A beloved mother-of-five collapsed and died on the streets after suffering a severe allergic reaction to food.
42-year-old Celia Marsh from Melksham, England, just finished her vegan Pret sandwich at a store in Bath, Somerset, when she suffered an allergic reaction to dairy.
As the inquest heard, the woman – who had been carefully avoiding all dairy products for years – thought her flatbread was dairy-free since it was advertised as vegan.
After suffering an allergic reaction, Marsh collapsed on the street outside the local Pret A Manger. As her husband added, the family is not sure whether Celia managed to administer her EpiPen before collapsing or not.
The inquest further heard that shoppers “stepped over” the mother-of-five as she lay on the ground waiting for help to arrive.
While she was eventually picked up by an ambulance and rushed to the hospital, Marsh was pronounced dead days later.
Following the woman’s death, the Bath and North East Somerset Council initiated a legal battle against Pret A Manger and Planet Coconut, a business that was supposed to provide dairy-free yogurt for the chain’s vegan flatbreads.
The case later came to an end after the prosecution dropped charges due to a lack of evidence.
“Our deepest sympathies remain with the Marsh family over their terrible loss and we are doing everything we can to support this inquest,” Pret A Manger spokesperson previously said.
“Following Celia Marsh’s death in 2017, charges were brought against Pret. The prosecution ended due to the lack of evidence and as a result, Pret was found Not Guilty.
“Over the past few years, Pret has established an industry-leading approach to helping customers with allergies, through the Pret Allergy Plan. We will continue to do everything we can to make sure that every customer has the information they need to make the right choice for them.”
The shocking death came just a year after 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in agony from an allergic reaction after consuming sesame seeds ‘hidden’ in a Pret baguette.
According to the reports, the seeds were not listed as an ingredient despite being a common allergen.
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