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Byron Burgers death: Father awaits food allergy decision after son's death

Family picture Paul Carey and his son OwenFamily picture
Owen's family want all restaurant menus to provide written allergen information to customers

A man who whose son died from an allergic reaction to restaurant food says he is waiting with "bated breath" for a key food policy decision.

Paul Carey's son Owen, from East Sussex, died after unwittingly eating dairy at a London burger bar in 2017.

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

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said its board will discuss its proposals on 13 December.

Rebecca Sudworth, director of policy at the FSA, said: "We are recommending to the board that businesses should provide both written and verbal allergen information to consumers."

"The paper [published earlier] sets out a range of options for how to deliver this approach which will be discussed by our board on 13 December."

Mr Carey said: "We are waiting with bated breath."

Owen had been celebrating his 18th birthday when he had a fatal reaction to food ordered in a Byron burger bar.

The teenager, who had a dairy allergy, had ordered chicken, unaware it had been marinated in buttermilk.

"Had the word milk been written next to the food he ordered... he would still be with us today," Mr Carey said.

The cards placed on a table
The Owen's Law Calling Cards were designed by the family to give feedback to restaurants

A petition launched by the family gained thousands of signatures which led to a debate in Parliament in May.

Health minister Neil O'Brien told the debate everyone agreed there was "room to do better" and nothing was "off the table".

Mr Carey said he was hoping for positive news from the FSA board meeting.

"We know the board have said they support Owen's Law. It has been a question of when, rather than if, so I am hoping that will say they are going to take this forward," he said.

The family have also recently produced Owen's Law Calling Cards, which are designed for customers to complete and leave behind as feedback after a meal out.

Byron Burgers previously said it had improved all allergen procedures after Owen's death.

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