PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Two Pennsylvania lawmakers who serve Allegheny County are trying to advance a proposed bill that would require restaurants to add allergy warnings for customers and employees.
The State House could vote on the legislation as soon as Wednesday.
State Rep. Arvind Venkat, (D)-30th District, the only physician in the state legislature, is hoping the bill becomes law so it can help prevent serious trips to the emergency room and save lives.
If you're one of the more than 33 million Americans who have a food allergy, you know how a sudden allergic reaction can quickly ruin a night out to eat.
"Food allergies are an epidemic in our community," Rep. Venkat said. "Nearly half of the food allergy exposures that result in emergency department visits are from restaurants," Venkat said.
Also, According to the CDC, one in three people with food allergies report having a reaction in a restaurant.
A piece of legislation on the table in Harrisburg aims to minimize those risks.
State Rep. Venkat is an emergency physician with Allegheny Health Network who has seen people end up in intensive care because of food allergens.
He sponsored House Bill 77 with state Rep. Natalie Mihalek.
He said the bill would order restaurants and other food establishments to display food allergen warnings on menus or written clearly on something else for customers to read and add allergy awareness posters in food prep areas for employees to remember.
"So that customers are aware of the possibility of exposure to food allergens, that they can notify their servers or whoever's selling them their food about whatever food allergies they may have. As well as to make sure that in food preparation, people are well aware of the dangers of cross-contamination," Venkat said.
The legislation would also require food allergy safety training for restaurant employees.
Venkat said he introduced the bill after he spoke with a Franklin Park woman whose son tragically died from exposure to peanuts at a restaurant several years ago.
"I have treated more than my share of food allergy patients; they can be quite critically ill. It's something that I take very seriously, both as a physician as well as the representative in my community," he said.
The state Department of Agriculture would oversee the program.
Venkat said he believes restaurants are very aware of this issue, and doing what they can to help. But he said more could be done to put people at ease, and this bill passing would be a step in the right direction.
"Most food retail establishments, I think, are trying to do this. I see menu notifications quite frequently. But whether that is also occurring in the food preparation areas. And making it something that is done systematically is really important," Venkat said.
"To advance this legislation is something that I take great pride in," he added.
An early version of the food allergy bill passed the state house late in the last session and did not make it to the state senate for a vote. It recently passed a House committee. A House vote on the measure is expected on Wednesday.