Girl, 12, dies after allergic reaction to milkshake containing nuts
Girl, 12, dies after allergic reaction to milkshake containing nuts
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A cafe owner who admitted serving a milkshake to a 12-year-old girl who then died from severe allergic reaction, has been fined £18,000. Mia Shay St Hilaire died after drinking a milkshake believed to have contained traces of nuts, at the Bermondsey’s Pop Inn Cafe. The youngster was with her aunt and sister when she ordered and drank the milkshake on Wednesday, August 30 last year. An ambulance was called but she died in hospital.
Her family has now spoken out, ahead of their little girl's inquest, to welcome the fine and 100-hour community order for Baris Yucel. The 47-year-old cafe operator pleaded guilty to all six criminal charges against him. These included not making allergen advice available or visible to consumers, failing to manage allergen contamination during the food production process, and serving food that contained an allergenic ingredient that should not have been present.
Following Mia’s death, Southwark Council’s food safety team led an investigation. It believes there were hazelnuts and almonds in the milkshake prepared for Mia. It presented CCTV evidence showing Yucel had not cleaned the blender before making Mia’s drink and there were substances left behind from the preparation of a previous milkshake.
Southwark Council argued that this caused her to suffer a severe allergic reaction and that Mia’s death may have been avoided. On Friday at Croydon Magistrates Court, Yucel was sentenced to a 100-hour community order and £18,000 fine. Mia’s parents, Adrian and Chanel said: "We think of Mia every day and knowing her death could potentially have been prevented so simply, only adds to how heartbroken we are as a family. We hope this conviction and fine sends a loud message to businesses serving food and drinks across the country, of the devastating consequences of failing to take food safety seriously.”.
