Push for allergen disclosure in California

"Eating out is definitely really dangerous. It's something that I try to avoid," Kimura, 17, said. 

"When dining out, obviously, I always bring my EpiPens, and I'm really nervous all the time."

Restaurant dining in California could soon become a little less stressful for Braxton and the growing number of Americans with severe food allergies.

State politicians are set to vote on legislation that would make California the first US state to require restaurants to disclose whether a menu item contains any of the nine most common food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame and soybeans.

Restaurants could post the allergen information on physical menus, an allergen chart, allergen-specific menu or other printed materials. 

They can also post a QR code to access a digital menu that lists allergens. 

Food trucks and carts wouldn't be required to make changes.

The bill will be voted on in September. If approved, the new law would take effect on July 1, 2026.

"It's really to protect the millions of people in California who have allergies like me," said Democratic state Senator Caroline Menjivar, who introduced the bill earlier this year.

Menjivar, who is severely allergic to most nuts and fruits, said she's had to go to the hospital multiple times for anaphylaxis — a life-threatening allergic reaction — to something she accidentally consumed.

The Southern California politician got the idea for the legislation last year while travelling in Europe, which has required restaurants to disclose food allergens since 2014.

Soon after Menjivar returned to the US, she was approached about sponsoring legislation by parents whose daughter has severe allergies.

Since then, nine-year-old Addie Lao has become the bill's most visible advocate, appearing in social media videos, news interviews and legislative hearings.

"I want to be able to eat out with my friends and family like everyone else," the third grader told state senators in Sacramento in April. 

"I have to avoid the foods I'm allergic to since it's like poison to my body and can harm me."

The bill has the backing of numerous groups representing medical practitioners and people who suffer from asthma and allergies.

But the California Restaurant Association opposes the legislation. 

The group says the law would increase costs and burdens on restaurants that are already struggling with rising food prices, tariffs, labour shortages and cost-conscious consumers.

The restaurant industry wants more flexibility in how allergen information is posted, as well as more liability protections.

"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.

Some restaurant chains — such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Olive Garden — already post allergen information on their menus.

Brian Hom, who owns two Vitality Bowl restaurants in San Jose, is one of the bill's biggest backers. 

His oldest son died on his 18th birthday in 2008 after he accidentally ate peanuts at a resort in Mexico.

This legislation "is going to save lives," Hom said. 

"I don't want to see anybody suffer what my wife and I are suffering."

An estimated 33 million Americans, including nearly four million in California, have at least one food allergy, according to the nonprofit Food Allergy Research and Education.