Indian Eatery In London Fined For Serving Peanuts To Teen With Allergy

Food allergies are a common problem that people face in different forms across the globe. These allergies can strike anywhere, from eyes to skin, to stomach and to even tongue. Seafood, nuts and mushrooms are some of the most common foods that may cause allergies. People with food allergies must be careful of what they consume as it can be extremely fatal for them. That is exactly what happened with a 16-year-old girl at an Indian restaurant in London.

A UK-based Indian restaurant, 'Gulshan' in Tynemouth near Newcastle, was fined 3,767 pounds (around INR 3.5 lakhs) for serving a dish with peanuts to a teenager who had a nut allergy. This was after the restaurant had assured her and her family that it was safe to eat.

(Also Read: When It Comes To Food Allergies, How To Help Your Kids Snack Smarter)

_{Certain seafood, nuts and mushrooms are some of the most common foods to cause allergies.}

The family had booked a table at the restaurant on November 10 last year; they were assured on the phone that the restaurant will take care of the teenager's nut allergy. However, after eating a few mouthfuls, her tongue began to tingle and swell due to allergic reaction, a court was told later. She was rushed to the hospital immediately. Shockingly, the family were even made to pay for the meal before they left the curry house

Officials from the local authority's food safety team took the remnants of the chicken curry for testing. It was found to contain a peanut protein at a level that could cause a reaction in someone suffering from nut allergy, the court was told. Further investigation at the restaurant revealed a host of inadequate food safety procedures, including wrongly labelled ingredients, lack of staff training and insufficient separation of food to prevent cross-contamination of allergen ingredients.

(Also Read: 8 Wonderful Substitutes for the Most Common Food Allergies)

The court fined the restaurant owners 3,767 pounds and directed to pay 2,744 pounds as costs and 1,000 pounds as compensation after the company pleaded guilty to breaching the Food Safety Act, 1990.

The court was told that improvements in the restaurant had been made and that after re-inspection in April 2019, the restaurant had a level-5 food hygiene rating.

(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)