California lawmakers wish to ensure people dining out are protected and aware. They have introduced a new Senate Bill 68 that will protect millions of diners in California who suffer from allergies. Food chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other small businesses, will have to update their menus with allergen information.
They cannot skip the top nine allergy-causing foods from the list. This will help make people more aware of what goes into the recipe and the items they are ordering. Having allergies to nuts and milk can be life-threatening, as seen in the case of Democratic state Sen. Caroline Menjivar.
The new bill will obligate the owners to list the top nine common items: milk, fish, tree nuts, wheat, sesame, soybeans, shellfish and eggs. All the restaurant chains may not need to comply with this, but one location, once the bill passes.
This will be a one-of-a-kind law for Californians, and the people will be more aware of the food choices and which ones to skip. The law suggests that large and medium chains(6-20 locations) will have to add food allergens to the menu directly or keep a digital menu via QR code to inform consumers.
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Those with 2-5 locations or small single restaurants will also have to provide information. Only temporary and mobile food places are exempt from these rules. The bill will add more protection to the people who dine out.
Meanwhile, the restaurant will have to follow previously existing legal rules to ensure food safety. Many people who suffer from food allergies support this bill and state that the law may help boost sales.
They will be more willing to try these restaurants once they know more about the items on the menu. Those who have allergies often have to carry EpiPens, and it impacts their lives. As Kimura has told us, eating out is dangerous, and she tries to avoid it.
There has been support from those who suffer, but the restaurant owners aren’t too happy about it. They are against the bill, citing the added cost. As per them, the industry is already struggling.
State lawmakers will vote on a bill in September that would mandate restaurants to disclose common allergens on their menus.
If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences Act would take effect on July 1, 2026.
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This goes beyond just adding information to the menu; they will also have to add substitutes and work around the new menu. This may negatively influence their sales.
Matthew Sutton, California Restaurant Association senior VP, stated, “You get into a situation where the menu becomes unwieldy and it becomes incredibly impractical and expensive to be constantly converting menus out with each ingredient shift that may occur and the need to do a new allergy notification.”
