Recently, we have seen many recalls due to undeclared allergens like milk, eggs, and nuts on the package, but why are these recalls happening frequently? Why is there no stern action being taken? The cause of these recalls is a lack of skills and knowledge about labeling, cross-contamination, packaging, or production error.
A lot of people have allergies; some of them are lactose intolerant, while others are vegetarians or vegans, so are we playing with their lives by taking no strict action? Whose responsibility is it to prevent food-allergic deaths? Consumer or restaurant? It is necessary for customers to notify restaurants of any food allergies before placing an order. However, we believe that the government should make it mandatory for every restaurant to display a disclaimer sign. “Food-allergic consumers must report our staff before ordering to prevent allergic reactions.” Both of them have collective responsibility.
In Italy, Anna Bellisario, a 21-year-old girl, died after consuming only two bites of vegan tiramisu in Milan. She has had extreme egg and dairy allergies since childhood. A rash, coughing fit, and subsequent breathing difficulties all swiftly occurred after consuming the tiramisu. She ran to the toilet to force herself to vomit, but she couldn’t. Despite taking allergy medication, nothing could aid Bellisario. On February 5, she lost consciousness and was taken to San Raffaele Hospital. After that, she spent 10 days in a coma before passing away.
She rarely goes out to eat and always maintains a high degree of attention to food. Even that evening, before eating the tiramisu, ask the restaurant for a list of allergens to ensure that milk is completely absent and the food is vegan.
According to the Italian Ministry of Health, the dessert was a ready-made product that had already been called back from 63 restaurants across Italy. Traces of milk protein were also found in additional tiramisu glasses from the same brand. The manager of the Flower Burger restaurant and representatives of a company that provided the eatery with vegan items that contained eggs, such as mayonnaise and mustard, knew that the eatery specialised in vegan food, so there shouldn’t have been any dairy, eggs, or milk product
Milan prosecutors have begun compiling evidence for a manslaughter case against both the restaurant and the tiramisu suppliers. Their inattention resulted in the death of a 21-year-old woman. The Ministry of Health demands the withdrawal from the market of other lots of tiramisus with milk that caused the death of a 21-year-old in Milan because they may contain traces of dairy products and undeclared allergies. As a result, consumers are advised not to consume the product and to return it to the shop for a refund.
In 2017, a woman with severe allergies died after eating a pret wrap. The food was mentioned as vegan but it included dairy protein. Whereas in April 2022, a 13year old girl died due to undeclared allergen milk. And many instances happened where one has to cost their life.