SLS 25RS-19 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 177
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
PUBLIC HEALTH. Provides relative to food allergen awareness. (8/1/25)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:5.5(C) and to enact R.S. 40:5.5(F), relative to food allergen
3 awareness; to require food allergen training for food service establishments; to
4 provide for duties of the Louisiana Department of Health; to require food service
5 establishments to display certain food allergen information; and to provide for
6 related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 40:5.5(C) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 40:5.5(F) is
9 hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 ยง5.5. Sanitary inspections of certain food service establishments; food safety
11 certificates; food allergen awareness
12 * * *
13 C. The state health officer and the office of public health of the Louisiana
14 Department of Health shall require, at a minimum, the owner or a designated
15 employee of a food service establishment to hold a food safety certificate; however,
16 the state health officer and the office of public health of the Louisiana Department
17 of Health shall not require more than one owner or employee per establishment to
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 177
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1 hold a food safety certificate. Provisions for the issuance and renewal of such the
2 certificate shall be made part of the state's Sanitary Code in accordance with the
3 provisions of R.S. 40:4 and the following requirements, conditions, and
4 authorizations:
5 (1) The office of public health shall approve training programs for applicants
6 which impart and test knowledge of the following:
7 (a) The nature, prevention, and control of foodborne illness transmission. and
8 of methods
9 (b) Methods for identifying and monitoring critical control points for
10 safeguarding the production, processing, preparation, and serving of food.
11 (c) Food allergen awareness including:
12 (i) The risk of an allergic reaction to a food allergen.
13 (ii) Symptoms of an allergic reaction.
14 (iii) The major food allergens as determined by federal law and
15 regulations of the United States Food and Drug Administration.
16 (iv) The procedures for preventing an allergic reaction.
17 (v) Appropriate responses for assisting an individual who is having an
18 allergic reaction.
19 Such (2) The training programs shall include but not be limited to
20 instructions in the standards set forth in the Applied Food Service Sanitation
21 Program established by the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant
22 Association or other programs recognized in the food service industry. The office of
23 public health shall approve training programs administered or approved by another
24 state, a political subdivision, or other jurisdiction with standards that meet or exceed
25 those established by this Subsection.
26 (2)(3) A food safety certificate shall be issued to any person who files an
27 application upon a form and in such a the manner as prescribed by the Sanitary Code
28 if such the person furnishes satisfactory evidence that he has completed an approved
29 training program or has passed a written examination provided by the individual or
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 177
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1 group providing approved training programs.
2 (3)(4) A fee, not to exceed twenty-five dollars, may be imposed on and
3 collected from an individual or a food service establishment for a food safety
4 certificate to defer expenses in the administration of this Subsection.
5 (4)(5) Renewal of the food safety certificate shall be required every five
6 years.
7 (5)(6) Display of a current, duly issued food safety certificate in the food
8 service establishment shall be required.
9 (6) Any food service establishment whose food sales are less than one
10 hundred twenty-five thousand dollars annually shall not be required to comply with
11 this Subsection until July 1, 2002. However, any such establishment may apply for
12 such certificate prior to such date.
13 * * *
14 F. The Louisiana Department of Health shall develop a food allergen
15 awareness poster that contains the food allergen information provided for in
16 Subsection C of this Section. All food service establishments shall display the
17 poster in a location that is clearly visible to employees.
18 Section 2. Beginning January 1, 2026, the food allergen training shall be completed
19 by the owner or designated employee of a food service establishment upon food safety
20 certificate renewal. The food allergen awareness poster shall be displayed by all food service
21 establishments after notification is received from the Louisiana Department of Health that
22 the poster is available.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SB 177 Original 2025 Regular Session Boudreaux
Present law requires the owner or a designated employee of a food service establishment to
hold a food safety certificate issued by the La. Dept. of Health.
Present law requires the owner or designated employee to complete certain food safety
training prior to receiving the certificate.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 177
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Proposed law adds certain food allergen awareness training to the required food safety
training.
Present law requires renewal of the food safety certificate every five years.
Proposed law requires completion of the food allergen training upon certificate renewals
beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Proposed law requires the La. Dept. of Health to develop a food allergen awareness poster
and requires food service establishments to display the poster in a location that is clearly
visible to employees.
Effective August 1, 2025.
(Amends R.S. 40:5.5(C); adds R.S. 40:5.5(F))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.