A schoolgirl has diedfrom a suspected severe allergic reaction after drinking a hot chocolate from Costa Coffee.
Hannah Jacobs, 13, suffered a suspected anaphylactic reaction on February 8 last year after her mother ordered the hot drink which she thought contained soya milk.
The teenager from Barking, east London, had been diagnosed with severe allergies to dairy, egg, fish and wheat when she was a toddler.
Jacobs’ mother ordered the hot chocolate and informed the barista of her daughter’s dairy allergy before they attended a dentist appointment, Leigh Day solicitors said.
However, Jacobs realised it was dairy milk after taking a sip in the dental practice’s waiting room.
The 13-year-old was rushed to a nearby pharmacy where staff gave her an EpiPen, which treats life-threatening allergic reactions by relaxing the airways.
An ambulance crew pronounced the young girl dead at 1pm.
The inquest into her death is due to begin at East London coroner’s court on Monday.
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It will hear from 11 witnesses and experts who will determine the circumstances surrounding her death.
GB News has approached Costa Coffee for a comment.
Around ten people each year die in England and Wales from an allergic reaction, according to Allergy UK.
The most common food allergy for children across the world is cow’s milk.
The 13-year-old’s mother ordered the hot chocolate and informed the barista of her daughter’s dairy allergy before they attended a dentist appointment, Leigh Day solicitors said
PA
Stricter laws were introduced following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse in the summer of 2016 after an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette.
Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died on a British Airways flight to Nice after eating an olive and tapenade baguette.
The teenager, who had severe food allergies, was unaware that sesame seeds had been baked into the bread.
Natasha’s Law now requires all food businesses to provide full ingredient lists and clear allergen labelling on pre-packaged foods made on the premises for direct sale.