NYC Mayor Signs Lappin’s bill

This just in from the NYC Council:

Mayor signs Lappin’s bill to protect food-allergic New Yorkers

Today, Mayor Bloomberg will sign legislation sponsored by Council Member Jessica Lappin to protect food-allergic New Yorkers by increasing awareness among food preparers and handlers.

“For most New Yorkers, a mistake by a waiter – like bringing regular coffee instead of decaf – is an inconvenience,” Council Member Lappin said. “But if you’re one of the 300,000 New Yorkers who suffer from food allergies, a simple mistake like that could be fatal.”

The bill the Mayor will sign today will require restaurants and other food service establishments to display a poster that provides important food allergy information to their staff. The poster, which will be available in multiple languages, will highlight the most common food allergens, as well as provide information about how to avoid cross contamination and what signs to look for to identify an allergic reaction.

Education and awareness are the keys to preventing food allergy attacks. However, a survey conducted by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in 2007 found that of the 100 restaurant managers, chefs, and servers they surveyed, only 42 percent had received any food allergy education. Twenty four percent thought that it is safe to consume small amounts of an allergen; 25 percent thought that removing problem foods—like nuts or shrimp—from a finished dish would make it safe; and 35 percent believed that fryer heat destroys allergens.

“Food allergy deaths are preventable if people are educated,” Council Member Lappin said. “This law will ensure that food preparers and handlers across the city are aware of what can trigger food allergies and how they can prevent an attack. This awareness can help save lives.”

Today, Mayor Bloomberg will sign legislation sponsored by Council Member Jessica Lappin to protect food-allergic New Yorkers by increasing awareness among food preparers and handlers.

“For most New Yorkers, a mistake by a waiter – like bringing regular coffee instead of decaf – is an inconvenience,” Council Member Lappin said. “But if you’re one of the 300,000 New Yorkers who suffer from food allergies, a simple mistake like that could be fatal.”

The bill the Mayor will sign today will require restaurants and other food service establishments to display a poster that provides important food allergy information to their staff. The poster, which will be available in multiple languages, will highlight the most common food allergens, as well as provide information about how to avoid cross contamination and what signs to look for to identify an allergic reaction.

Education and awareness are the keys to preventing food allergy attacks. However, a survey conducted by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in 2007 found that of the 100 restaurant managers, chefs, and servers they surveyed, only 42 percent had received any food allergy education. Twenty four percent thought that it is safe to consume small amounts of an allergen; 25 percent thought that removing problem foods—like nuts or shrimp—from a finished dish would make it safe; and 35 percent believed that fryer heat destroys allergens.

“Food allergy deaths are preventable if people are educated,” Council Member Lappin said. “This law will ensure that food preparers and handlers across the city are aware of what can trigger food allergies and how they can prevent an attack. This awareness can help save lives.”

Comments

This is exciting! I will be curious to see what sort of education tools they develop for this program.
Unknown said…
Excellent! Thanks for sharing this!

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