Family of second Pret victim call for answers
Relatives of Celia Marsh instruct lawyers over misleading allergy information on sandwich
THE family of a mother of five, who has been named as the second person to have suffered a fatal allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger sandwich, have demanded to know “why she died after eating lunch with her family”.
Celia Marsh, 42, from Melksham, Wilts, died on December 27 last year, after eating a “super-veg rainbow flatbread” that was meant to be dairyfree, from the sandwich chain’s Bath branch.
The dental nurse, who had a dairy allergy, went into anaphylactic shock and died in the Royal United Hospital shortly after Christmas last year.
Mrs Marsh’s family, who instructed legal representatives yesterday, said in a statement: “We have kept a dignified silence since the death of Celia in December last year as the family has come to terms with her sudden and unexpected death. We are also awaiting the outcome of the investigations into how she died.
“She was a much-loved mother, daughter, sister and wife. We miss her greatly, and we just want the answers to why she died after eating lunch with her family.”
Her death follows the case of Natasha Ednan-laperouse, a 15-year-old from Fulham, south London, who collapsed on board a flight in 2016 after eating a Pret a Manger baguette that contained sesame, to which she was severely allergic.
Mrs Marsh, who had five daughters aged 23 to eight, was described as an “amazing” and “caring” woman by friends in tributes posted online.
On her 18th birthday two weeks ago, Mrs Marsh’s daughter, Brenna Grice, wrote: “Miss you so much Mum. I wish you were here for my birthday but I know you are looking down on me.
‘We miss her greatly, and we just want to know why she died after eating lunch with her family’
Love you and miss you so much.”
Pret a Manger has attributed blame to Coyo, a supplier that they alleged mis-sold them guaranteed dairy-free yogurt, as it contained dairy protein.
Coyo, which recently had to recall its coconut yogurts after an investigation by the Food Standards Authority (FSA), described Pret’s claims as “unfounded”, and accused the sandwich chain of failing to provide them with vital information.
A spokeswoman for Coyo, which has been endorsed by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, said: “The dairy-free product we provided to Pret in December 2017, at the time of this tragedy, is not linked to the product we recalled in February 2018.
“Pret’s inability to provide us with a batch code, despite several requests, has severely limited our ability to investigate this further.”
The FSA confirmed that it was made aware of Mrs Marsh’s death on February 8, and investigated Coyo, adding: “Recommendations were made, appropriate action – including the issue of an allergy alert – was taken by the business, and the investigation was closed.”
A spokesman for Pret a Manger, which has terminated its relationship with Coyo and is taking legal action, said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of our customer in this terrible case. We will seek to assist them in any way we can.”
Nadim and Tanya Ednan-laperouse, the parents of 15-year-old Natasha, said they were “incredibly saddened” to hear of another death caused by allergies to Pret’s food.
Speaking in light of the news, they said: “Our hearts go out to the bereaved family. As we said at the end of Natasha’s inquest, we hope that this will be a watershed moment for allergy awareness in this country.”
♦ Pret a Manger was last night accused of misleading customers after an investigation alleged its “fresh” baguettes are made a year in advance. The Daily Mail reported that a factory in Rennes, France, part-bakes them before freezing them at -18C for up to a year. Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign said: “They merely use their ovens as ‘loaf-tanning’ salons. This is downright misleading.” Pret pointed out an Advertising Standards Authority ruling let it say its bread was fresh because customers would not necessarily think that meant it was made from scratch.