Teen died after eating burger while celebrating 18th birthday
A teenager who died after unwittingly eating a chicken burger coated in buttermilk told staff at the burger chain about his dairy allergy, an inquest has found.
Owen Carey was celebrating his 18th birthday at Byron’s London restaurant in 2017 when he ordered a grilled chicken burger before collapsing 55 minutes later, according to the BBC.
He ate half of his chicken before his lips started tingling and he experienced stomach problems.
When paramedics arrived on the scene he was not breathing and he had no pulse. He later died in hospital.
The inquest was told Owen did not realise the chicken was marinated in buttermilk, as it was not clearly listed on the menu.
During the inquest, it was revealed Owen was not carrying an epipen at the time, however a doctor testified saying it would have been ‘unlikely’ an epipen could have made a difference.
The BBC reports barrister Clodagh Bradley, who represented the Carey family, said by not listing buttermilk as an ingredient on the menu a customer could assume it was just plain chicken.
The allergy information was reportedly in the ‘fine print’ on the back of the menu in 2017, according to the coroner.
Sky News reports Byron’s technical manager Aimee Leitner-Hopps said many component ingredients in dishes were not elaborated on in the menu.
"If you have an allergy you should be asking for information and the team would be able to provide that information in the allergy guide,” she said.
All staff at the Byron burger restaurant have reportedly received online allergy training since Owen’s death.
Owen’s family are now calling on the government to change the law on allergen labelling in restaurants.
“We want restaurants to have to display clear allergen information on each individual dish on their menus,” Owen’s sister Emma Kocher told reporters outside Southwark Coroner’s Court.
The family said it was not enough for restaurants to rely on verbal communication, given the noisy and busy environment.
“This leaves far too much room for error on an issue we know all too well costs lives,” the family said.
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