Teen, 17, suffered allergic reaction to Pret a Manger baguette just months before girl, 15, died after eating same sandwich
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died after eating a Pret a Manger sandwich containing sesame seeds nine months after a similar case involving another teenager
ANOTHER teenager was rushed to hospital after suffering an allergic reaction to the Pret-A-Manger baguette believed to have killed a toy tycoon's daughter, an inquest heard.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, collapsed on a British Airways flight after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade sandwich from the food chain in July 2016.
Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, a millionaire owner of Wow Toys from Fulham, tried to save the schoolgirl by giving her two doses of drugs and administering an EpiPen, but she died later in a French hospital.
Family lawyer Jeremy Hyam QC told an inquest the family have now been contacted by relatives of a 17-year-old girl who fell ill after eating the same sandwich nine months before.
Both girls were allergic to sesame seeds. The sandwich had sesame seeds embedded in the bread but the ingredients are said to have not been clearly labelled.
Mr Hyam said there had been at least nine cases of customers suffering allergic reactions to sesame seeds from the chain in the year before Natasha's death, with six related to the baguettes.
He said: "Of those nine sesame incidents, four went to hospital and one went to a medical centre.
"One of those complaints, as a result of the press coverage of this case, contacted the family's lawyers."
West London Coroner's Court heard the girl was rushed to hospital and fitted with a drip after suffering a serious anaphylactic shock.
The inquest heard outlets such as Pret, that make sandwiches in store, are bound by different laws to those that sell pre-packaged sandwiches.
Pret is required to make customers aware of allergens but can do so 'orally' - by including signage in the store that tells customers to speak to a member of staff about which products may contain allergens.
Jonathan Perkins, Director of Safety and Risk at Pret said: "We were aware of a number of incidents that happened.
"I accept that there have been a number of individuals who have had a very negative experience and a very tragic experience.
"But we also looked at the many tens of thousands of allergy sufferers that come through our doors and shop confidently and safely with us."
Mr Hyam claimed the chain had failed to act quickly enough to improve its allergen signs following the allergy incidents.
The hearing heard that following a refurbishment of the Pret-A-Manger outlet in Heathrow Airport in January 2017, a colleague checking the store did not find any allergen stickers in store.
Mr Hyam said there were 15 till points following the makeover, but the investigator had not found an allergen sticker on any of them.
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He also told the inquest that Pret-A-Manger had marketed a chocolate and hazelnut croissant as a 'chocolate croissant' which had led to a number of allergic reactions from nuts.
Mr Perkins responded: "It was marketed as a chocolate croissant, we have subsequently changed the name to chocolate and hazelnut croissant."
The hearing continues.
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