Michael Gove pledges change to allergen labelling rules after teenager's death

Environment secretary Michael Gove has said he will pursue a change in allergen labelling rules after meeting the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette.

The 15-year-old died in 2016 following an allergic reaction to sesame in the baguette.

The teenager’s parents are campaigning for a change in the law that will see consumers given more information about the ingredients in freshly made products.

Following the meeting yesterday Gove said: “Natasha’s parents have suffered a terrible loss and yet have shown such tremendous strength and grace in their push for change. It was an honour to meet them.

“Since receiving the coroner’s report, we have been working at pace with the Food Standards Agency and businesses to review the current allergen labelling rules. We are aiming to bring forward concrete proposals to change the law around the turn of the year.

“I also want to make clear that businesses do not need to wait for the law to change to do the right thing. They should be doing all they can now to make sure consumers have the information they need to stay safe.”

Pressure mounting on operators after allergen deaths>>

Coroner brands Pret A Manger’s allergy labelling ‘inadequate’>>

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