Do You Have the Evidence to Pass an ADDE Audit?
Compliance with the Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences (ADDE) Act will be verified during regular health inspections conducted by local health agencies under the California Retail Food Code. Inspectors will evaluate whether allergen information is accurate, visible, and supported by records that demonstrate a defensible audit trail.
For large, multi-site operators, inspection readiness is not just about knowing your allergens — it’s about proving how your system ensures that accuracy every day.
True compliance means being able to demonstrate a verifiable chain of information from vendor/broadliner → recipe → menu → customer disclosure.
How inspectors will verify compliance
Health officers will typically use two complementary methods when assessing allergen disclosure compliance:
- Visual verification of disclosure
Inspectors will confirm that allergen information is clearly available on printed menus, digital menus, or alternate written materials upon request. - Documentation review
If there’s any doubt, inspectors may request supporting evidence — such as vendor/broadliner allergen statements, training records, or internal change logs — to verify due diligence.
Self-audit checklist: are you inspection-ready?
Use the checklist below to identify potential gaps in your allergen documentation, training, or data accuracy before your next inspection.
| Inspection Question | Compliance Focus Area | Status (Yes / No / NA) |
|---|---|---|
| Have all menu items been reviewed for the nine major allergens? | Allergen Identification | |
| Is vendor allergen data verified and updated whenever formulations change? | Ingredient Management | |
| Are allergen change logs and version histories stored centrally and accessible to managers? | Recordkeeping & Traceability | |
| Are written allergen menus available on request, and do they match your digital disclosures? | Accessibility & Consistency | |
| Do staff understand how to escalate guest allergen questions to a trained manager? | Training & Communication | |
| Can you show proof of training completion and ongoing refresher sessions? | Competency Evidence | |
| Do internal audits confirm allergen accuracy across digital and printed menus? | Verification & QA |
Four pillars of allergen audit readiness
Inspection success depends on proactive documentation and accountability. Ensure these four pillars are in place before enforcement begins:
- Data integrity: Maintain validated vendor/broadliner allergen data, ingredient specs, and change logs to prove traceability.
- Training documentation: Store signed records showing all relevant staff have completed allergen training and updates.
- Policies & SOPs: Keep clear, accessible standard operating procedures for how allergen updates, errors, and customer inquiries are handled.
- Continuous monitoring: Conduct regular internal spot checks and mock audits to ensure systems remain accurate between inspections.
Context: The Allergen Disclosure for Dining Experiences (ADDE) Act requires restaurant chains with 20 or more U.S. locations to provide accurate written allergen disclosures on menus by July 1, 2026. Enforcement will be managed by local health departments under the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Be inspection-ready before July 2026
Access Nutritics’ SB-68 checklists and connected data tools to build a transparent, auditable allergen management process — and pass inspections with confidence.
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