TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Joseph Coniglio to require restaurants to educate their employees about the danger of nut allergies was signed into law today.
“Nut allergies are serious, in fact, more than three million people suffer from them,” said Senator Coniglio, D-Bergen. ” The majority of nut allergy sufferers are children, including my grandson Devin. I sponsored this legislation to protect him and other children like him, so that they can go out to eat without the fear of sickness and possible death from exposure to nut products.”
The Senator’s measure, S-1105, directs the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to work with the New Jersey Restaurant Association to prepare a fact sheet designed to explain the dangers of nut allergies. The fact sheet would also recommend that restaurants identify dishes containing peanut products on their menus. Restaurants found to be in violation of the law are subject to fines of up to $250.
The measure authorizes local health agencies to conduct inspections of restaurants and municipalities to enforce the law.
The measure also appropriates $250,000 for the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to conduct a public information campaign entitled “Ask Before You Eat,” to provide public information about food allergies.
“Protecting allergic patrons must be a two-way effort,” Senator Coniglio said. “Servers should know to inform patrons and patrons should take the responsibility to ask.”