Parents of Mia Shay St Hilaire Call for Allergy Rating System After Milkshake Death
Mia Shay St Hilaire, a 12-year-old girl from Sydenham, died from severe anaphylaxis in August 2023 after drinking a milkshake cross-contaminated with hazelnut at the Pop Inn Café in Southwark, London. Her death has prompted her family and food safety advocates to call for a dedicated, mandatory allergy management rating system for food businesses.
Café Operator Failed to Clean Blender Before Fatal Drink
Briony Ballard, acting as assistant coroner, heard testimony at London Inner South Coroner’s Court prior to issuing her narrative conclusions regarding Mia’s death. Mia collapsed at her aunt’s home after taking two sips of a Twix milkshake and died later at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Southwark Council’s food and safety team led an investigation determining that the milkshake contained hazelnuts and almonds. Footage from security cameras revealed that café operator Baris Yucel neglected to wash out the blender following the preparation of a Kinder Bueno milkshake containing hazelnut before making Mia’s beverage.
Yucel pleaded guilty to six food safety charges. Among the violations were omitting visible and accessible allergen information for patrons, failing to control allergen cross-contamination, and providing meals containing unauthorized allergenic substances. Following the prosecution brought by Southwark Council, Yucel received an £18,000 fine and a 100-hour community order.
Calls for Regulatory Reform and Allergy Ratings
Following the conclusion of the inquest, Mia’s parents, Adrian St Hilaire and Chanel Spence, issued a statement arguing that families with food allergies should not be at risk when eating out. They noted that consumers rely on food hygiene ratings when deciding where it is safe to eat, but observed that these ratings do not indicate how a food business runs its allergy management systems. The family called for a separate, clearly displayed rating dedicated to allergy management alongside traditional hygiene ratings.
Natasha’s Foundation founder Tanya Ednan-Laperouse stated that the inquest illustrated how far authorities and businesses still need to go to improve awareness, understanding, and regulation of food allergies. Natasha’s Foundation has been working with businesses, schools, communities, and the government to prevent similar tragedies. Meanwhile, Michelle Victor, a partner at the food safety team at law firm Leigh Day representing Mia’s family, stated that the evidence highlighted serious concerns regarding how food allergies are understood and monitored across the food service industry.
Coroner Issues Report to Prevent Future Deaths
Coroner Briony Ballard announced during the proceedings that she will issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report directed to the Food Standards Agency, Southwark Council, and the café. Medical testimony provided during the hearings failed to prove, based on the balance of probabilities, that administering adrenaline promptly or utilizing a stronger injector device would have saved Mia’s life.
The family’s legal representatives continue to advocate for a single national allergy management framework, enhanced training and guidance for local authority inspectors, and greater support for food businesses to ensure staff receive effective training.
