Boy dies after eating Prawn Balti which contained peanuts
June 3rd, 2014A boy died after suffering an allergic reaction to peanuts in a takeaway curry. He had an acute asthma attack, brought on by an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts.
His mother said he had not been diagnosed with a peanut or nut allergy but she was always careful with his food choices. She checked when she ordered the Prawn Balti and was told it did not contain nuts.
The owner of the Tyldesley Tandoori said that the dish did not contain peanuts but the pre-made Balti sauce did carry a warning that it may contain traces of nuts.
He has since written on his new menu ‘Please be aware, may contain nuts’ on all his dishes.
The Environmental Health officer said ‘On routine inspection of the takeaway, we found staff had poor knowledge of allergies and were using the same spoons in different dishes.’
There was a threat of cross contamination as the almond powder used in Kormas contained 50% peanuts.
The coroner said ‘ I think a lot of people don’t know the risks presented by cross contamination in premises where food is sold unsealed. Only a small amount of the allergen might be required to cause a tragedy like this.’
Details from Leigh Journal March 24th 2014 Bolton News Daily Mail