One of my biggest wishes with my daughters is something most people take for granted. I want to be able to go to a restaurant, order them something to eat and know it will not make them sick. That there will be no hives or little kids up all night with a stomach ache.
People with food allergies and intolerance’s just got one step closer to that dream in Massachusetts. The government just passed Bill S 2701, the food allergy bill. The Passionate Foodie posted a great overview of the new law.
There are two parts of the bill that I think will make a big difference. First, the mandatory food allergy training for restaurant staff. I can’t think of the number of times I’ve asked about ingredients and been given “guess” answers where the server is obviously not taking my concern seriously. Hopefully this will at least make staff aware of the importance of guests concerns.
Second, and my absolute favorite part, is the optional ability for restaurants to get a “food allergy friendly” label. As part of the requirements they must publish a master list of all ingredients in the food on their menu. That way a customer could skim over the ingredients and know for sure if the items are safe. I can not stress how important this requirement is for people with food allergies. For many allergies it’s very hard for restaurant workers to recognize all the places the food can sneak in. For example I’m avoiding nightshades including all peppers. Yet I was served a salad with some dried cayenne pepper sprinkled on top of the dressing! I’ve seriously limited my eating out because I can’t trust the food to be safe with out all the details.
Btw.. for any restaurants reading this, publishing all ingredients are just good business sense. People with food allergies are desperate for a chance to eat normally. Not to mention usually overloaded by having to make sure everything that goes in us or our kids is safe. Any restaurant that provided all the details to be safe and publicized that would get a huge following.
On that note if you are in Boston please check out Blue Ginger. The owners have a son with food allergies and have worked hard to make it a safe place for peple to eat. They have a Food Allergy Reference book to help people check on ingredients. I haven’t eaten there but I’m suddenly very interested in taking my daughters to Boston. (The owner Ming Tsai was the primary driver behind the food allergy bill.)
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Hi! We ate at Blue Ginger last summer with our then 7 year old and almost 5 year old. We went to have an early 5th birthday celebration. It was great. The service was phenomenal! The food was fantastic! We got to chat with Ming Tsai himself, and talked about food allergies. They made the kids’ desserts special with candles for the birthday too…really nice restaurant, wonderful experience. When you come to Boston, definitely include Blue Ginger on your itinerary.