Pret inquest: Chain 'logged six cases of sesame seed allergic reactions before teen's death'

Pret A Manger did not label "artisan" baguettes as containing sesame seeds, despite six allergic reaction cases in the year before a teenager's death, an inquest heard.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, suffered a fatal reaction to a sandwich from the outlet while on a flight from Heathrow Airport in July 2016. She had not realised it contained the seeds.

An inquest at West London Coroner's Court was told the packaging failed to mention sesame seeds were "hidden" in the dough.

On Tuesday, it emerged that a "specific warning" about the dangers of not signposting the allergen had been given to the food chain the previous year.

A complaint log for the company from between July 17, 2015 and June 29, 2016 showed six cases of allergic reactions involving “artisan” baguettes.

Jeremy Hyam QC told the hearing that a woman nearly died after suffering an anaphylactic reaction from sesame in the sandwich "nine months before Natasha's death".

Mr Hyam said this was a "specific warning", but Pret still failed to label sandwiches with allergy information.

Questioning Jonathan Perkins, the chain's director of risk and compliance, he said: "There was a clear concern being repeatedly raised that artisan baguettes were causing sesame seed allergy problems, which were not properly responded to by Pret."

Mr Perkins said: "We responded appropriately to each individual complaint at the time."

More than a year after the complaint, Pret changed the design of a label within its fridges that tells customers to ask staff for allergy information.

Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 outlet ordered dozens of stickers for the fridges and tills in 2016, the inquest heard on Monday, but questions were raised about whether they were used.

Mr Perkins was challenged repeatedly that, if accurate, the lack of stickers amounted to a "serious failing".

"I will accept that word 'serious'," he told the hearing.

Natasha, from Fulham, collapsed on a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Nice, on her way to a four-day break with her father and best friend.

The teenager suffered from numerous allergies and reacted badly to the sesame seeds, which caused her throat to tighten and vicious red hives to flare up across her midriff. It triggered cardiac arrest.

The inquest is due to last until Friday.

Reporting by Press Association.