Fizzy drinks’ ban for NHS
HOSPITALS are cutting back on sales of sugary drinks in a bid to cut obesity in visitors and staff.
All 227 Trusts have pledged to reduce sales to 10% of their total drinks sold while 23 are stopping selling them completely.
More than half of NHS staff in England are estimated to be fat, which undermines their credibility to give dietary advice.
NHS England chief, Simon Stevens, said: “Every hospital in the country is answering this important call to action.”
Mum-of-five Celia Marsh, 42, died after eating a “super-veg rainbow flatbread” containing a yoghurt that was supposed to be dairy-free.
Dental nurse Celia collapsed shortly after buying the £3.75 item.
The flatbread, labelled as vegan at a Pret store in Bath, Somerset, was meant to contain red peppers, edamame beans and coconut yoghurt. But tests after Celia’s death last December showed CoYo yoghurt used in the product was contaminated with milk protein.
Pret alerted the Food Standards Agency and blamed CoYo.
But CoYo has said Pret’s claims “are unfounded” and added: “Pret’s inability to provide us with a batch code, despite requests, has severely limited our ability to investigate this further.”
Celia’s family said yesterday: “We are awaiting the outcome of investigations
She was a muchloved mother, daughter, sister and wife. We want the answers to why she died after eating lunch with her family.”
Friends said “lovely” Celia, of Melksham, Wilts, doted on her five daughters and husband Andy.
An inquest into her death has yet to be held with a coroner still awaiting results of pathology tests.
Pret said its “deepest sympathies” were with the family and it “will seek to assist them in any way we can”.
Celia’s death followed that of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, who suffered an allergic reaction in 2016 to sesame seeds in a baguette.
Pret was warned by customers that its labelling system was inadequate four years ago, it emerged yesterday, but said individual labels on products would be too bulky.
However, the chain announced last week it will now include full ingredient labelling on all products. VICTIM Natasha Ednan-Laperouse