Elevating Restaurant Food Allergy Protocols

Max McGlinchey, a 19-year-old peanut-allergic college student, died over the summer after eating at a Chinese restaurant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  As always, Max was careful to ask about ingredients in the meal he was ordering – Beef Lo Mein and an egg roll – to ensure the foods were peanut-free.  There was apparently a mistake in the kitchen, as someone either cooked his food in peanut oil or there was accidental cross-contact with peanuts, and Max died from a severe allergic reaction.

Celia Marsh died of anaphylaxis after eating at U.K. sandwich chain Pret a Manger.  The 42-year-old mother suffered a severe allergic reaction after eating a sandwich that included yogurt that was supposed to be dairy-free, but actually contained traces of milk protein. Several months earlier, a 15-year-old girl, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, visited a different Pret a Manger location, where she ate a mislabeled baguette.  The bread she consumed contained sesame but wasn’t labeled as such. …