the nation to require lifesaving allergen disclosures on menus at food facilities with 20 locations and more.”
An estimated 4 million Californians have food allergies, according to 2023 data from the nonprofit Food Allergy Research & Education.
“Soon, the millions of Californians with food allergies, many of whom are young children, will be able to fully enjoy dining out without fear or apprehension at these qualifying restaurants,” Menjivar said in a separate September news release announcing the bill had been sent to Newsom to sign.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which supported the bill, also praised its passage as a “tremendous win.”
“Similar legislation is in place in the European Union and has been since 2014. Allergen disclosure works – it helps provide a better dining experience for people with food allergies and reduces the incidence of food allergy reactions,” Kenneth Mendez, AAFA’s president and CEO, said in an emailed statement on June 8. “Not only does this law provide a level of protection for diners, it also helps restaurants attract loyal customers. The legislation is a win-win for California families and restaurants.”
Here’s what to know about California’s upcoming “Big 9” allergen requirements.
What SB 68 does
The new law, taking effect July 1, requires California restaurants with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name to provide customers with written disclosures of nine specific food allergens in menu items.
The “Big 9” food allergens are those that have been identified as the leading cause of food allergies in the nation, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The nine allergens that restaurants must disclose are:
Restaurants can either provide food allergen information by printing it directly on the menu or digitally.
If the information is printed on a menu, it must be provided below or adjacent to the food menu item.
Should a restaurant choose to provide the information in a digital format, such as via a QR code, they must also have an alternative method of providing it should a customer not have the means to access the digital format.
The law will be enforced by the California Department of Public Health and local health agencies.
What SB 68 doesn’t do
The new law will not affect restaurants with fewer than 20 locations. It also does not apply to compact food operations, such as those used for sidewalk vending, or non-permanent food facilities, such as food trucks.
The law will not be applied to prepackaged foods sold at a location that are already subject to federal food allergen labeling requirements.
What other laws go into effect in July?
More than a dozen new laws are set to take effect starting July 1. Those laws range from prohibiting video streaming services from playing ads at a loud volume, to the creation of a pilot program to address the critical need for hospitals in rural areas, USA TODAY reported.
A full roundup of the new laws can be found here.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The ‘Big 9’ allergens that will be labeled on CA menus under new law
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
