A restaurant may have liability (legal responsibility) for a customer’s allergic reaction to food the restaurant serves a customer—but only if the restaurant was negligent in some way, such as by serving a customer a food item or ingredient after the customer informed the restaurant of an allergy to that food item or ingredient.

Most restaurants seek to protect the health and safety of their customers by asking about food allergies during the food ordering process; disclosing key ingredients on the menu; and posting the warning to customers (as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code) that “consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.”

Many states have also enacted laws (statutes) that require restaurants to provide warnings and disclosures to consumers. These statutes are often located in a state’s health and safety code or a similarly named code (a code is a compilation of related statutes).

Food allergies are common, with approximately one in ten adults having a food allergy. An allergic reaction occurs when a person is exposed to an allergen—often a food protein consumed while eating foods such as tree nuts, fish, peanuts (and peanut butter), shellfish, eggs, and cow’s milk.

Allergic reactions to these and other food items can range from mild irritations (swelling, itching) to potential deadly anaphylaxis with difficulty breathing, shock, vomiting, and nausea. These reactions are generally responses from a person’s immune system when it is attempting to protect the body and overreacts by producing antibodies (immunoglobulin).

In South Carolina, a restaurant may be held liable for a customer's allergic reaction to food if the restaurant acted negligently, such as by serving a food item containing an allergen after being informed of the customer's allergy. South Carolina, like many states, has regulations that require restaurants to take certain precautions to prevent such incidents. These may include inquiring about allergies, disclosing ingredients on the menu, and providing warnings as mandated by the FDA's Food Code about the risks of consuming raw or undercooked foods. While specific South Carolina statutes would need to be consulted for precise requirements, these general practices are aimed at protecting customers with food allergies, which are relatively common. Liability arises when a restaurant fails to exercise reasonable care in accommodating a customer's known food allergies, potentially leading to mild to severe allergic reactions.