Fast food giants are still not listing allergens on wrappers because their products are “made on site”.
Pret a Manger has vowed to stop using the loophole – meant to aid small shops – following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who ate one of their baguettes which contained sesame seeds.
And today we call on Burger King, Eat, Nando’s, Domino’s, Greggs, Leon, KFC, and McDonald’s to follow suit and list possible dangers on food wrappers.
Our demand follows concern at the inquest on Londoner Natasha, 15, who collapsed after eating a baguette which had no allergen advice. This did not breach rules as it was produced by Pret “on site” at Heathrow.
All that was needed were warnings posted around the shop and “staff advice”. The coroner said “a cynic might think it was almost a device to get round regulation”.
At Greggs in Peckham, South London, on Thursday there was a sign listing nutritional information and customers were advised to “ask about allergens”.
The firm said it was “urgently reviewing” the matter and had put up more prominent signs.
Currently Wasabi customers are advised to ask for advice. The chain said it was looking at the logistics of labelling all food.
Leon agreed the need for “standardisation” and Domino’s were “reviewing how we provide information”.
KFC said it provided info online and on tray liners. It would seek new ways of making it “even more accessible”.
In a Subway we visited, the only sign was a black-and-white A4 sheet at the back of the store. In Burger King this was near the till. KFC and McDonald’s customers were told to ask staff.
Natasha’s parents Tanya and Nadim said: “We fully support the Mirror. Eating out is not a game of Russian roulette. Change cannot come quickly enough.”
Burger King, McDonald’s and Subway all said they had allergy policies and advised customers to ask for advice. Eat and Nando’s did not respond to calls.