SB-68 Compliance Requirements
Food Allergen Disclosures now Mandated for Restaurants
California has become the first state to enact food allergen disclosure requirements for restaurants - with a deadline of July 1, 2026. To help you be prepared - we've gathered resources to help educate you on the bill and what's required to comply.
Impacted Restaurants
Any restaurant concept with 20 or more locations operating under the same brand no matter where the restaurants are located, and regardless of who owns the restaurants as long as one restaurant (franchisee or company-owned) operates in California
Any franchisee of a restaurant concept with one location in California if the concept has 20 or more locations worldwide
What's Required?
Under SB 68, covered restaurants must disclose food allergens to customers as follows:
Menu Disclosure Options
Provide food allergen disclosure either directly on the menu (next to or immediately below each item) or in a digital format, such as a QR code that links to an online menu.
Alternative Written Format Required
If a digital method is used for menus/disclosure, restaurants would be required to offer an alternative written format for customers who cannot access digital information. Acceptable alternatives may include a separate allergen-specific menu, an allergen chart, a grid, a booklet, or other written materials.
Communication Methods
Communicate allergen information using either the common or usual names of the allergens or standardized pictograms.
What is the timeline?
The compliance date is
July 1, 2026
All covered restaurants must be compliant by this date
What do I need to do to prepare?
Conduct Analysis of Current Menu
Standard menu items must be evaluated to determine if they contain major food allergens. It's imperative you document recipes and coordinate with supply chain vendors to ensure you have full visibility into product ingredient data.
Document allergen information
Leverage a digital partner like Foodini, or manually update your menus to reflect which items contain the 9 major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, sesame)
Keep Ingredient Information Updated
Operators and franchisors must ensure updates to products and ingredients are reflected as they are made so allergen information is accurate.
Consult Your Legal Team
To mitigate against risk, restaurants should consult with their respective insurers legal advisors to review disclosures, franchise and/or vendor agreements. We're happy to send over recommendations if helpful!
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about SB-68 compliance requirements
This page summarizes California Health & Safety Code §114093.5 (SB-68) and is not legal advice.