A new bipartisan bill in Pennsylvania focuses on food allergy safety and may be voted on soon. State Representatives Natalie Mihalek (R-Upper St. Clair) and Arvind Venkat (D-McCandless) introduced the bill, which would require restaurants to display food allergy information and train their staff to manage food allergy risks. Although some restaurants already practice these safety measures, state law does not currently mandate them.
“Food allergies are becoming an epidemic. We need to help people dine out safely,” said Venkat, an emergency physician. He highlighted that around 33 million Americans have food allergies, which is about 1 in 10 people. This number is expected to rise significantly in the next decade, according to Mihalek.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identifies several common allergens, including nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, sesame seeds, and soybeans. The number of children with food allergies has more than doubled from 1997 to 2021, according to FARE, an organization dedicated to food allergy education.
This isn’t the first time the House has reviewed such a bill. A similar proposal passed in the previous session but failed to advance in the Senate before the term ended. Recently, the current bill made progress by passing the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee with a vote of 20-6. Both Mihalek and Venkat addressed concerns raised by some Republican members about potential new regulations affecting small businesses.
Some lawmakers questioned if this bill would add unnecessary regulations. However, Venkat assured them that FDA guidelines would simplify compliance for restaurants, reducing concerns about liability. He mentioned that Pennsylvania already aligns its food safety regulations with FDA standards.
Mihalek also expressed confidence about the bill’s chances in the Republican-controlled Senate, noting support from a major restaurant trade association. She indicated that more food safety legislation is expected this session.
