Landmark legislation positions California as the first state to require restaurant chains to clearly identify allergens on menus
(RestaurantNews.com) Betsy Craig, CEO and co-founder of MenuTrinfo® and the Certified Free From™ seal, issued the following statement today in celebration of the passage of California Senate Bill 68, the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences (ADDE) Act, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 13.
“On behalf of MenuTrinfo®, I am proud to reaffirm our longstanding support for California Senate Bill 68 and to commend Senator Caroline Menjivar for her leadership in championing this critical food safety legislation. This groundbreaking bill represents a monumental step forward in protecting the millions of Californians living with food allergies. Since 2010, MenuTrinfo® has been at the forefront of providing comprehensive nutritional information and allergen tagging for menu items, proving that this work can be done, and done well.”
Nearly four million California residents live with potentially life-threatening food allergies, including approximately 8% of all children. For too long families have faced anxiety and uncertainty when dining out, unable to easily identify which menu items contain the top nine food allergens – milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame, and soybeans. Senate Bill 68 will change that.
By requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to clearly disclose allergen information either directly on menus or through accessible digital formats, this legislation will empower consumers to make informed, safe choices about what they eat. This effort goes beyond convenience; it is a critical measure to help prevent severe allergic reactions, reduce hospitalizations, and ultimately save lives.
At MenuTrinfo®, we have always believed that transparency in food labeling is not only good business practice but a moral responsibility. For more than two decades, packaged foods have been required to meet federal allergen labeling standards under FALCPA, yet restaurants have remained largely exempt from similar mandates. With the passage of Senate Bill 68, California is poised to become the first state in the nation to close this gap, setting a powerful precedent that we hope other states will follow.
We are particularly moved by the story of young Addie Lao, the bill’s co-sponsor, whose experience navigating food allergies helped inspire this legislation. Every child – and every person – deserves to enjoy dining out with their family without fear or apprehension.
As shared by Joshua Powers, Founder & CEO SafetyZone & #EatSafeProject “This is an incredible victory for the food allergy community and a huge step forward for menu transparency nationwide. For the 33 million Americans living with food allergies including our founder Joshua, and his sister, who have both faced multiple life-threatening reactions due to mislabeled menus. This change means greater safety, awareness, and peace of mind for our beloved community. This is just the beginning. Together, we’re making change happen.”
We are all thrilled to have supported this bill and applaud Governor Newsom having signed Senate Bill 68 into law and look forward to supporting restaurants across the state as they implement these important protections ahead of the July 1, 2026, compliance date. This legislation represents the kind of forward-thinking policy that makes California a national leader in consumer safety and public health.
Together, we can create a dining culture where food safety is paramount, and everyone can enjoy a meal with confidence and peace of mind.
About MenuTrinfo®
MenuTrinfo® is a Columbia, Maryland-based food safety training and auditing company and a leading expert in food allergen management. Since 2010, the company has pioneered innovative solutions to protect the food allergic community through its award-winning nutritional analysis database, accredited AllerTrain food allergy training programs, and the groundbreaking Certified Free From™ (CFF) certification program and seal.
The CFF program is the first and only allergen-free certification of its kind to be accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for meeting the rigorous International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17065 standards for certifying bodies. Through comprehensive third-party audits from loading dock to tabletop, MenuTrinfo® verifies that consumer packaged goods, food facilities, and dining operations are truly free from any or all of the nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. The organization donates fifty percent of all profits from the CFF program to support food allergy research.
MenuTrinfo®’s consumer-trusted CFF seal provides the 85 million Americans who seek allergen-free products with verified assurance beyond soft claims, empowering them to make safe, confident choices. The company serves clients across the globe, including consumer packaged goods manufacturers, university dining facilities, restaurants, health and beauty products, and supplement producers. For more information, visit MenuTrinfo.com and CFFfoods.org.
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