RESTAURANTS including McDonald’s and Starbucks will be forced to roll out menu changes under a new law.
Thousands of eateries, including fast-food chains and small businesses, could be made to roll out the sweeping alteration that will bring about more awareness for consumers of the food they order.
All food chains and independent restaurants will be forced to make the menu change (stock)[/caption]
If the bill is passed, the law will go into effect on July 1, 2026 (stock)[/caption]
All eateries will have to disclose allergen information on their menus to protect consumers (stock)[/caption]
It comes as California lawmakers move to further protect consumers while dining out.
“It’s really to protect the millions of people in California who have allergies like me,” said Democratic state Sen. Caroline Menjivar who introduced what is known as Senate Bill 68.
Menjivar, who is severely allergic to nuts and fruits, has been forced to go to hospital on a number of occasions after suffering a life-threatening reaction while dining out.
With the new bill, she wants to see restaurants legally obligated to disclose if any item on the menu has one of the top nine most common allergens.
These are: Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame, and soybeans.
It is not just chains that will be forced to change – restaurants that have just one location will be impacted if the bill is passed.
State lawmakers are set to vote on it in September and if passed and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the law will go into effect on July 1 2026.
It would be the first of its kind in the country, benefiting the estimated four million Californians with at least one food allergy, per the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).
The legislation stipulates that “large and medium chain restaurants (defined as establishments with 6-20 locations respectively) must provide written notification of known major food allergens for each menu item, either directly on the menu or through a digital format like a QR code.
“Small chain restaurants and independent restaurants (with 2-5 locations or a single location) must also provide allergen information in a readily accessible manner.”
Only two types of eateries will be exempt from the law – mobile food operations and temporary food facilities.
“The legislation aims to help consumers with food allergies make more informed dining choices by ensuring clear and accessible information about potential allergens in menu items,” it states.
“The bill does not alter existing legal responsibilities of restaurants to ensure patron safety and is part of broader efforts to protect individuals with food allergies.”
Consumers with major allergies have already come out in support of the move and it may help drum up business for restaurants.
Those suffering from severe food allergies have spoken out in support of the legislation (stock)[/caption]
Governor Gavin Newsom will sign the bill into law if passed in a vote next month[/caption]
“Eating out is definitely really dangerous. It’s something that I try to avoid,” 17-year-old Kimura from San Jose told Spectrum News.
“When dining out, obviously I always bring my EpiPens, and I’m really nervous all the time.”
Meanwhile, 9-year-old Addie Lao has highlighted how impactful such a law would be to her life.
Speaking to state senators in Sacramento in April, she said: “I want to be able to eat out with my friends and family like everyone else.”
“I have to avoid the foods I’m allergic to since it’s like poison to my body and can harm me,” the third grader added.
Despite support from allergy sufferers and medical groups, the California Restaurant Association has come out against the bill saying it will increase costs on an already struggling industry.
“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,” said Matthew Sutton, senior vice president at the California Restaurant Association.
It comes as grocers oppose another proposed bill by California lawmakers that will force retailers like Kroger and Walmart to roll out self-checkout changes including item limits and bans.
