Mia St Hilaire died after drinking the milkshake prepared in a cafe in London
A young girl has died after drinking a milkshake that had been prepared in an unwashed blender.
Mia St Hilaire ordered a milkshake at the Pop Inn Cafe on Southwark Park Road in south-east London, but shortly after drinking the beverage, she was rushed to hospital.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the 12-year-old tragically died.
Now, it has been revealed the girl suffered from a severe allergic reaction to the shake, and the cafe operator responsible has been fined over the incident.
Mia’s parents said the youngster had a tree nut allergy, leading Southwark Council to believe the drink prepared by the cafe had traces of hazelnuts or almonds in.
CCTV footage then revealed the cafe’s operator, Baris Yucel, had not cleaned the blender before making Mia’s drink, meaning it possibly had traces of nuts made from a previous order that triggered Mia to go into an anaphylactic shock.
Southwark Council argued the drink was the trigger to Mia’s allergic reaction, and that her death could’ve been avoided, BBC news reports.
In December last year, Yucel pleaded guilty at Croydon Magistrates’ Court to six charges, including serving food that contained an allergic ingredient, a lack of allergen signage or information visible to customers, and a failure to identify cross contamination risks of allergenic ingredients.
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The 47-year-old was fined £18,000 (around $22,0000) and ordered to 100 hours of community service in his sentencing on Friday (January 24).
Mia’s grieving parents, Adrian and Chanel, said in a statement: “We think of Mia every day and knowing her death could potentially have been prevented so simply, only adds to how heartbroken we are as a family.
“We hope this conviction and fine sends a loud message to businesses serving food and drinks across the country, of the devastating consequences of failing to take food safety seriously”, reports Your Local Guardian.
The family’s attorney, Michelle Victor, also highlighted that businesses failing to adhere to food safety protocols can have ‘tragic consequences’.
Meanwhile, the UK’s food allergy charity, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said in a post on Instagram: “This is yet another death of a young person from a food allergy that should never have happened. We have met Mia’s parents on several occasions, and our hearts are absolutely broken for them and their terrible loss.
“Rules around allergen safety are there to protect people with food allergies and must be taken seriously by all café and food operators. Food allergies are not a choice or preference, but a serious medical condition that can for some be fatal.”
The girl died after the authorities found the blender hadn’t been washed (Getty Images)
The charity added that while the cafe’s fines and community service is ‘welcome’, it does not believe the sentencing ‘reflect[s] the gravity of what happened to Mia’.
Its statement continued: “How many more people must be hospitalised or die before all food operators realise these rules are not an optional extra, but essential for keeping their customers safe?”
The cafe continues to be monitored by the local authority, and has been granted a five-star Food Hygiene Rating in two occasions since the incident.
A lawyer for Yucel also said the businessman had ‘shown genuine remorse’ and ‘a day does not go by’ when he doesn’t think of Mia or her family.
UNILAD has contacted the Pop Inn Cafe for comment.
Signs of anaphylactic shock
Peanuts and tree nuts are the most common causes of an allergic reaction (Getty Images)
Anaphylaxis, otherwise known as anaphylactic shock, is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that happens quickly, according to the NHS.
An allergy attack might look like:
- Itchy skin or a red skin rash
- Swollen feet and/or hands
- Swollen eyes and/or lips
- Mouth, throat or tongue swelling which causes difficulty breathing and swallowing
- Wheezing
- Vomiting and nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Collapse
- Unconsciousness
What causes an allergic reaction?
Anyone can have an allergic reaction, regardless of age, race, or gender, as the body’s immune system reacts to a substance, usually food or drink, by producing antibodies that attack allergens.
In turn, this can cause an allergic reaction to the skin, airways, sinuses, or digestive system.
On the more serious scale, anaphylaxis is not as common, but occurs when the body overreacts to the substance and develops within four hours, or even minutes, of contact with an allergen.
People who have allergic conditions, such as asthma or the allergic skin condition of atopic eczema are most at risk of developing anaphylaxis.
Common anaphylaxis triggers
The most common allergen triggers of anaphylaxis are:
- Insect stings (wasps and bees)
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Other nuts – walnuts, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts and hazelnuts
- Milk
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Eggs
- Some fruit like bananas, kiwi, grapes, and strawberries
- Certain medicines like penicillin-like antibiotics
- General anaesthetic
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin
What to do when someone has an allergic reaction
People with eczema and asthma are most at risk of developing anaphylaxis (Getty Images)
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency which requires an adrenaline shot.
Some people with severe allergies carry an auto-injector, which has to be injected into their outer thigh and held in place for five to 10 seconds.
Paramedics will still need to be contacted as the sufferer could still be unwell, even after the shot.
A second dose may need to be administered to their opposite thigh.
The person suffering the attack will need to lie flat with their legs raised, or sat up if they are struggling to breathe.
If they become unconscious, they’ll need to be moved to the recovery position on their side with their head tilted back and chin lifted.
CPR will need to be performed if they stop breathing or their heart stops.
How many people die from anaphylaxis?
An epipen will be needed to administer adrenaline in an anaphylactic episode (Getty Images)
The risk of death from anaphylaxis is low, at about one percent in the United States, or around 500 to 1,000 people dying from it every year.
In the UK, there are around 20 deaths every year.
The leading cause of fatalities from allergens are peanuts and tree nuts.
The NHS states with ‘prompt and proper treatment’, most sufferers make a ‘full recovery’.
