A 13-year-old girl from east London died after suffering a severe allergic reaction after drinking a hot chocolate bought from Costa Coffee.
Hannah Jacobs, from Barking, went into anaphylactic shock while at a dentist appointment with her mother on February 8 last year, and died soon after.
An Inquest Into Her Death
An inquest into her death, which is expected to last six days, is to begin at East London Coroner’s Court in Walthamstow on Monday (August 12).
Law firm Leigh Day, which is representing Hannah’s family at the inquest, said Hannah died “following a suspected anaphylactic reaction to a hot chocolate drink” that was bought from a Costa Coffee branch in Barking, which is owned and operated by a franchise partner.
Chilling Details of The Girl’s Death After Drinking Hot Chocolate
The incident occurred as Hannah and her mother were on their way to a dentist appointment. They stopped at a local Costa Coffee branch where Hannah’s mother ordered hot chocolate drinks and explicitly informed the barista of Hannah’s severe dairy allergy. Despite this, the drink contained regular milk instead of the requested soy milk.
The case has brought renewed attention to the challenges faced by individuals with food allergies. According to the Anaphylaxis Campaign, approximately 2.4 million people in the UK live with food allergies, and around 10 people die from allergic reactions each year.
Costa Coffee has expressed its deepest sympathies to Hannah’s family and stated that it is fully cooperating with the inquest. The company has emphasized its commitment to allergen management and has reiterated its guidelines for staff to handle customer requests for allergy-friendly drinks.
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