Pennsylvania lawmakers and food allergy advocates are pushing for proposed legislation to make restaurants in the state safer for diners with food allergies. House Bill 77 would require eateries to provide customers with written notice about allergens used in the food and to display food allergy awareness posters in the staff area.
Rep. Natalie Mihalek tells Allergic Living that they worked to provide “a reasonable means that restaurants and servers can help reduce catastrophic emergencies related to food allergies.” Mihalek partnered with Rep. Arvind Venkat on the bipartisan bill.
Photo: Randall Ward Rep. Natalie Mihalek speaks. Behind (from left): Sung Poblete, Sen. Judy Schwank, Peter and Kathy Briden.
The bill also mandates a disclaimer advising diners to inform servers about their food allergies. A majority in the House passed the proposed legislation in February 2025. The Senate version of the food allergy legislative package is now awaiting consideration by the Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee.
“Menu disclaimers and displaying food safety educational materials are small steps that can make a significant impact,” says Senate sponsor Sen. Judy Schwank, minority chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee.
Venkat, who introduced the House bill in January 2025, was inspired by his constituent Kathy Briden. She explained to him how her son Matthew died after accidental exposure to an allergen at a restaurant in Pittsburgh. Then they got to work crafting legislation.
“The Briden family has been wonderful in their advocacy in the face of their tragedy. I’m happy to stand with them,” Venkat tells Allergic Living.
Matthew Briden’s Tragic Night
Matthew, who had a peanut allergy, was 28 years old when he died in June 2022. He had recently opened his own business as an IT consultant.
Her son had been excited about trying out a Pittsburgh restaurant for a date on the night of June 29, Kathy Briden says. But immediately after eating a burger, he got sick and excused himself.
Matthew administered an EpiPen right away in his car. He then drove home where he got violently ill in his Pittsburgh townhouse where he lived alone. His mom tells Allergic Living that Matthew gave himself a second EpiPen dose before falling asleep.
When Matthew awoke, he went to the emergency room complaining of shortness of breath. An ER doctor would tell the family that Matthew initially had no other visible signs of distress. Then, while under observation, “it just went downhill,” his mom says.
Within 38 minutes of being observed, he went into anaphylactic shock and died on June 30 at the hospital, Briden says.
Of anaphylactic shock, Matthew’s mom says: “You don’t expect it. In the back of my mind I knew Matthew could die from it, but I never thought he would.”
Matthew Briden had spent a lifetime of being cautious, reading labels, avoiding baked goods, and always carrying his own epinephrine auto-injectors. Briden says Matthew’s friends knew how to inject him, as well.
“He was very diligent in restaurants discussing his food allergy,” his mom says. “We really thought we were doing everything that’s recommended.”
Pennsylvania‘s Lack of Allergy Training
The Bridens: dad Peter, Melissa, Meghan, Matthew and mom Kathy Briden.
Matthew was known to always make the effort to avoid his allergen. Yet, the Bridens were extremely concerned to learn the same could not be said for those serving him food in Pennsylvania restaurants. There is currently no state requirement for restaurant kitchen staff to be educated about food allergies.
Briden spoke to the restaurant owner where Matthew had eaten, to try to find out what led to her son’s fatal reaction. However, the food for the eatery was prepared in another restaurant’s kitchen. So the owner had no idea how Matthew was exposed to peanut, his mom says. The kitchen the restaurant had used said they didn’t think any peanuts were on the menu.
“The lack of knowledge about food allergies in restaurants was eye-opening,” Briden says. “This is unacceptable.”
So Matthew’s family has made it their mission to make dining safer for the more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians with food allergies. “Matthew was a helper, and very loyal with a big heart,” Briden says. “He’d want us to help others with food allergies, however painful it might be for us to relive it.”
Learning about Matthew’s tragic restaurant experience can help lawmakers better understand the need for protections for diners provided under HB 77, says Sung Poblete PhD, RN, who is CEO of the nonprofit FARE.
“Kathy Briden and the Briden family are an inspiration to all of us. We admire Kathy’s strength and advocacy in ensuring restaurants receive proper education,” she says.
Pennsylvania Bill: A Balancing Act
The proposed food allergy safety legislation aims to reduce risks for food-allergic restaurant diners by providing awareness for staff and communicating with customers, Venkat says.
“It’s never just one oversight. It’s a series of oversights that cause tragedies to happen,” he says.
The bill’s measures are meant to help prevent those oversights. Requirements include:
Allergen ingredient transparency. Include a statement on menus or other written notice about food allergens used in the restaurant.
Customer allergy communication. Request that customers inform servers about their food allergies.
Poster. Display a poster in the employee area that includes a description of major allergens and symptoms of an allergic reaction.
“Placing signs in back-of-house environments may help keep food-allergic diners top-of-mind for restaurant staff, reinforcing safe practices,” Poblete says.
The bill balances the need to protect and welcome diners without creating an undue burden on the dining establishments, Venkat explains.
Notably, the bill has gained the support of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association (PRLA), which represents thousands of restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses.
Joe Massaro, president and CEO of PRLA, said in a statement that “PRLA recognizes the critical importance of food allergy awareness in protecting the health and safety of our guests.” He said the proposed law supports that “by establishing clear, reasonable standards that are not overly burdensome for operators.”
Advocacy for Pennsylvania Dining Bill
Lawmakers and food allergy advocates gathered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on June 10 for a rally urging the Senate to move the restaurant bill forward.
Schwank, who spoke at the rally, says she is encouraged by the bipartisan support for the bill.
FARE’s Poblete, who is advocating for the bill, noted during the press conference that food allergies are personal. “It’s so important for legislators to hear the real-world experiences of those individuals and families who are part of this community,” she says.
Briden encourages other Pennsylvania residents to join her in contacting their senators to share their personal reasons for wanting lawmakers to act on their behalf. Schwank’s office agrees that contacting state senators with unique messages is key to gaining support. Pennsylvanians can locate their state senator on the General Assembly website.
“We don’t want anyone else to have a child die from food allergies. It is the most horrible thing and you carry that grief forever,” Matthew’s mom says.
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