This new NJ food allergy law is unfair to business owners (Opinion)

Edison, NJ is considering a law that would require all restaurants in the city to label their menu offerings with common food allergens. If this law passes, it will be another step backward for liberty and prosperity in NJ. Where have you heard those two words together? That’s our state motto. But there’s so little of either left, it’s become ironic.

Under the proposed ordinance, all restaurants would be required to list all common allergens in a dish on the menu. This is preposterous and another example of government leaders having too much time on their hands and government getting too involved with private business.

Brian Pansari, the owner of La Bonbonniere bake shoppe on route 27, said it best. He explained that since milk and eggs help create many baked goods, posting allergens would likely just become a liability issue for eateries.

“Not every product that we make contains milk… but there’s no way I can guarantee that the dough or the bread hasn’t come in contact with milk somewhere in the facility,” Pansari said. “So I’m going to label everything as having milk.” Not to mention the fact that your food allergy is your problem and it’s your responsibility to be cognizant of what you’re ordering and eating. Why is this the restaurant owner’s problem? If your allergy is so severe that you can’t take a chance, you probably shouldn’t be eating out anyway.

If a restaurant owner chooses to do this because (for some reason) he thinks it may boost business, then that’s up to him. And allergy sufferers can feel confident eating there. That’s the way the free market works. But for the government to mandate this is just beyond the pale—not to mention unfair to the already put upon business owners in New Jersey.

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