The mothers of two teenagers who died from allergic reactions to food have described the provision of care for allergy sufferers in the UK as 'woefully inadequate'. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, 54, from South West London, and Emma Turay are urging the government to appoint an 'Allergy Tsar' to champion people with allergies and ensure they receive appropriate support and joined-up healthcare.
Tanya's daughter Natasha, 15, died in 2016 on a British Airways flight to Nice after an allergic reaction to a Pret sandwich. The artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette did not have a label stating it contained sesame, as restaurants are not required to label products made fresh in store. Emma's daughter Shante, 18, died in September 2018; the cause is unknown but Emma believes it was likely cross-contamination with hazelnuts.
Both women appeared on Good Morning Britain, where host Ben Shephard noted that hospital admissions for severe allergies have increased by more than 600 per cent in the last two decades. Emma said: 'The provision of allergy care within the UK is woefully inadequate, there's been little change in the last two decades, despite warnings by GPs, coroners and MPs.' Tanya added: 'It's so important now for the public to understand that more and more people are becoming allergic – one in three now will have an allergy to food or medicine, eczema or asthma.'
Tanya has campaigned for 'Natasha's Law', which requires food packed on the same site from which it is sold to be labelled with full ingredients. The new rules come into force from October. She explained: 'The smallest, tiniest amount of a food that you're allergic to has the potential to kill you. So many families live with that fear every single day.'
