What Is California SB 68? A Plain-English Explainer

What California SB 68 Requires: Top 9 Allergens on Every Menu

California Senate Bill 68 — formally the Allergen Disclosure and Dining Equity Act — was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025 and takes effect July 1, 2026. It requires all restaurants and food facilities with 20 or more locations worldwide, where at least one location is in California, to label their physical and digital menus with the top nine food allergens.

The nine allergens that must be disclosed are: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame.

Who SB 68 Covers: The 20-Location Nationwide Threshold

The law applies to any food facility — restaurant or food service operation — that operates under the same name or substantially the same menu across 20 or more locations nationally, with at least one of those locations in California. The 20-location threshold is counted nationally, not just in California. A chain with 22 locations across six states, four of them in California, is covered.

Independent restaurants and chains with fewer than 20 locations nationwide are not covered by SB 68 — though food allergy remains a strict liability issue for every restaurant regardless of size.

The SB 68 Compliance Deadline: July 1, 2026

SB 68 was signed in October 2025 and takes effect July 1, 2026. There is no grace period. The law is enforceable from the first day it is effective. Given that a typical Foodini implementation takes one to two weeks, operators who have not yet begun their compliance project should move quickly — inbound volume increases as the deadline approaches.