Saavan’s family describe repeated severe reactions after being told restaurant meals were suitable, with wheezing, emergency adrenaline and hospital treatment.
Read the real account ↗Published family account, Anaphylaxis UK, April 2026
Ralph, nine, needed hospital treatment after staff repeatedly reassured his mother that the sausages did not contain wheat. His family reported a serious allergic reaction.
Read the real account ↗Reported case, Anaphylaxis UK, May 2025
Celia Marsh died after a wrap containing milk protein. The coroner found that contamination risk information within the supply chain had not been passed on.
Read the real account ↗Coroner’s findings, November 2022UK adults estimated to have a food allergy.
FSA, 2024 ↗of surveyed adults with food hypersensitivities who eat out or get takeaway reported a reaction in the previous six months.
FSA & Ipsos, 2025 ↗reported a reaction or near miss over the same period. These groups overlap; the figures must not be added together.
FSA & Ipsos, 2025 ↗recorded in a review of 70 UK food-allergy prosecutions, January 2014 to January 2020.
Gowland & Walker, 2022 ↗Food hypersensitivities include allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease. The reaction figures are self-reported survey results, not population counts or proof of business fault. The FSA survey covered England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the eating-out/takeaway adult base was 767. The prosecution review is historical, not an annual total.
to hospitals in England for food-related anaphylaxis and other adverse food reactions in 2022/23.
compared with 1,971 admissions in 2002/03, as reported by the MHRA using provisional NHS England figures.
coded as food-triggered anaphylaxis across the UK in a separate national study covering 1998 to 2018.
Admissions are episodes, not necessarily different people. The England total includes other adverse food reactions, not only anaphylaxis. The UK study covers a historical period and excludes emergency-department visits without admission. These figures do not establish that incidents were caused by undeclared ingredients or business negligence.
Celia died in 2017 after eating a Pret a Manger wrap. The coroner found milk contamination in a yoghurt ingredient and identified supply-chain risk information that had not reached customers.
Outcome: inquest findings and a prevention of future deaths report in 2022. This source does not establish a compensation award.
Lesson: check supplier evidence and pass on cross-contact risks.
Read the coroner’s report ↗Twelve-year-old Mia-Shay died after a milkshake in 2023. Southwark Council reported failures involving visible allergen advice, contamination controls and an allergenic ingredient.
Outcome: the Pop Inn Café operator received an £18,000 fine and a 100-hour community order in January 2025. This was a criminal sentence, not a compensation payout.
Lesson: clear information must be backed by effective preparation controls.
Read Southwark Council’s account ↗A customer disclosed an egg allergy but was served an egg-containing dish after being told it did not contain egg. Birmingham City Council recorded an allergic reaction and failures in information, procedures and training.
Outcome: £30,000 in fines and £500 compensation ordered in August 2024. The compensation order was part of the prosecution.
Lesson: an answer to an allergy question must match the actual recipe.
Read Birmingham Council’s report (section 7.3) ↗A 15-year-old suffered a severe reaction after a meal in 2018. She received adrenaline and hospital treatment despite repeated assurances about her nut allergy.
Outcome reported in 2019: £3,767 fine, £2,744 costs and £1,000 compensation ordered against Sonero Tynemouth Ltd. These are separate amounts, not one compensation award.
Lesson: never rely on reassurance without checking ingredients.
Read the family solicitor’s account ↗Cameron died aged seven following a restaurant meal in Italy in 2015. His family’s solicitors reported that staff had been warned about his dairy allergy and had reassured them.
Outcome: Irwin Mitchell reported an undisclosed settlement in 2021. This was an overseas incident involving a British family; the report gives no payout amount.
Lesson: civil claims can follow serious harm as well as criminal proceedings.
Read the family solicitor’s settlement report ↗Source dates are shown on every item.
Authorities can prosecute allergen failures. Outcomes can include fines, costs and, in serious cases, imprisonment. A fine is a penalty, not a payment to the customer.
A court may order compensation during a prosecution. A separate civil claim can also seek damages. A settlement does not necessarily mean liability was admitted.
We have not identified a reliable UK-wide total for allergen-related compensation payouts. The published cases above show actual outcomes, not a typical award or a national claim rate.
A familiar dish can contain an unexpected ingredient, or change when a supplier updates its recipe.
Explore hidden ingredients ↗of surveyed adults with food hypersensitivities frequently checked online menus for allergen information before ordering.
surveyed 16 to 24-year-olds with food hypersensitivities felt uncomfortable asking staff about allergens.
of surveyed adults with food hypersensitivities did not tell the business about them on their most recent eating-out or takeaway occasion.
For the menu-checking figure, frequently means always, almost always or very often. These findings describe customer behaviour, not measured results from using And It Has.
Organise recipes, sauces, garnishes and supplier ingredient information.
Give customers accessible ingredient and allergen information through menus and location QR codes.
Support updates when recipes, suppliers or ingredients change.
Clear information supports better decisions. Accurate supplier data, trained staff and kitchen controls remain essential. We do not claim a measured reduction in lawsuits or reactions from using our service.
Declare the 14 regulated allergens where present as ingredients. Customers can also react to other ingredients, so full ingredient transparency provides useful additional information.
For distance sales, provide allergen information before purchase and at delivery. Food prepacked for direct sale needs a full ingredient label with allergens emphasised. A QR code does not replace required labels or kitchen controls.
FSA guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland ↗ Food Standards Scotland: allergen guidance ↗Sources checked 1 November 2026. Case summaries describe the published findings and outcomes at the dates stated.