Ritika Janiya
An inquest will be opened next week to investigate the sad death of 13 year old Hannah Jacobs, who is believed to have died due to an allergic reaction to a Costa Coffee hot chocolate. She may have been served dairy rather than soya milk, in response to an order taken from her with a request for soya milk due to her severe allergies, which can prove to be fatal via even a trace amount in her diet.
The inquest is set for Monday into the death of 13-year-old Hannah Jacobs, who collapsed after drinking a cup of Costa Coffee hot chocolate containing what her family says was dairy milk—as she had requested be made with soya milk. She had very bad allergies to dairy, egg, fish, and wheat that she had managed meticulously since a small child.
This was in February 2023. Hannah and her mother had entered a Costa Coffee outlet located in Station Parade, Barking. Her mother had placed an order for a hot chocolate. She explained to the barista that her daughter had an allergy to dairy. She was to prepare the drink using soya milk. They took the drink and left for a dental appointment.
Hannah had gone to the dentist one day, taking a sip of her hot chocolate, which didn’t taste of soya milk. She had begun to experience a very severe allergic reaction, so her mother had to take her to the nearest chemist, where they administered an EpiPen, which the chemist had in stock. Despite the best efforts of both, and the later arrival of an ambulance, Hannah was declared dead at Newham University Hospital at 1 PM on February 8, 2023.
The five-day inquest will try to outline the exact circumstances surrounding Hannah’s death. Costa Coffee has so far refused to comment on the inquest. It follows a similar case of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who, in 2016, collapsed on a flight after consuming a Pret a Manger sandwich that contained undeclared sesame seeds. This resulted in what is now known as “Natasha’s Law,” full labeling of all on-site prepared food and their ingredients.
Natasha’s parents have been putting their support behind Hannah’s family. The Ednan-Laperouse couple stated that they were “deeply saddened” by the news of Hannah’s death and reiterated the fact that the entire incident should be properly investigated. They feel, therefore, that the case has brought to light a serious change that should be made within society concerning safety for individuals with deadly food allergies.
The efforts of the Ednan-Laperouse family have also increased the standards for establishing the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which is aimed at finding better treatments and solutions to solve severe allergies. They have funded a clinical trial to help children with serious food allergies.
Food allergy is a major health concern, as about 10 people die each year in England and Wales from allergic reactions. It costs the NHS around £1 billion every year. Cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common allergies in the world, and approximately 2% to 3% of children in the developed world suffer from this, making this the most common allergy among young people.
Hannah’s family released a photograph of her on her 13th birthday. She was smiling with balloons and a pink sash in that picture; she looked in very high spirits. The picture reminds one how full of joy and promise Hannah’s life was.
The inquest will consider every matter of the case, including whether proper procedures had been taken and whether the drink was labeled and prepared appropriately. It will explore issues that arose between the coffee shop and the accuracy of information from the shop to the barista.
This inquest has hence been of paramount importance to understand how this tragedy occurred, so that such a tragedy is not repeated. It underlines the stringent food labeling and stringent safety that should prevail for people with such severe allergies. Hannah’s death is a grim reminder to humanity of the acute dangers posed by food allergies and the continuous vigilance and improvement required in food safety.
