Ag Committee advances bill requiring allergy notices at food retailers and expands poultry technician licensing

The Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee advanced two separate bills during its voting session, moving forward a measure that would require allergy warnings in retail food establishments and a second bill that changes eligibility for certified poultry technicians and clarifies quarantine authority for the Department of Agriculture.

House Bill 77, sponsored by Representative Venkat, would require food retail establishments to display posters in serving areas about the dangers of food allergies and include warnings on menus or other printed materials. Representative Venkat described the measure as a “common sense safety” step and said it was prompted by a constituent family that lost their son to accidental cross contamination at a restaurant. “The bill requires that food establishments…have posters in their serving areas about the dangers of food allergies,” Venkat said.

The bill’s backers said it aligns display content with the Food and Drug Administration food code and associated consensus guidance so specific allergen lists would follow federal recommendations. Representative Venkat said the alignment would mean the list of…