Restaurants
Massachusetts Restaurant Bill Signed Into Law by Governor Patrick!
Senate Bill 2701, sponsored by Senator Steven Panagiotakos, was signed into law by Governor Patrick on January 15, 2009. This landmark legislation, the first of its kind in the U.S., calls on restaurants in Massachusetts to:
• display a food allergy awareness poster in the restaurant staff area
• place the following notice on menus: Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy.
• train food protection managers and persons in charge of restaurants on food allergy issues
To help with the training component of the new law, FAAN has updated its Welcoming Guests with Food Allergies guide. An accompanying video has also been updated, and will soon be available online.
The new law also allows restaurants to earn a "Food Allergy Friendly" designation from the Department of Public Health (DPH).
FAAN is working closely with the DPH, along with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, celebrity chef Ming Tsai, and Dr. Michael Pistiner, a practicing allergist and voluntary clinical instructor at Children’s Hospital Boston.
FAAN is hopeful that other states will follow the lead set by Massachusetts!
New York City and St. Paul, MN Approve Food Allergy Awareness Posters for Restaurants
The New York City Council has approved a 
proposal to require posters with information on food allergy to be placed in food service establishments. The posters would have to be available in multiple languages, including but not limited to Chinese, English, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.
The City Council of St. Paul, Minnesota has approved a similar measure. The St. Paul poster is modeled after a poster developed by FAAN and a flier created by the Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Association (AFAA) of Minnesota. Special thanks go out to Hospitality Minnesota, the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, restaurant industry representatives in Minnesota, and AFAA.
Restaurant Legislation Introduced in Other States
Assembly Bill 7622 in New York would require proprietors and employees of restaurants to be educated about the dangers of severe food allergy: the need to inform customers of the presence of allergens in menu items; the possibility of cross-contact during food preparation; the symptoms of allergic reactions; and the need for rapid response to such emergencies.
In Pennsylvania, House Bill 45 would require training programs designed to prepare candidates for certification exams to include training on food allergies, including a video and written materials.
Food Code Revisions
The 2009 Food Code includes provisions designed to improve the process by which restaurants address the needs of customers affected by food allergy.
According to Section 2-102.11 of the Code, food establishments should have a person in charge during all hours of operation who is knowledgeable about major food allergens, cross-contaminations, and the symptoms of an allergic reaction. In addition, the person in charge (according to Section 2-103.11 of the Code) should ensure that employees are properly trained in food safety issues, including food allergy awareness, as it is related to their assigned duties.
The FDA updates the Food Code every few years. The Code is used by state, city, county, tribal, and territorial agencies to help regulate restaurants, retail food stores, and vending and food service operations in institutions such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and child care centers. The 2009 edition of the Code is the seventh edition published by the FDA. The previous version of the Code was released in 2005, and was amended in 2007. Individual states, however, must adopt the Food Code, and currently no state has adopted the 2009 version of the Code. More information can be seen here: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/default.htm
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