Restaurants in California will be required to list major food allergens on their menus in 2026, reported the Associated Press.
“The law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday applies to businesses with at least 20 locations. They will have to disclose ingredients including milk, eggs, shellfish and tree nuts when they know or ‘reasonably should know’ that they are in their products,” AP wrote.
California state Sen. Caroline Menjivar reportedly said the bill was inspired in part by her own experiences living with severe allergies to nuts and fruits.
“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,” she said when the bill passed in the Legislature. “In turn, these businesses will be able to offer allergen families a unique additional assurance that will drive customers to their establishments.”
The nonprofit Food Allergy Research and Education said the bill is “not perfect” but is a “meaningful step” to protect people with food allergies.
However, the California Restaurant Association has said previously that the law will be costly and burdensome for businesses, according to AP. The group said it is pleased the bill no longer applies to small restaurants but remains concerned the legislation could lead to “predatory lawsuits” against businesses.
In other recent food policy news, brands such as Walmart, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo are removing synthetic dyes from their products after the FDA in April announced “a series of new measures to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply.”