Is it legal for restaurants not to list ingredients?

When you buy something at a grocery store, it has to have ingredients listed. But when you buy something at a restaurant, they are not required to give ingredients? A lot of states are requiring restaurants to give calorie information, but not ingredients. I recently contacted a nationwide restaurant asking for the ingredients in one of their products and they told me no due to trademarks. Is that legal? Even Coca Cola lists ingredients without giving away their "secret flavor mix". I can't imagine selling a product but saying, "I can't tell you anything you are about to put into your children's mouth...but that will be $2.50."Is it legal for restaurants not to list ingredients?
In return for not requiring restaurants to list their ingredients, they are held to "strict liability in tort" meaning that if you get sick from their food, you do not really have to prove something in their food was bad, just that you ate there and got sick. So if you tell them you are allergic to peanuts and they serve you food that has peanuts in it and you get sick, they lose the suit.
Restaurants do not have to list ingredients. It is completely legal.



When you order food at the restaurant, you generally have an idea what it is and what's in it. If not, you can always ask them. They will always tell you the main ingredients. If you have food allergy concerns, ask them to check with the chef if it contains the ingredient of concern.



Just because they don't list it, doesn't mean you cannot ask. I've never been to a restaurant where they refused to tell you what is in the dish.



Plus, any decent chef would know not to use something that is commonly known to be allergenic as a "secret ingredient"Is it legal for restaurants not to list ingredients?
You can ask if there are ingredients you are allergic or have a sensitivity to, but there are no requirements for restaurants to list ingredients for their menus.



Many Asian restaurants post "NO MSG" on their menus since so many people are sickened by this ingredient additive (monosodium glutamate) added as a flavor enhancer and as a meat tenderizer.



Unfortunately glutamates are added in many ways and covered up with numerous names such as hydrolyzed yeast protein and autolyzed proteins, etc that it's in there anyway.
Well, I guess you would be free to choose not to buy the product if you are not comfortable with the knowledge of what is, or is not, in there. No one is requiring you to buy that product, and you are free to drink water and eat only items that you have purchased or grown individually if you want the ultimate control in what you are giving to the children.
Of course it's legal.

I take it you've never heard of patrons being proactive and saying, "I'm allergic to 'x'- can you please find out if it is included in this meal/dessert that I'm interested in"?

My friend lives in the South and is allergic to pecans, and she always asks the waiters in restaurants if pecans are on the ingredient list in their desserts.
Do you really want the govt to have that much involvement in business? Where does it stop? McDonalds has to tell you what the secret sauce recipe? KFC tell what the 11 herbs and spices are? If your restaurant won't tell you what is in their food don't eat there. That is what freedon is all about.