A CORONER has called for a new system of recording serious cases of anaphylactic shock, following the death of Melksham resident, Celia Marsh, who had a severe dairy allergy and died in 2017 when she ate a contaminated Pret a Manger wrap.
Celia Marsh, pictured, a mother of five, had an anaphylactic shock when she ate a Pret a Manger wrap which was labelled as vegan but contained traces of milk; she was rushed to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, where she was pronounced dead.
In her report following the inquest, the coroner for Avon, Maria Voisin, stated that 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.”
She also called for a system of checks to ensure food is correctly labelled ‘free from’ and ‘vegan.’
Maria Voisin said, “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.
“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.” 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. The family of Celia Marsh say they welcome 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.”
