The father of a 15-year-old girl who died after suffering a severe allergic reaction on a British Airways flight has blamed Pret a Manger for failing to list allergens on its packaging. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse collapsed shortly after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette from a Pret shop at Heathrow's Terminal 5 on 17 July 2016.
An inquest at west London coroner's court heard that Natasha, who had multiple severe food allergies, checked the label herself and asked her father to double-check before boarding the flight to Nice. The label listed ingredients but did not mention sesame seeds, which were later found to be present in the baguette dough.
In a statement read to the court, Natasha's father, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, said his mother bought the same baguette from a local store and found no allergen warnings until consulting a folder, which revealed the presence of sesame. 'I was completely horrified. It was their fault,' he said.
The court heard that Natasha began itching three minutes after eating the sandwich, took liquid Piriton, and later developed red welts. Her father administered two EpiPens, but her condition worsened. She lost consciousness, foamed at the mouth, and received oxygen and CPR on the plane.
At Nice airport, both the defibrillator and oxygen machine were not working properly. Natasha was taken to hospital but life support was switched off later that day. Her father said he held a phone to her ear so her mother and brother could say goodbye.
Pret's lawyer, Oliver Campbell QC, argued that the chain never lists ingredients on its packets, and the store manager confirmed allergen stickers were displayed. However, the family's lawyer suggested that stickers may not have been in place at the time of the incident.
