Food Allergies as Workplace Disability Issue Primed to Expand

While Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits related to food allergies have been rare, a generational boom in those conditions creates the potential for growth in the frequency of workplace disputes that trigger litigation.

Food allergies impact tens of millions of Americans—including nearly 7% of working-age adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some conditions are so sensitive that just being around a particular food can trigger a reaction.

The prevalence of food allergies among children jumped by 50% from 1997 to 2011, the CDC found.

In a sign of what’s coming to the workplace, colleges have ...