Woman died after eating bread
15 March 2001
A coroner has recorded a verdict of death by misadventure after a 28-year-old woman with a severe nut allergy died after eating bread containing nuts before her meal at a London Café Flo restaurant on 22 December last year. Describing the death of Luisa Dennis as a "terrible tragedy", Westminster coroner Dr Paul Knapman said: "It is perfectly natural that she did not look at the menu when the bread was being ordered." The menu at the Café Flo in Theyer Street, Marble Arch, clearly labelled all products likely to contain nuts, including the "mixed bread and butter" ordered by Dennis' party. She had checked the menu to ensure her dishes did not contain nuts, but had not noticed the warning label against the bread. Dennis began to feel unwell immediately after eating some of the bread. She washed out her mouth and finished her meal, but collapsed soon after leaving the restaurant. She died that night in hospital. The Institute of Grocery Distribution has written a voluntary code of practice governing the labelling of foods likely to cause allergic reactions, which a spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said was generally well adhered to by restaurants.
