In Memory: Remembering those who've had fatal food reactions

Started by admin rebekahc, August 04, 2011, 06:08:49 PM

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yelloww


Macabre

Abbie Benford, 15, of Hopkinton, MA, died 12/18/13 at Boston Children's Hospital, the week before her 16th Birthday.

DS: 🥜, 🍤

BensMom

The story of the Irish girl (because it's so detailed) just makes me feel ill. Almost always, more than one thing goes wrong when someone dies from an allergic reaction. In this case, so many things. I'd like to think that ds wouldn't eat anything if he didn't have his epi with him. He always has it, but if he forgot it, I'd hope he wouldn't eat. 

I wish we had more details about Abbie Benford. It helps everyone learn. So many teen deaths. These 15 and 16 yr old girls hit close to home. My girl isn't the allergic one, but she's that age, and well, most of you know what we've been through.


CMdeux

Connor Donaldson, Aged 12-- Manchester, UK-- anaphylaxis caused by peanut cross-contamination.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2588674/Schoolboy-12-died-severe-allergic-reaction-curry-containing-peanuts-takeaway-staff-assured-family-nut-free.html


The description of this type of anaphylaxis is so frightening-- really, we've seen reactions that were like this-- just the asthma that doesn't respond the way it "should" to a rescue inhaler... then... collapse. 

:-[
Resistance isn't futile.  It's voltage divided by current. 


Western U.S.

twinturbo

FWIW, the investigation found that the balti paste used not only contained traces of nuts but upon analysis was found that, unknown to the restaurant, their supplier of almond powder subbed with peanut to the tune of about 50% presumed to have been done by the manufacturer to use a less expensive product. No epinephrine injector on hand or used but I don't think he was ever truly diagnosed.

:'(

QuoteIn addition the takeaway used almond powder in dishes, which contained 50 per cent peanut powder as suppliers sought to supplement the expensive ingredient with a cheaper nut.

Macabre

DS: 🥜, 🍤

SilverLining

Quote from: twinturbo on March 28, 2014, 12:19:42 PM
FWIW, the investigation found that the balti paste used not only contained traces of nuts but upon analysis was found that, unknown to the restaurant, their supplier of almond powder subbed with peanut to the tune of about 50% presumed to have been done by the manufacturer to use a less expensive product. No epinephrine injector on hand or used but I don't think he was ever truly diagnosed.

:'(

QuoteIn addition the takeaway used almond powder in dishes, which contained 50 per cent peanut powder as suppliers sought to supplement the expensive ingredient with a cheaper nut.

My understanding was also that he had never actually been diagnosed as pa.  But his mother had.  I don't know whether she was carrying epinephrine for herself or not.  If she was, maybe she thought adult strength would be to strong for him.  But, isn't it less common in UK for people with allergies to actually be prescribed epi?

eragon

well, one reason could be :

1994 only 6 UK allergists, and now 2014 = 36 UK allergists. Which is better but most of these are in the south of England.
Its OK to have dreams:one day my kids will be legal adults & have the skills to pick up a bath towel.

LinksEtc

"Tourist dies of allergic reaction to tahini"

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.583210

QuoteThe woman, who was allergic to sesame, did not know that tahini ("tehina") was made from sesame seeds and developed a severe allergic reaction shortly after her meal.

:-[

Linden

Every few months it's the same story.  "He/she ate at a takeaway", "He/she was always so careful to avoid products with nuts in it".  And no Epi Pen.

It makes me cry but it also makes me really angry and frustrated.



DS TNA/EA, avocado, environmentals, asthma

Macabre

Linden--yes.

Links--at first I was thinking, "how could someone not know sesame is in tahini which is in hummus?  But she was from South Africa. Maybe they don't eat hummus there much.
DS: 🥜, 🍤

LinksEtc

Quote from: Macabre on April 05, 2014, 09:19:11 AM
Links--at first I was thinking, "how could someone not know sesame is in tahini which is in hummus?  But she was from South Africa. Maybe they don't eat hummus there much.

I think this kind of situation may be more common than you might think.  I have heard stories over the years.  I had a USA doc who didn't think hummus with tahini would cause a sesame reaction.

A few links ...


http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_8/sesame_seed_allergy-2025-1.html
Quote"My issue with sesame is that it's hidden," says Ali Cole, whose 6-year-old son Ezra is allergic to sesame seeds, tree nuts and mustard. "People don't always realize that hummus and tahini, for example, contain sesame.

"Tahini, a Little Known Sesame-Containing Food, as an Unexpected Cause of Severe Allergic Reaction"
http://www.jiaci.org/issues/vol16issue05/7.pdf
QuoteThese symptoms required emergency treatment with intramuscular adrenaline and intravenous corticosteroids. On both occasions the patient was absolutely sure that she did not ingest bread, biscuits, or other foods containing sesame.
QuoteWhen we contacted the restaurant directly in order to clarify the possible cause of our patient's allergic reactions, we discovered that the menu included some tahini-based recipes.


twinturbo

In general I don't think America has historically populations that have sesame central to ancestral diet enough to influence widespread agricultural and dietary changes to the mainstream. Peanut, particularly roasted peanut, has a longer and larger agricultural and culinary history in USA. I don't think many people here grasp where and when it's used beyond crackers and breads/buns.

One way to measure the growth of consumption indirectly would be looking at rates of sesame importation into US commerce. I doubt the sourcing is domestic because it doesn't have that agricultural history. In Title 19 the codes for sesame and the like (sesame, ground) would probably he open to public information. The most difficult part that I would anticipate are the sheer number of individual categories and how the sesame enters whether in volume or weight.

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