No Nut-sense: Greenfield Introduces Food Allergy Legislation

If you've got a food allergy, you're familiar with the risk inherent of going out to eat—after all, is your server really listening when you ask if a particular dish has nuts?

Councilman David Greenfield introduced legislation this week that would require restaurants to post signs alerting diners to common allergies caused by foods served. 

Under the so-called Food Allergy Awareness Act, restaurants would post signs warning patrons whether any food contains common culinary allergens like eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, soy or wheat ingredients. 

“This is a simple, common-sense solution to a serious and growing public health issue," said Greenfield in a statement. "The more awareness we can create about food allergies, the more we can reduce the risk for those people who have to worry about this every time they go out to eat."

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been an 18 percent increase in food allergies between 1997 and 2007, with the prevalence of peanut allergies among children tripling from 1997 to 2008.