Forensic pathologist blames errors in allergy testing

The mother of a girl who died from a severe reaction to a Costa hot chocolate has accused the food industry of treating allergen safety training like a “box-ticking exercise” after a coroner concluded the girl died due to “lack of adherence to procedures”.

“Vivacious and loving” 13-year-old Hannah Jacobs from Barking, east London, died on February 8, 2023, just hours after sipping the drink her mother had bought her.

Deputy Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe also found that there had been “communication failures” between cafe staff and Hannah’s mother, Abimbola Duyile.

Ms Duyile said there needs to be “better awareness” of allergies because the “consequence … is that my daughter is no longer here”.

Costa Coffee said: “The loss of Hannah is a tragedy and our sincere thoughts are with her family and friends.”

In a statement, Ms Duyile said: “My beautiful Hannah only had 13 years on this earth when she should have had many, many more.

“Hannah loved life. She was a vibrant, caring, loving, open and energetic child with a strong sense of right and wrong.”

Ms Duyile continued: “After hearing all the evidence over the last week, it is clear to me that although allergy training is mandatory in the food industry and for healthcare workers, this training is not taken seriously enough.

“There needs to be increased awareness of the symptoms of anaphylaxis in these industries and in society.”

She added: “I have always been extremely meticulous about Hannah's allergies and she has never had a severe allergic reaction prior to this incident.”

The inquest in East London found that neither Hannah nor her mother had a prescribed EpiPen with them on the day of their death.

They had visited the franchised Costa Coffee branch on Station Parade in Barking to buy two soya hot chocolates before Hannah went to the dentist, where she had an appointment before school started.

After arriving at the dentist, “Hannah suddenly stood up, went to the toilet and screamed, 'That wasn't soy milk,'” her mother said during the examination.

She was taken to a nearby pharmacy because her “lips and mouth were very swollen and itchy,” where she was given an EpiPen injected into her leg.

Resuscitation attempts were made and an ambulance was called, but she was pronounced dead at 13:00 GMT.

An autopsy revealed that Hannah died of an anaphylactic hypersensitivity reaction triggered by an ingredient in her hot chocolate that caused an allergic reaction.

Barista Urmi Akter testified during the investigation that she repeatedly asked Ms Duyile to wash out the pot when taking her order, but also pointed out that hot chocolate is made from milk.

The investigation also found that at the time of Hannah's death, allergen training for new Costa employees consisted of a series of online modules that could be accessed from home, as well as a quiz that trainees had to pass.

Concluding the investigation, Dr Radcliffe said: “The actual cause of death is failure to follow established procedures for discussing allergies and a lack of communication between the mother and the barista.”

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who died of a severe allergic reaction to a Pret-a-Manger sesame baguette called for “urgent” government action to improve “understanding” of allergies in schools, businesses and society at large.

Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founders of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, a food allergy charity, said: “The Government must act urgently to raise awareness in schools, businesses and society that food allergy can be a serious, unpredictable health condition and not a lifestyle choice, and to ensure that people with allergies have access to comprehensive and timely allergy care on the NHS.”

“Together with Hannah's grieving mother Abi, and on behalf of other parents who have lost children to food allergies, we are today again calling on the Government to appoint an Allergy Tsar – a national advocate for the one in three people who live not just with food allergies, but with all types of allergic conditions, including asthma and eczema.”

A Costa Coffee spokesman said: “It is in everyone's interests – our franchisees, our customers, our team members and the communities we are part of – to understand how this terrible situation came to be.”

“We have listened to everything the coroner has said this week and will carefully consider her comments and any report she may issue and respond accordingly.”

The Ministry of Health was asked for a statement.