Byron Burger death: 'Owen's Law' petition debated by MPs

MPs have debated calls for clearer allergy labelling on restaurant menus after the death of a teenager in 2017.

A petition was launched by the family of Owen Carey, from Crowborough, East Sussex, who died after unwittingly eating food he was allergic to.

Mr Carey, who had a dairy allergy, went into anaphylactic shock after eating a skinny grilled chicken with buttermilk.

Health minister Neil O'Brien told MPs "there is room to do better".

Relatives of Mr Carey want to see the introduction of Owen's Law to make the listing of allergens on menus a legal requirement.

Mr Carey died in April 2017, when he was accidentally served the buttermilk while celebrating his 18th birthday at a Byron Burger at the O2 Arena in London.

His father Paul wants restaurants to be proactive in asking customers about allergens, and better training for waiting staff, especially in fast food outlets.

Ahead of the debate, Mr Carey, who now lives in Callington, Cornwall, said: "I'm hoping it will make life a lot safer for those people who suffer from allergies.

"The worst case would be that another person dies of anaphylaxis, as Owen did, and that is what we are trying to prevent."

Owen's sister Emma Kocher, from Winchester in Hampshire, attended the debate.

She said: "At the moment the law states allergens have to be declared by any means, that could be verbally or a separate allergy menu that has to be requested.

"What we would like is for them to be on the face of the standard menu. We're hoping that by raising the profile among MPs we can get things moving."

Last year, Natasha's Law came into force, requiring foods pre-packaged on site, such as sandwiches, to carry a full list of ingredients.

It came after 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died from having an allergic reaction to a baguette bought from Pret-a-Manger.

Mr O'Brien told the MPs' debate that while he was not able to make any announcements at the moment, "everyone agrees there is room to do better and nothing is off the table at this time".

Afterwards, Mr Carey said the minister had agreed to meet the family to listen to their concerns. Following Mr Carey's death, Byron Burger said it had made changes to its menus and training.

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