Newcastle City Council launch campaign encouraging students to speak up about food allergies
The solicitor who represented the family of James Atkinson, the 23-year-old Newcastle University student who died after suffering an allergic reaction, said awareness of food allergies is a good thing, but awareness also needs to be raised about the proper regulation of food businesses too.
Jill Patterson spoke to Chronicle Live as thousands of students arriving in Newcastle at the start of the academic year are being urged to think about food allergies.
She said: "Whilst I applaud the raising of awareness, nothing is going to change until the law actually changes and labelling of stuff is taken much more seriously."
READ MORE:Labour MP proposes major change affecting thousands of Blue Badge holders
READ MORE:Banyan Newcastle restaurant launches 'eat for free' offer for groups of three - for one day only
Food safety experts are concerned that embarrassment, and not wanting to stand out from their peers, are preventing young people from speaking up about the very serious risks food allergies pose.
In July 2020, 23-year-old James Atkinson, who had a nut allergy, died after eating less than one slice of a chicken tikka masala pizza which contained peanuts. An inquest into his death heard how he had searched on the internet for likely ingredients in certain foods but had not directly contacted the restaurant. He was rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle where he was given CPR, but sadly passed away.
Now Newcastle City Council has teamed up with both Newcastle and Northumbria universities as well as Newcastle College to urge students to think about food allergies - not just in relation to themselves but also on behalf of their friends.
Jill added: "The message needs to get out there as much as possible, but I hope the city council are extending their awareness raising to include the food providers as well because that was a big issue in James’s case."
The education establishments will be pushing the campaign on social media throughout freshers’ week this week until the end of the month. The campaign is backed by the Food Standards Agency.
Councillor Irim Ali, Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet member for a Resilient City, has responsibility for regulatory services.
She said: “Sadly we have had fatalities and medical emergencies through food allergies in Newcastle so it’s critical that we remind everyone of their dangers. It’s incredibly important those with food allergies speak to the restaurant every time they place an order. Never assume a meal is safe even if it’s something you’ve eaten before because the ingredients could have changed, or it could have been cooked by different chefs."
She added: “It’s also not enough to rely on the allergen information provided online or on the apps. Instead, we encourage people with allergies to call the restaurant directly when making an order and the trained staff will know what to do to keep your meal safe.”
In 2019 Newcastle City Council prosecuted a restaurant for serving nuts to a customer who went into anaphylactic shock and only survived with the swift administration of an epi-pen by her partner, whilst in 2022 the Council prosecuted another restaurant for serving peanut in a dish which caused an 18-year-old woman to go into anaphylactic shock, requiring hospital treatment.
Most allergy reports made to the council’s Food Safety Team relate to 17 to 30-year-olds ordering takeaways or food in pubs.
Sally Ingram, Director of Student Health, and Wellbeing at Newcastle University said: “By mentioning your food allergy when you order a meal, you could prevent serious harm. I would urge all our students with a food allergy to speak up every time they visit a restaurant or takeaway and to let their friends know about it too as it could prevent a serious incident.”
Vashti Hutton, Assistant Director for Student Engagement at Northumbria University, said: “We ask all our students to make sure they look out for each other and would encourage them to let each other know if they have allergies, particularly if they are experiencing new cuisines for the first time. This little, but important piece of information, could avoid a terrible accident.”
Craig Cowan, Head of Hospitality at Newcastle College, said: “One of the first topics we cover in all our Hospitality courses at Newcastle College is understanding allergens – it is one of the most important aspects of food safety management.
“Restaurants and takeaways are specialists in their own food, and they can always advise if dishes are not suitable for those with certain allergies, or they can provide a safe alternative. However, they can’t do so if they’re not made aware of an allergy, so I would encourage everybody to be vigilant and upfront when ordering food.”
Young people are being urged to follow these top tips to stay safe:
Be allergy aware – Find out if anyone in the group you’re ordering for has a food allergy.
Speak to the restaurant every time – If ordering by app, don’t rely on the in- app messaging service. Call the restaurant directly and tell them about your allergy and make sure they understand the allergy. Remember to ask, even when ordering the usual, because the recipe, ingredients, chef, or kitchen staff may have changed.
Be clear – Give examples of food that could cause a reaction and be clear about the allergy.
Ask the restaurant to label the allergy-safe meal – Make sure the container will be labelled so that it’s clear when the meal arrives and there’s no risk of cross-contamination.
Follow your instincts – If the person you’re ordering from doesn’t understand the allergy or intolerance, ask to speak to the manager. If you still don’t feel confident, consider ordering elsewhere.
Don’t feel embarrassed – There is no need to feel awkward asking about allergy. Food businesses are legally required to make allergen information available when you order and when the food is delivered.
For more information about being allergy aware: visit www.newcastle.gov.uk/foodsafety.