Pret A Manger STILL doesn’t list full ingredients on sandwiches after girl, 15, died from sesame seed allergy
A spokesperson for the sandwich chain said the laws in place for listing ingredients are 'inadequate' for severe allergy sufferers
PRET a Manger STILL doesn't list full ingredients for its sandwiches more than two years after a 15-year-old girl died from a sesame seed allergy.
Tanya Ednan-Laperouse was on a BA flight to Nice with her best friend and dad when was sent into an anaphylactic shock after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette.
She died later in a hospital hundreds of miles from home.
An inquest at West London Coroner's Court last week criticised the sandwich giant for its "inadequate" labelling.
Natasha's heartbroken family said the teenager had been "reassured" by the lack of specific allergen information on the packaging after buying the baguette from a Pret at Heathrow's terminal 5.
A legal loophole means sandwiches assembled by hand in store do not have to be individually labelled with allergen information, just the ingredients.
Since Natasha's death and before the inquest Pret has updated the allergy information on its shelves, but the products themselves still don't list any ingredients.
Just half-a-mile from where Natasha lived in west London with her parents and younger brother, toasted baguettes containing artichoke and olive are still on sale at the Pret-A-Manger branch on Fulham Broadway.
The new baguette has similar ingredients and uses the same sesame seed bread as the one eaten by Natasha. It is marketed as an 'Artichoke and Mozzarella Toasted Baguette'.
A description written on the label stuck to the fridge shelf states: "A veggie classic containing slices of mozzarella, grilled artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, Kalamata olives, Italian cheese and fresh basil leaves. Served in our stone baked baguette and ready to be toasted."
The packaging of the baguettes still lacks a full listing of the ingredients, but has a warning on the reverse stating: "If you have any allergies, please ask.
"All our food is handmade in our busy kitchens so we can't guarantee it's suitable for those with allergies."
A spokesman for Pret said: "We have heard everything the Coroner and Natasha's family have said and we are committed to leading the changes required across our industry.
"Pret has always operated in accordance with UK laws relating to food labelling. Clearly, these laws are inadequate for severe allergy sufferers."
The Sun on Sunday Says: Put up or shut up, Pret
IT is disgraceful that major food stores are exploiting a legal loophole to avoid showing ingredients on packaging.
Teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse’s death should serve as a warning of how dangerous this practice is.
The law states that when food is prepared onsite, ingredients labelling is not necessary. It is designed to protect small, independent stores. But our investigation today reveals large chains have not learnt from this avoidable tragedy.
Pret a Manger was warned nine times about the dangers of sesame seed in its artisan baguettes and yet it continues to sell items without allergy warnings.
Now Natasha’s mother Tanya has challenged the chain to lobby for a change in our labelling laws.
And, hopefully, stop other parents having to suffer such a terrible loss.
Pret's website states: "Since almost all Pret products are made fresh each day, our nutritional values and weight per pack are only averages.
"We always indicate when a product does contain an allergen as an ingredient, but please be aware we use multiple ingredients in our kitchens and therefore cannot guarantee that our food is completely free of any allergen."
Pret was warned nine times about the dangers of sesame in its artisan baguettes in the year before Natasha died.
Natasha's mum Tanya said of Pret: “They screwed up, yes. Now they have the opportunity to do something good. They could lobby for a change to our labelling laws.
Stores' loophole shame
SANDWICH giants are continuing to exploit a legal loophole allowing them to dodge displaying allergens on food packets, a Sun on Sunday investigation found.
Freshly prepared items at London branches of Greggs, EAT and fast food chains Wasabi and itsu had no allergy warnings on them.
Even Pret a Manger is still using the loophole, with no warnings on packets. The law says that when food is prepared onsite, ingredient labelling is not necessary.
It is designed to protect small, independent stores.
At the busy shops we investigated – EAT, Pret, Wasabi and itsu at Canary Wharf Shopping Mall in East London – allergy information signs were in cabinets, urging customers to ask.
But at Greggs in Chrisp Street Market no signs were visible — despite assurances from chiefs that allergy signs were there.
Every shop we visited failed to feature any information on packaging for food made in-house.
“We know Natasha didn’t die on our watch. She died on Pret’s watch, all thanks to the absence of two little words.
“If the label had listed ‘sesame seeds’ Natasha wouldn’t have touched it and she’d still be alive.
“Nadim trusted Natasha knew what to look for.”
For dad Nadim the moment they made that choice is replayed over and over in his mind.
And the memory brings him to tears. He said: “I hate myself. I blame myself. I really love my daughter, in a way that’s like one flesh.
“As a parent I’d die a thousand times, crucified, for her to live.
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“I spent 15 years nurturing the most precious thing in my life. As a human being, there’s nothing more important than that.
“In that moment, how could it be that I failed her? I will live with that until I die, but so it is.
“I’m so glad it wasn’t Tanya’s watch because I don’t think she could have taken it’.”
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