The Tragedy of Natasha and what it means to UK Food #Blog

Stephen Wundke
1st October 2018

The 2016 death of Natasha Ednan-Lapourse was a tragedy in every sense of the word. For those not familiar with the story Natasha was a Hyper allergic person who consumed a sandwich from Pret A Manger and despite it not being described on the packaging, it did contain sesame which is related of course to the peanut family and is one of the 14 allergens listed that can, does and did, in this instance kill. The lack of information provided on the sandwich packaging was described as a “loophole” in the 2014 law that requires food producers to list ingredients on take away food but not on that freshly prepared. The judge at the recent inquest said in his summing up that what was on the packaging was inadequate. Somewhat of an understatement in this case I feel.

It is an incredibly sad story where both a mother and father had to say goodbye to their daughter as she slipped away and when you listen to them speak it is, as a parent, heartbreaking. Fortunately events of this nature are not common(althought one, if it’s your family is too many) with the UK  recording an average of 10 people dying each year from food allergies but disturbingly 4,500 treated in hospital.  It says as much about our lifestyle in todays world and the growing worry of allergies as it does about the food business and it is this area in which I think we need to concentrate.

To me this all boils down to the supply chain and who you trust. Most of us take this as an issue of trust. If it is described in a certain way on the menu, on the packaging or in the online description, we probably believe it, with the downside being if it is incorrect and actually is horse meat and not beef or something like that! Then we dont feel anything but some moral contempt and of course a feeling of being ripped off. However for a small minority the downside if it is wrongly described, is losing their life and that is something that over the years the large conglomerates have taken scant regard for. No individual would ever want the death of someone on their hands but in big companies pinning the blame on one person is very, very difficult. Not so the independent restaurant, pub or food producer. These people stand behind their product and they know, as everyone in the food business should, that not just with allergies but in many other ways selling someone a product that they digest has the ability to kill them and I assure you every person I speak to within the Taste Cheshire network knows that and takes it with the seriousness it requires.

Many may not know, but they should, that thanks to the rating system put in place by the Environmental Health Office (the 1-5 star rating with 5 being excellent) the kitchens of UK food establishments are so much better than they have ever been in the past. Many who do not measure up have been closed down in recent years and rightly so. It is an excellent system and no venue should get your money if they have not get at least 3 stars. The packaging information on bought foods is so much better, thanks to the 2014 laws. Thats not to say it can’t be better but it has come a long way and the general understanding by the industry of allergens is significantly higher than at any time in history, not perfect but a whole lot better. We are getting there.

However my advice to those of you concerned about the content of your food and drink is a fairly simple one.

1. If the person you are asking the question of about allergens is unsure of what is exactly in the dish and they hesitate in any way then please, please dont order it.
2. There is less chance of error or unaccountable error if you choose an independent local product. These people are accountable and have to satisfy a long list of red tape requirements to be allowed to continue to trade and they know what goes in their foods. In supermarkets their can be as many as 5-6 in the food chain before it gets to your shopping trolley.
3. Please dont trust the writing on any packaging of bought mass produced foods. If your life is at risk or the person you are responsible for, would you be prepared to accept that every person in the food chain has done everything correctly to ensure you stay alive. Surely that isnt a risk worth taking.

We can make as many rules as we want to try to ensure the tragedy that was Natashas life will not happen again but humans make mistakes and most times we can just say sorry when we get it wrong and perhaps give a refund but where allergies are concerned that stakes are just too high.