One-by-one, classmates of young food allergy advocate Addie Lao walked up to a microphone to address the California Senate Health Committee hearing. Each stated their name and told lawmakers, “I support this bill”.
The 20 third-graders spoke up on April 9 for the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences Act, or ADDE bill, named in honor of 9-year-old Addie. If passed, the Senate bill would require California restaurants to list top food allergens contained in all dishes on their menus. That would make it the first state with such a requirement.
The young students and other supporters had an impact. The Health Committee voted to move forward the Senate bill, known as SB 68. It will now go to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Addie and her mom Robyn Lao co-authored the bill with state Senator Caroline Menjivar. Addie testified at the hearing about her need to be careful because of her allergies to dairy, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame.
The lack of allergen transparency on menus makes dining out difficult because ingredient information at a restaurant is “hidden, like a secret,” she said. “I want to be able to eat out with my friends and family like everyone else.”
Menjivar also testified about her own allergies to nuts and most fruits. She told fellow lawmakers about the times she has suffered severe allergic reactions after restaurant meals turned out to contain undisclosed allergens. She called the lack of disclosure life-threatening. “SB68 wants to change that,” the Senator said.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) says the legislation “has the potential to prevent ER visits and save lives,” according to Kenneth Mendez, AAFA’s president and CEO.
“If adopted, this bill will promote transparency, increase dining options for people with food allergies, and mean more potential customers for restaurants,” he says.
Opposition to ADDE Act
However, not everyone supports the ADDE bill. The large food allergy nonprofit FARE has joined with the California Restaurant Association (CRA) to oppose the bill. The organizations submitted a joint letter outlining their concerns.
“We support the bill’s intentions but believe there is a more effective path forward and so we have respectfully opposed this bill as written,” Sung Poblete PhD, RN, the CEO of FARE, tells Allergic Living.
FARE has been working with the restaurant industry to incorporate all involved – “from the supply chain all the way to the front-of-house operations,” Poblete says. As opposed to starting with a law, “it is our position that a collaborative solution will create safer dining for the food allergy community,” she said.
Matthew Sutton, a senior vice president with the CRA, pointed to the state’s wide variety of restaurant sizes and types, along with an ever-changing supply chain, as concerns for the bill’s method of allergen disclosure. “This bill we believe takes a static approach,” Sutton told the hearing.
The CRA and FARE contend that real-time ingredient information through the use of technology is a preferred solution to the written menu transparency the ADDE Act proposes.
Food Allergy Advocacy at Odds
But AAFA, which has been a key advocate for the ADDE Act, takes a strong exception to its fellow nonprofit’s opposition. Mendez is critical of FARE’s approach. He says that technology can support menu labeling, but is not a substitute for the ADDE bill’s menu requirements.
In a statement, AAFA specifically references EveryBite.* FARE recently announced a non-financial partnership with the digital menu platform that provides customizable menus that filter through recipes for each diner’s allergens.
“It’s disappointing to see opposition claim to support food allergy safety while rejecting a basic, life-saving solution like menu labeling,” Mendez says. “True advocacy means supporting safeguards that protect everyone – not just big business.”
Asked for her response, Poblete said: “There seems to be an intentional misunderstanding of FARE’s position, which supports the intent of the bill to protect food allergy patients but opposes the plan for execution.”
As for EveryBite, she said: “To punish a technology platform volunteering resources for a community is a disappointing tactic.”
She further said that while technology is part of the solution to allergy-friendly dining, “we also need to address supply chain, manufacturing, and back-of-house restaurant operations.”
“This requires education, collaboration, and possibly legislation – but let’s not start there,” she said.
However, the ADDE bill is moving forward. Support for the proposed legislation was on display at the hearing as California community members and several medical professionals made their voices heard.
A letter of support for the ADDE Act was signed by 35 organizations and more than 500 medical professionals. Organizations include the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT), the Food Allergy Nursing Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, California.
Allergic Living, which has long supported allergen transparency in dining, is one of the signatories.
ADDE Act: Room to Negotiate
The ADDE bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process with plenty of negotiation and advocacy ahead. Senator Scott Wiener, a member of the Health Committee, says he is confident that all parties involved can find a resolution that a variety of restaurants can follow.
“This is a matter of life and death,” Wiener said of food allergy dining concerns. “It’s important for this to be implementable.”
As examples of other countries that have implemented similar laws for menu transparency, Menjivar and AAFA both point to the European Union and United Kingdom. For several years, the EU and UK have required restaurants to disclose allergen information.
Poblete also stated that FARE wants to collaborate with other stakeholders. “We hope to have the opportunity to work together to set a new national standard starting in California,” she says.
Menjivar noted at the hearing that she is open to discuss ways to improve the bill.
If the bill is passed, the law would take effect in July 2026. It also adds sesame to the list of major food allergens in the California Health and Safety Code.
Young advocate Addie will continue to urge the food allergy community to join her in supporting SB68 in an effort to move it through the state legislature. Those who would like to get involved in the California effort can contact AAFA here.
*Allergic Living covered the EveryBite platform rollout, in progress for months, as an important technological tool for the food allergy community. We support the ADDE bill, and the new platform.
Related Reading:
Read the ADDE bill here.
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