Pret A Manger has denied breaching food safety rules after a student allegedly suffered a severe allergic reaction after eating one of its sandwiches which contained sesame seeds.
The food chain pleaded not guilty to “selling food not of the substance demanded” at Bristol Crown Court on Monday following the incident which reportedly took place on November 26, 2017.
The court heard how the student, named as Isobel Colnaghi, suffered a severe reaction after unwittingly eating a sesame in a curried chickpea and mango sandwich.
Kate Brunner QC, for the prosecution, said the customer “bought a sandwich under the impression that it did not contain sesame, to which she was extremely allergic.”
“She checked the shelf ingredients and asked a member of staff. She subsequently ate that sandwich and suffered a severe reaction,” she added.
Ms Brunner said the presence of sesame in the sandwich was not properly identified by the food chain.
However, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, representing Pret A Manger, confirmed the firm was pleading not guilty to the charge against it under section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990.
Judge Julian Lambert listed the case for a trial, expected to last up to four weeks, on November 2.
It comes more than a year after the eatery group announced sweeping changes to its policies on allergens following the death of 15-year-old schoolgirl Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.
In October 2018, Pret announced it would introduce full ingredient labelling to all products freshly made in its shop kitchens, and would display allergen warning signs in all outlets.
Natasha died after eating a Pret baguette on a flight which contained sesame seeds baked into it.
Her parents have since campaigned to ensure clearer food labelling and help “save other allergy sufferers”.
Their efforts led to the creation of “Natasha’s law” which is set to come into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the summer of 2021.
Under the new rules, food businesses will have to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packaged food.
Natasha's parents said "helping save other allergy sufferers and their families from the enduring agony that we will always bear is a fitting legacy for her life".
