Good point, Eragon.  Certainly, restaurants should be careful and should be educated about food allergies.  I do not think that we will ever get to the point where one could realistically expect *any* restaurant would be able to safely accommodate any food allergy, though.  Certain whole categories of foods are thought to be generally off limits to various allergies (Asian food for peanut allergy, for one example.) 

An epi pen may not have saved these people but eating out with a peanut allergy and no epi is potentially extremely dangerous.  An epi given right off might have saved all of them.    Very tragic all around. 

I agree with eragon. It seems some businesses are knowingly substituting one food product for another.

Carrying an epi-pen won't necessarily save a person when they have ingested that much peanut. And if a person "knows" the food to be safe, they often delay using an epi-pen. They assume the symptoms to be something else.

lakeswimr Thats half the story, the other half is that  deaths like this can be prevented if restaurants take our allergy concerns seriously. new food restaurant regulations meant to help us with that issue.

It sounds like they did a long investigation and think he is guilty based on that investigation.  I am not sure what they found in their investigation that would make them feel this charge was warranted.

I have seen that recent string of takeaway food causing ana to people who didn't carry epi pens.  It makes me wonder if their doctors are prescribing epi pens or, even if they are, if they are educating people properly about the risks of ana, the risks of eating out, the need to carry the epi and *when to use the epi pen*.  From what I have read, it seems the doctors in England are much more hesitant to use the epi, give the epi, and have a different standard for when it should be used than we do here in the USA.  I think that is what is causing these problems more than the restaurants.

I am going to link this thread with the previous thread....if I can.  In case it doesn't work, here's the original.

Re: two arrested for nut allergy death.

Is he the owner of the same shop previously mentioned in other articles when this first broke or a different shop also an importer/supplier? 

This is the article I refer to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2608686/Curry-sauces-restaurants-country-tested-three-deaths-linked-peanut-allergy.html

QuoteConnor Donaldson, 12, from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, and Derek Stephenson, 32, a gardener from Stanhope, Co ­Durham, have also died in separate cases. Some people suffer an allergic reaction if they eat any type of nut, but others can safely eat almonds and pistachios grown on trees and are only affected by peanuts – also known as ground nuts – grown in soil.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has ordered councils to encourage restaurant owners to check their ingredients.

New rules come into effect in December which will make the labelling of possible food allergens compulsory. 'We expect action to be taken against any businesses responsible for deliberately selling adulterated products,' said the FSA.

Almond prices have doubled in a year and food chiefs believe cheaper ground peanuts are being added to almond powder, and some takeaway owners are using peanuts to save money.

Corrine Lowe, of the Trading Standards Institute, said: 'Almond powder is being substituted with ground nut powder.

'In some cases outlets are being incorrectly supplied. In others, they are buying the cheaper ground nut, and still describe meals as containing almond.'

Hazel Gowland, of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, said: 'Cases linked to takeaways are becoming more common and something in the food chain has changed.

'There are people who have eaten the same takeaway every week for years who were fine, but who have now died.'

Schoolboy Connor died after eating a prawn balti which staff at the restaurant said did not contain nuts.

Tests carried out by Wigan Council later found the almond powder used was adulterated and bulked up with at least 50 per cent peanut powder. A council spokesman said that an investigation was continuing.

The quote below was yet another, the third victim a bar owner mentioned in the article above.

QuoteThere are only about ten recognised deaths from food allergy in the UK every year.
Mr Wilson's death came ahead of the Government introducing new food information regulations later this year, which stipulate eating establishments must provide detailed information about any allergens contained in their food.

Under current legislation, eating establishments are legally obliged to provide information about allergens only if they are asked to by a customer.

A North Yorkshire County Council spokeswoman said the authority was set to launch an allergens awareness raising campaign ahead of the new legislation coming into force on December 13.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/25/takeaway-owner-manslaughter-charge-man-peanut-death

QuoteThere is sufficient evidence ... to charge Mohammed Khalique Zaman with manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice and an employment offence under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006."

"Perverting the course of justice"  lieing to police about whether he was aware of the peanut?

~~~

This will be interesting.

What I remember from the articles I read a government (what level I don't know) investigation traced the source to the almond powder supplier, determining the almond flour was purposefully bulked with 50% peanut protein.  The label was fraudulent, but the restauranteur was unaware believing he was purchasing almond flour.

This sounds like the shop owner is coming under a variety of criminal charges, including manslaughter.

I think this is the third (?) pa death at an Indian take-away in a short period of time.  There was previously talk about them using cheap ground peanut to thicken sauces. I can't find a link, but I thought the UK government did say they were going to toughen up on this and take-always were told they had to stop.

If this place continued doing it charges are appropriate.

Wow.  Here in USA that would be an incredibly high standard to meet in order to reach criminal charges let alone manslaughter.  If you find any more timeline detail please post.

Found this while putzing around. This has been a problem since at LEAST 2008 - see the first paragraph on the right on the first page. I haven't read the whole thing yet.

http://omicsonline.org/how-safe-is-your-curry-food-allergy-awareness-of-restaurant-staff-2155-6121.1000140.pdf

am I missing it?  Does the article say WHO was arrested?  Was it people working where he bought the food?

ETA:  found the answer in the other link eragon posted.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2608686/Curry-sauces-restaurants-country-tested-three-deaths-linked-peanut-allergy.html.

Wowza!

More takeaway food.  Does anyone else see a pattern here? Takeaway food + no Epi =

I hope the NHS is taking note of this and doing something about it!