Do restaurants have to tell you their ingredients if you ask?

Question

I was eating in a little restaurant when a lady demanded that the employees tell her what the ingredients were in an item she ordered. They informed her they didn't know because it was a "trade secret" and the parent company wouldn't even tell them. They gave her the corporate number, but she claimed "it's the law!" (this is in California) that if and when she asks they have to tell her. Is this true? Having worked in restaurants before, I was under the belief that a consumer can ask if a certain ingredient such as an allergen is in an item, but that ingredients do not have to be disclosed.

Answer 1

She can ask if a particular ingredient exists (i.e., asking if it's made with peanuts).

The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) is addressed requiring food labels to disclose ingredients that are the eight “major food allergens” (milk, egg, fish, shellfish, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, or soy). It is not, however, yet a law for restaurants.

The current labeling law only addresses restaurants who sell food not prepared on their premises by them.

Answer 2

I think that as a consumer, she has every right to ask for a particular ingredient, not the entire list . If she asked a waiter, she is barking up the wrong tree because they would have no idea. If she asked nicely, the chef (if it is not a franchise where the food just comes to the kitchen already prepared) will probably have an idea if an offending allergen is present.
That lady is wrong, there is no such law. She should have told the waiter of allergies before ordering.
To maintain good customer relations, a phone number was produced for the lady to phone, and the kitchen pled ignorance of the ingredients of the premade food.
That is fair enough. Next time, that lady should just define her preferences as she orders her dish. It shouldnt be too hard for a regular kitchen to accommodate her request.
Or she can stay home and prepare her own food.

Answer 3

That's a good question.
I would think they would out of courtesy, and if they wish to keep their customers weather it's law or not.
It should be a law, they must list them for store bought foods, they should require this for restaurants too. Secret ingredients are killers for someone sensitive ,or allergic to something.
I'd love to see this same thing enforced for ingredients like, MSG, Mono-sodium Glutamate.
They hide it under "other" labels.
No good..
I will like to see what answers you get.
I don't believe it is a law, but it should be..
FDA do your jobs....
Have a good day and God bless you through Jesus Christ..

Answer 4

I think if she asked the corporate office they might have to tell her, but I'm pretty sure that the normal restraunt you walk in does not have to tell you, because some of them do not even know. I work at a restraunt and i know that if someone asks us for our calories and stuff like that we refer them to our website so I'm sure that would be the same for ingrediants

Answer 5

if everybody knew the ingrediants you could do it yourself and they wouldnt have a resturant

Answer 6

there is no need for them to be disclosed

Answer 7

no they dont, if you are allergic you dont eat out