Coroner requests details from Pret a Manger supplier ahead of allergen death inquest

A coroner preparing an inquest into the death of a woman who suffered a fatal allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger vegan sandwich has requested more information from the chain’s suppliers.

 

Celia Marsh, 42, a dental nurse from Melksham, Wiltshire, died at the Royal United Hospital in Bath on December 27 2017.

 

Marsh suffered a reaction after eating a “super-veg rainbow flatbread”. The sandwich’s yoghurt dressing was supposed to be vegan but was later found to have traces of dairy protein in it.

 

At a pre-inquest review hearing held today (Tuesday 2 August), coroner Maria Voisin said she would request a statement from Henry Gosling, the founder of CoYo, an Australia-based coconut yoghurt firm.

 

Avon and Somerset Coroner’s Court heard there was a “mismatch” between the information held by CoYo and its UK distributors Planet Coconut about the potential for dairy contamination in its products.

 

CoYo and Gosling have not been named as interested parties in the inquest.

 

Voisin said she would request a statement from Gosling, but emphasised that the scope of an inquest is only to establish how someone died, and was not to place blame or replace civil litigation.

 

Marsh’s inquest is due to commence on 6 September and is expected to last between two and three weeks.

 

Pret was charged with food safety failures in the wake of Marsh’s death, but the prosecution was later dropped due to lack of evidence.

 

A spokeswoman for the company said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with the Marsh family over their terrible loss and we are doing everything we can to support this inquest.”

 

She added: “Over the past few years, Pret has established an industry-leading approach to helping customers with allergies, through the Pret Allergy Plan.

 

“We will continue to do everything we can to make sure that every customer has the information they need to make the right choice for them.”

 

Marsh’s death came in the wake of that of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after eating a Pret baguette containing sesame seeds.

 

Ednan-Laperouse's death sparked an overhaul of food labelling laws and the introduction of Natasha’s Law in October 2021, which required food retailers to display full ingredient and allergen labelling on every food item made on the premises and pre-packed for direct sale, including sandwiches, cakes and salads.

 

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