California is the first state to require restaurant chains to disclose the use of certain food allergens on menus.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed Senate Bill 68, which was adopted by California lawmakers earlier this year. The bill requires restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to include on written menus a notification if any of the top nine food allergens were used, including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame and soybeans.
If signed by the governor, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2026.
Introduced by state Sen. Caroline Menjivar—who has severe allergies, as does her nine-year-old child—the bill is designed to protect the millions of Americans who face potentially life-threatening reactions to certain foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 8% of children in the U.S. have food allergies.
Packaged foods have had allergen labeling requirements for decades. But SB 68 would be the first to ask restaurant chains to follow a similar labeling mandate.
Under the law, a restaurant must either include the information on printed menus, or use a digital or QR code format, so long as alternative methods are available for those who can’t access digital materials.
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