Schoolgirl died from nut allergy after drinking milkshake at south London cafe
Schoolgirl died from nut allergy after drinking milkshake at south London cafe
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A 12-year-old died from a severe allergic reaction after drinking a cafe milkshake which had been contaminated with nuts. Mia-Shay St Hilaire, from Sydenham, was taken ill after a trip with her aunt and sister to the Pop-Inn Café in Bermondsey in August 2023.
The schoolgirl, who had an allergy to tree nuts, ordered a milkshake, unaware that it was going to contain traces of hazelnuts and almonds. The café operator, Baris Yucel, admitted five health and safety breaches and a charge under the Food Safety Act, and was ordered on Friday to pay a £18,000 fine.
Yucel will also have to complete 100-hours of community service after the sentencing hearing at Croydon magistrates court. "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", said her parents, Adrian and Chanel.
“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.”. The café had failed to display signs about allergens in the food and there was no system in place to prevent cross-contamination.
And CCTV showed that Yucel had not cleaned the blender before preparing Mia’s milkshake, meaning there were deadly traces of nuts in her drink. She was rushed to hospital after the incident on August 28, 2023, and died two days later. The café was prosecuted after an investigation from Southwark Council’s food safety team, which uncovered a series of food safety breaches.
