Restaurants in the future will be allergy-safe.
Approximately five years ago, when my daughter was just two years old, we confirmed through allergist testing that she had multiple severe food allergies—cashews, pistachios, sesame seeds, peas, and lentils. Some of these allergies would cause immediate and intense stomach distress, but others carried a graver risk. Anaphylaxis.
We have since started oral immunotherapy in order to reduce the severity of reactions. Despite our vigilance we still end up at the ER following a few meals from restaurants. In nearly every instance, the culprit wasn’t an obvious allergen—it was something hidden: a blended oil, a co-packed sauce, or an off-site manufactured item that staff were unaware contained allergens.
A well-known Italian brand that generates over $500 million annually had a particularly alarming experience. My daughter was allergic to a soup that we were assured was allergen-free. We discovered after her reaction that the soup had been prepared with a sesame/olive-oil blend in a co-packing factory. No one on the floor—or even in the kitchen—had been informed. Only after contacting the upper management did we learn the truth.
As a mother or father, it is important to understand your role. restaurant consultantThe experience above was a good wake-up call. Food allergies aren’t a fringe issue – they’re a daily reality for millions. Food allergies are a daily reality for millions of Americans. WaiterWallet). Dine-out can be a tightrope act for these families. When they don’t know what ingredients are in the food, they have to guess. The stakes are high: as much as 1 in 4 Almost everyone who eats out has experienced a serious allergic reaction. Halfway through the year, According to a report by the Source: Kids With Food Allergies)
Advertisements
The need for more restaurant kitchens and school cafeterias is growing.
Allergen safety has become a national priority. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin introduced a bipartisan Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act Establish uniform food allergy protocols for school cafeterias. This legislation would ensure school food service personnel receive annual training on food allergies – preparing them to prevent and respond to allergic reactions. Durbin stated that when parents send their kids to school they should feel confident that the staff will be able to manage allergies. (Source: Office of Senator Dick Durbin)
Durbin’s initiative may be aimed at the schools, but it is an indicator for the food service industry as a whole. Restaurants can’t be far behind if cafeterias are expected to have the same level of vigilance. It’s official: food allergy safety has become a public requirement. The FDA Food Code 2022, which was updated in 2018, requires that restaurants and food retailers provide written notices of the major allergens found in their foods. The FDA states that customers with allergies rely on establishments to provide allergen information “verbally or in writing”. The Food Code is not a law but merely a guideline. However, the majority of states will adopt its recommendations over time. (Source: Perkins Coie Law FirmRestaurant owners who anticipate the future are smart to realize that what is voluntary today may become mandatory tomorrow.
This wouldn’t make it the first time. Many states have laws governing restaurant allergy-safety. Massachusetts pioneered allergen-awareness regulations more than ten years ago. Five states – including Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Virginia – now have laws to make dining out safer for people with food allergies. (Source: FoodAllergy.orgThey often require such measures as allergen warning posters in the kitchen, menu advisories or having on staff a certified manager of food protection trained in allergen safety.
What was once a patchwork has quickly evolved into a national discussion. Restaurant owners need to pay attention. When senators begin talking about allergy protocols for schools, it’s likely that similar expectations will be set forth in restaurants.
California’s ADDE Act – Transparency at the Menu
California has a look at the future in terms of restaurant regulation. State lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 68 – the Allergen Disclosure in Dining Establishments. This law, if passed, would require that every California restaurant list the nine most common food allergens in their menus. Kids With Food Allergies). Each menu item would have to clearly identify milk, eggs, fish and shellfish, treenuts, peanuts as well as wheat, soybeans, sesame, and soy. The United States would be the first country to enact a law requiring the labeling of all menu items.
Data and personal experience are at the heart of the ADDE Act. California is estimated to have 2.5 million food allergic people. We’ve seen how transparency is crucial: almost half of food allergy deaths nationwide can be traced to a meal at a restaurant. In one recent case, a 34-year-old woman in Los Angeles died after eating something she was allergic to at a catered event – a tragedy advocates believe could have been prevented with clearer allergen info. Caroline Menjivar of California, who has severe food allergies, introduced SB68 after hearing about the difficulties in dining out as a child with allergies. The message was clear: Diners deserve menus with easy-to-understand allergens. (Source: Kids With Food Allergies)
Not everyone is on board initially – some in the restaurant industry voice concern that redesigning menus and tracking allergens for every dish adds yet another burden on an already challenging business (Source EaterSF). California Restaurant Association claims that the implementation of this program could be expensive or difficult for independent restaurants. These concerns are valid. Changing menus and recipe is not an easy task.
The trend is clear, however: greater disclosure. Allergy advocacy groups and medical organisations who support the ADDE Act see it as an important safety measure that has been long overdue. It has already passed through key committees and now is moving its way through the Legislature. California will lead the way, and other states, including independents, are likely to follow. This is because California would be setting a standard. Few brands would print different allergen-friendly food menus in California and the rest of the nation.
In the kitchen: The allergen challenge that nobody sees
Let’s not get distracted by laws and regulations. Instead, let’s focus on the reality of restaurant kitchens. The frantic pace of service can make it difficult for even the best-intentioned staff to ensure allergen safety. One big challenge is unseen ingredients – those hidden or secondary ingredients that aren’t obvious even to experienced chefs. In an age of distributed supply chain, many restaurants depend on premade sauces, spices mixes, and co-packaged items from vendors. How can a sous-chef or line cook tell if, for example, there are traces of fish sauce or peanuts in a dressing or marinade whose label is not clear?
Front-of-house employees are also on the front line to answer questions from allergic guests. A guest wants to know if a particular dish contains dairy, nuts, or gluten. Does the server have a list of all ingredients? If the chef cannot be reached, what can you do if there is a hurry or he is unavailable at the time an answer is required? Too often, staff members are not fully aware of the allergen risks associated with each dish.
In our industry, high staff turnover can make it difficult to maintain consistency in knowledge. It’s possible that a dish which was safe the week before might switch suppliers quietly this week, making it no longer safe. And news of such a change may not always reach all servers and line cooks.
There is also the daily pressure on the kitchen, which can cause staff to want to pull their own hair out. Chef Kenny Robinson noted that “10-15 servers ask about food allergies every evening in fine dining.” There must be a more effective way than word-of-mouth.
This type of scenario isn’t just hypothetical. In 2017, a teenager in the U.K. tragically died after eating a restaurant meal he was told was safe for his dairy allergy – only to discover too late that the grilled chicken had been marinated in buttermilk. The staff knew about his dairy allergy and the menu did not mention it, but a simple mistake proved fatal. In the inquest, his family made an important statement: “relying on verbal confirmations in a chaotic, noisy restaurant with frequent staff changes is simply not good enough.” They demanded that allergens be clearly labeled on all dishes. (Source: People Magazine)
This is a reminder that a simple misunderstanding or an unreported ingredient can be fatal. The operational stress on restaurant teams is immense when this information isn’t systematically managed — chefs, managers, and servers are essentially playing an ongoing game of telephone about ingredients, with a person’s safety on the line each time.
Do not chase the change. Lead it.
The message for hospitality professionals and restaurant leaders is clear: either we embrace allergen safety proactively or we will be forced to. Smart restaurants don’t see new regulations as a burden or a threat, but rather an opportunity to be the first ones to implement them. Food allergy compliance, at its heart, is about taking care of people – the very essence of hospitality. You’re not only avoiding legal risks, but you are also demonstrating that your business cares for the well-being of its guests by getting ahead of trends.
Now is the time to build allergy protocols into your operations – before you’re backed into it by law or, worse, by a preventable incident. Imagine what “gold-standard” allergy safety would look like in the context of a restaurant (many establishments have already set this standard). This means going beyond the minimum. Some examples:
- Menus with transparent labelsYou can either list the allergens directly on the menu, or you can create a separate guide for guests to easily access. Don’t make diners play detective – spell it out. Tell people up front if the sauce contains nuts or fish, and if the dessert was prepared in an environment that also processed nuts. This will build trust and help to avoid making dangerous assumptions.
- Clear Kitchen ProtocolsEstablish standard operating procedures to handle allergy orders.
* Chefs can designate a separate prep area or cutting board for allergen-free meals and use color-coded utensils that never mix with common prep.
* Fryers and oils should be segregated when possible (e.g., don’t fry the gluten-free fries in the same oil as breaded onion rings).
* When an allergy ticket comes in, maybe only one cook handles that dish from start to finish, as some kitchens practice, to reduce confusion. Consistency is key – the whole team should know the drill for an allergy-safe order. - Communication and Staff Training: Train every member of your team – front and back of house – on food allergy awareness and emergency response. It’s not a one-time training. Include it in your regular staff meetings and/or annual certifications. Be sure that everyone is familiar with the Big 9 allergens, understands how to recognize an allergic reaction and the protocol for when a guest declares an allergy. Create a culture in which servers feel confident asking the kitchen for clarification and the kitchen is open to answering questions. Also, appoint a point person each shift who is extra-knowledgeable on allergens – someone who can confidently answer questions or liaise with guests as needed.
- Ingredient AccountabilityKeep an updated ingredient binder, or digital database of all your recipes and products. Included in this are the “ingredients contained within the ingredients”, for premade components. You should keep the ingredient list of any new marinade you use from a supplier. Vendors should be part of this conversation – ask your suppliers for allergen info and updates whenever they change a formulation. Encourage the use of a system that alerts the entire staff if anyone changes a kitchen recipe or adds an additional ingredient. It takes a little work, however it helps to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Restaurants can turn allergy compliance from an issue into a source of pride by implementing these steps. Many establishments that have adopted robust allergy protocols report that it actually streamlines service in the long run – staff aren’t left scrambling when an allergic guest comes in, because everyone knows the playbook.
More importantly, it increases customer loyalty. Parents with allergic children will often talk amongst themselves; an allergy-aware establishment quickly becomes trusted in a world of dangers. A bad reaction can damage a restaurant’s reputation. This is good business, and it’s good ethics.
Remember: allergen safety is a great way to motivate your team. We are all in the hospitality industry because we love people. The mission of hospitality is to keep guests safe. It’s as important as serving great food or creating a beautiful environment. You empower your staff to offer hospitality on a higher level when you train them about allergen protocols. What you’re saying Every guest It is important that no one has to be in fear of their lives when they eat at your establishment.
Embracing Solutions and Building Trust
It’s not necessary to go it alone. There is a growing ecosystem of resources to help restaurants overcome these challenges. National Restaurant Association provides ServSafe Allergens, while advocacy groups such FARE provide restaurant toolkits. Technology is stepping up too – from digital menu platforms that can automatically flag allergens to inventory systems that track ingredient changes. Chef Kenny is working with me to create a solution for hospitality businesses to manage allergens. Our goal is to simplify the process for restaurants in labeling dishes, tracking ingredients, and communicating with guests about allergies. This isn’t a sales pitch – it’s an acknowledgement that industry-wide, smart minds are tackling this problem. Early adopters can expect to see a reduction in the difficulty of implementing allergy-friendly practices.
In the end, food allergy compliance doesn’t just mean following laws or avoiding liabilities; it also means trust and safety. These are the cornerstones of hospitality. When an allergic guest comes to your establishment and trusts you with his or her well-being, it’s a great opportunity for you to demonstrate what type of establishment you run. You can show that you care about your guests by taking allergy issues seriously and accepting the changes to come.
As a professional in the restaurant industry, I must eat out often. I do most of my cooking at home because of my daughter’s food allergies. I’m a frequent and repeat guest at the restaurants that I know take my concerns about my daughter’s allergies as seriously as I do.
In closing, remember that regulations like the ADDE Act or Senator Durbin’s school protocols are not about burdening restaurants – they’re about saving lives and including everyone at the table. We thrive on making people welcome. As food allergy awareness rises, the most welcoming thing we can do is ensure that every guest – no matter their dietary restriction – knows they’ll be taken care of. We not only protect ourselves and our business from potential risk, but also actively contribute to a safer dining experience that is more inclusive for an increasing segment of the community. This is the type of leadership that elevates hospitality as a whole. It’s a legacy that any restaurant can be proud of.
