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The Washington Post

Owen Carey was finally 18, and a London burger joint on the River Thames seemed like a great place to celebrate.
The teenager opted for a grilled chicken breast burger, but just to be safe, Owen alerted the Byron chain staff about his dairy allergy.
It appeared he was satisfied with what he was told, and after ordering from a menu that made no mention of it, dug into a meal that had been marinated in buttermilk.
He got through a few bites. Then Owen’s lips tingled. His stomach churned. And after leaving the restaurant, he collapsed near the London Eye less than an hour later, BBC reported.
He later died in a hospital.
The 2017 incident sparked sadness and outrage among Owen’s family, who searched for answers about how his death could have happened.
Last week, they received an answer at the Southwark Coroner’s Court.
Pret A Manger vows ‘meaningful change’ after teen dies from allergic reaction to baguette
Owen died of severe, food-induced anaphylaxis, “despite making staff aware of his allergies”, wrote coroner Briony Ballard in a statement read aloud in the court, the UK Press Association reported.
“The menu was reassuring in that it made no reference to any marinade or potential allergenic ingredient in the food selected”, and Owen “was not informed that there were allergens in the order”, Ballard wrote.
“Owen was the shining light in our family, and his death should not have happened,” his sister Emma Carey said outside the court.

The Carey family said Owen’s death, and the inquest revelation, should prompt new UK laws that make allergen labelling in restaurants more prominent and detailed, rather than verbal discussions with staff in noisy restaurants with young staff.
“This leaves far too much room for error on an issue we know far too well can cost lives,” Emma Carey said.
Byron chief executive Simon Wilkinson said in a statement after the inquest that his restaurants “have robust procedures” to deal with patrons with allergies but did not defend the circumstances that led to Owen’s death.
The world’s growing allergy problem, how to find out if you have one and what do if it’s a food allergy
“It is a matter of great regret and sadness that our high standards of communicating with our customers were not met during Owen’s visit,” Wilkinson said.
Clodagh Bradley, a lawyer for the family, said during the inquest the menu’s allergy information was printed “at the very bottom, in a really very small font, in black print, on a royal blue background”, BBC reported.
In response, Byron representative Aimee Leitner-Hopps said “it’s perfectly legible in my opinion”, BBC reported, and “the expectation is that a customer with an allergy should inform us”, even though the coroner said Owen did, in fact, inform the staff about his allergy.
Byron’s online menu now makes reference to the buttermilk marinade for chicken and includes information about allergens.
It also includes a disclaimer.
“We’ll do our very best to accommodate you but we cannot guarantee that our kitchens or our suppliers are 100 per cent allergen-free,” the menu reads. Twice.


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Food and Drinks

A chicken burger killed Owen Carey on his 18th birthday

Owen Carey died after suffering an allergic reaction to a burger in 2017. Photo: Handout

A disclaimer on the menu of the Byron burger chain in the UK. Twice, it says that the restaurant cannot guarantee that its kitchens or suppliers are 100 per cent allergen-free.

Pret A Manger vows ‘meaningful change’ after teen dies from allergic reaction to baguette

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse went into cardiac arrest on a 2016 flight from London to Nice after eating a baguette containing sesame seeds

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, who suffered from numerous allergies, went into cardiac arrest on a 2016 flight from London to Nice after eating a baguette containing sesame seeds from sandwich chain Pret A Manger. Photo: Handout

The world’s growing allergy problem, how to find out if you have one and what do if it’s a food allergy

World Allergy Week marked with workshops and a patient sharing session in Hong Kong, as doctors explain the risk of developing allergies and how early diagnosis in babies can reduce the problem

Little boy using his asthma inhaler to alleviate symptoms. [FEATURES] Photo : ALAMY

Shane Osbourne

A growing proportion of the world’s population suffers from allergies.

News

World

Europe


Coroner’s court in London rules Owen died of severe, food-induced anaphylaxis, ‘despite making staff aware of his allergies’



Owen Carey died after eating a chicken burger that contained buttermilk at a London restaurant. He was allergic to dairy.


Britain

Wellness

Healthy eating