Pret A Manger denies food safety offence after student suffers allergic reaction

Pret A Manger has appeared in court after a student allegedly suffered a severe allergic reaction after unknowingly eating sesame in a sandwich.

The sandwich chain pleaded not guilty to one charge of selling food not of the substance demanded, contrary to section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990.

Bristol Crown Court heard the charge related to an incident in which a customer suffered a severe reaction to sesame in a curried chickpea and mango sandwich on 26 November 2017.

Kate Brunner QC, prosecuting, said: “The customer was a student called Isobel Colnaghi, who bought a sandwich under the impression that it did not contain sesame, to which she was extremely allergic.

“She checked the shelf ingredients and asked a member of staff. She subsequently ate that sandwich and suffered a severe reaction.”

Ms Brunner alleged that the presence of sesame in the sandwich was not properly identified by the food chain.

Jonathan Laidlaw QC, representing Pret A Manger, confirmed that the company would plead not guilty to the charge against it.

Judge Julian Lambert listed the case for a trial, expected to last up to four weeks, on 2 November.