Pret death: Coroner calls for new reporting system

A coroner is calling for a "robust" system of recording serious cases of anaphylactic shock after a woman died from eating a contaminated Pret a Manger sandwich.

Celia Marsh, 42, who had an acute dairy allergy, died in Bath in 2017.

Maria Voisin, senior coroner for Avon, made recommendations following an inquest into Mrs Marsh's death.

The coroner also called for a system of checks to ensure food is correctly labelled "free from" and "vegan".

"Foods labelled in this way must be free from that allergen, and there should be a robust system to confirm the absence of the relevant allergen in all ingredients and during production when making such a claim," said Ms Voisin.

"With respect to those with the most severe food allergies, it may be necessary in the interim to clarify that foods labelled 'free-from...' may not be safe to consume."

Mrs Marsh, a dental nurse from Melksham in Wiltshire, had a fatal reaction to the super veg flatbread which was labelled as vegan despite containing traces of milk.

The coroner's report has been sent to several organisations including the Food Standards Agency, the UK Health Security Agency, the Department of Health and Social Care, the British Retail Consortium and the Food and Drink Federation.

In it Ms Voisin said the establishment of a "robust system of capturing and recording cases of anaphylaxis" would provide an "early warning of the risk posed to allergic individuals by products with undeclared allergen content".

Mrs Marsh's family said they welcomed the coroner's report "as the next step in our fight to make the world a safe place for allergy sufferers like our beloved mum and wife".

Mrs Marsh's death came in the wake of that of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after eating a Pret baguette containing sesame seeds.

The teenager's death sparked an overhaul of food labelling laws which now requires retailers to display full ingredient and allergen labelling on every food item made on the premises and pre-packed for direct sale, including sandwiches, cakes and salads.

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