Ming Tsai

Food Allergy Bill in Massachusetts

Chef Ming Tsai's Groundbreaking Food Allergy Law Passes in Massachusetts

Bill formulated by chef/owner of Blue Ginger and host of public television’s Simply Ming is signed into Law by Governor Deval Patrick

( BOSTON , MA , FEBRUARY 2009) For the past four years, Ming Tsai, the James Beard Award-winning chef/owner of Blue Ginger in Wellesley , MA and the host and executive producer of public television’s Simply Ming, has worked with Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D - MA) to pass a bill to make restaurants safer for those with food allergies. Ming not only lobbied on the bill's behalf but, drawing on his experiences as both the father of a child with food allergies and a chef/restaurateur, helped to shape the bill's language and propose guidelines that were not only effective but also realistic in a variety of restaurant settings. This January the bill was signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick. This landmark legislation, the first of its kind in the US, calls for simple, inexpensive measures all restaurants can take to make dining safe for those with food allergies.

"I'm so proud that Massachusetts is the first state to pass such comprehensive legislation," says Chef Ming Tsai. "I've always said if you are in the restaurant industry, it's your duty to serve everyone safe food."

According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), for which Tsai is a national spokesperson, more than 12 million Americans have food allergies, and about 3 million of them are children. It is estimated that food-related anaphylaxis results in about 150 deaths and over 50,000 emergency room admissions each year. It is a growing issue, with the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis on the rise. Even trace amounts of an allergen can cause a reaction, which is why proper safeguards and training is so important.

The new law calls for restaurants to take a few straightforward precautions, all of which Blue Ginger already does:

• Requires the placement in restaurant kitchens of an approved poster providing general info rmation on food allergies as they relate to food preparation. (Tsai worked with FAAN to create these posters.) 
  Requires menus to include a statement that the customer should info rm the wait staff of any food allergy issue.
  Requires standard food service courses to include the viewing of an approved food allergy video. 
  Requires Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop a program for restaurants to be designated as “Food Allergy Friendly” and to maintain a listing of restaurants receiving such designation on its website. Participation in the program is voluntary, and, in addition to any other DPH requirements, in order to receive such designation restaurants would be required to make available to the public a master list of all the ingredients used in the preparation of each food item available for consumption. (This section of the law was inspired by the “Food Bible” Tsai has kept since day one at Blue Ginger that includes a list of all ingredients used in each menu item.)

The full Bill S. 2701 can be viewed here: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st02/st02701.htm.
In addition to the measures taken at Blue Ginger, Ming has worked for years to make cooking easier for those with food allergies, offering substitutions for common food allergens on his public television show Simply Ming and using allergy-friendly ingredients. He has also taped special vodcasts, available free on iTunes, to raise awareness on the subject. The vodcasts can also be viewed at:               http://simplyming.org/rss/vodcast.xml.

The new law goes into effect 90 days after the Governor's signing, which occurred on January 15, 2009. The portion of the law requiring restaurants to add the statement to their menu goes into effect January 1, 2010.

Check out Ming's Public Service Announcement about the new Law, produced by How2Heroes.