The parents of a teenager who died from an allergic reaction after eating a Pret baguette have launched a £10 million prize into allergy research.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, from Fulham, west London, died in July 2016 following a severe allergic reaction to sesame baked into the Pret sandwich. Sesame was not listed as an ingredient on the packaging and the seeds were not visible to the naked eye.
Following her death, Natasha's parents campaigned for a change in the law to require all food outlets to provide a full ingredients list and allergy labelling for foods made and packaged on the premises for direct sale, such as sandwiches, salads and cakes.
Natasha's Foundation launches £10 million prize
Natasha's Foundation, set up by her parents, has now announced a new £10 million investment into research aiming to 'create a future without allergies'. The Foundation says it represents the largest fund for food allergy research ever awarded in the UK.
No baby is born with a food allergy but in recent years, allergy rates have been on the rise. The Foundation has identified the first 1,000 days from conception as the critical window of study, and opportunity, to intervene and prevent food allergies.
Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, Natasha's mother who started the Foundation with her husband Nadim in 2019, said: 'This prize has been in our hearts for a long time. It is 10 years this year since Natasha died and, like everything we do, it is dedicated to our daughter, Natasha, and all those who live with and have lost their lives to food allergy.'
'Natasha's Prize offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a future without food allergy. It will fund research focused on turning back the dial on a disease that affects millions of people both in the UK and around the world, leaving many living in fear.'
'We want this prize to galvanise the best science to stop food allergy before it starts, so no other families have to go through the heartbreak we will always endure.'
How the prize works
From June 1, scientists from across the world will be invited to apply to 'Natasha's Prize'. Applicants chosen by a scientific advisory panel will be brought together to work collaboratively to create solutions aimed at preventing food allergies.
From there, the foundation will announce which of those research concepts it is going to fund on June 1 2027.
Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, space scientist and Natasha's Prize ambassador, said: 'What is exciting about Natasha's Prize is that it is looking at preventing allergies in the future for the next generation.'
'As kids are born, if they develop food allergy it can affect the rest of their lives. But if we can stop food allergy right from birth, they will have a completely different life. So, this prize is going to be amazing for so many people.'
