Parents of a teenager who died following an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette welcome the introduction of Natasha’s Law. The new food safety rules require all food prepared on premises and pre-packaged for direct sale to have full ingredient and allergen labelling.
The changes come following Natasha Ednan-Laperouse dying from anaphylaxis after eating a baguette with sesame in.
Her parents say their daughter would be “very proud” of the new regulations.
Natasha’s mother Tanya says that she and husband Nadhim have waited for years for this day to come. She now feels like they have finally achieved it, and “it feels really special”.
Campaigning for change
Mr and Mrs Ednan-Laperouse set up an online parliamentary petition calling for an allergy tsar as a “matter of life and death”. Natasha’s father thinks it unacceptable in this day and age that young people can die due to food they ate. He believes “all it takes is more joined-up thinking to better protect them”.
The couple formed the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, campaigning for a change to the law. Because of a loophole in food labelling, Natasha ate a baguette without knowing it contained sesame seeds. Although at the inquest into her death in 2018, the coroner ruled that pret a Manger had inadequate allergy labelling.
On the morning of 17 July 2016, Natasha, from west London, ate an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette purchased from a Pret outlet in Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. She started feeling ill during her flight, suffering a cardiac arrest. Her father administered two EpiPen injections, but she later died that same day.
The offending baguette contained sesame baked into the dough, an ingredient not listed on the packaging. And unfortunately, something Natasha was allergic to.
The food chain failed to label their “artisan” baguettes as containing sesame seeds, even though they previously had six allergic reaction cases raised against them the the year before Natasha’s death.
Pressures on food outlets
Under the new regulations of Natasha’s law, all food retailers must display full ingredient and allergen labelling on their packaging. This applies to all food item made onsite and everything pre-packed for direct sale. It includes every food item, such as sandwiches, salads and cakes.
Prior to the changes, fresh food made on the premises, not pre-packaged, did not require an individual label with ingredient or allergen information.
This is a difficult time for food outlets who have struggled over the past 18 months dealing with all the new legislation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Many have suffered large losses due to periods of closure and limited capacities. Some have had to make major changes in their operation in order to cope with changing customer habits.
However, food labelling is an important issue which cannot go ignored. There is a growing number of consumers suffering from allergies, who have asked for clear labels for years. Understandably, they do not want to have to wait for any longer.
But the Food Standards Agency is trying to remain flexible at the moment with an industry already under pressure. The regulator are unlikely to issue fines straight away. But expect venues to at least show attempts to sort out labelling and compliance by the end of the year.
Why do we need Natasha’s law?
Natasha’s Law is vital in helping to protect the millions of people in the UK living with potentially life threatening food allergies. It is about saving lives, and marks a major milestone in the Ednan-Laperouse’s campaign.
Mr Ednan-Laperouse says the law “brings greater transparency about the foods people are buying and eating”, so will give “confidence” to people with food allergies when buying pre-packed items. He believes that “everyone should be able to consume food safely”.
Natasha always acted with extreme care when checking food labels, and had not had a severe allergic reaction in over nine years.
Natasha’s parents know that nothing can bring their daughter back, it is something they have to live with every day. But they know that Natasha “would be very proud that a new law in her name will help to protect others”.
Meanwhile, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency, Emily Miles, says it is a “positive thing” if the changes reduce the number of hospitalisations related to food allergies, and prevents more deaths. Over the last 20 years she has seen the number of hospital admissions caused by food allergies triple.
Elsewhere, Pret a Manger previously said they would list every ingredient on freshly made food, and are “deeply sorry for Natasha’s death”.
Thank you for reading Natasha’s Law: New allergy rules following Pret a Manger death
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