Maria Voisin, Avon’s senior medical examiner, said the wrapper contained a coconut milk yogurt supplied by another company, Planet Coconut, which was labeled as dairy-free but was found to contain traces of milk protein. Celia Marsh, 42, a dental nurse from Melksham, Wiltshire, died after eating the ‘super-veg rainbow flatbread’ from the chain’s store in Bath, Somerset. The coroner said she would write to the Food Standards Agency highlighting concerns about labeling on products that claim to be dairy-free. Voisin said Marsh had a “known allergy” to milk. “That day, while in Bath, he ate a lot of vegetarian rainbow bread, which he thought was safe to eat. He suffered an anaphylaxis reaction caused by milk protein, which contained an ingredient. This caused her to collapse and she died.” Giving a narrative conclusion, Voisin continued: “The wrapper contained a product labeled as a ‘dairy-free coconut yogurt alternative,’ but it still contained milk protein, which was the cause of Celia’s anaphylaxis. “A product labeled dairy-free should be dairy-free. The contamination arose because an ingredient in the yogurt called HG1 was cross-contaminated with milk protein during its manufacture. “The maker of dairy-free yogurt [Planet Coconut] it had documents in its possession that pointed out that risk, but that risk was not passed on to its customers.” Marsh’s husband Andy, 51, had told the inquest in Bristol that his wife was very diligent. “Celia kept a close eye on her food allergies. He always checked every label before eating and always asked about the ingredients. If Celia wasn’t sure about the label or the answers she was given, she wouldn’t eat the food as she didn’t want to take any chances.” He said his wife had a scary reaction to dairy in May 2017 while at the dentist’s office where she worked after eating something containing marshmallows that had been made in the same line as a product containing milk. He needed 12 shots of adrenaline in the operating room and three in the hospital, and then always carried an EpiPen. On December 27, 2017, the Marshes went shopping in Bath. At about 2 p.m. As they walked down a side street, Marsh was struggling to breathe. She administered her EpiPen and her husband called 999. She collapsed and was taken to hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead at 4pm. The inquest heard the wrapper contained yogurt made with coconut milk supplied to Pret by a company called Planet Coconut. An ingredient in yogurt – a stabilizer – made by another company was found to have traces of dairy protein. Speaking after the coroner’s report, Andy Marsh said: “Celia meant the world to us all. He could brighten your worst days with just one smile. She would look at you with her blue eyes and you felt better. She was a wonderful mother.” He added: “I want to see testing at every stage of the process to make sure nothing slips through the cracks and to provide a safety net.” The couple’s eldest daughter Ashleigh Grice, 27, who like her mother works as a dentist, recalled Celia Marsh telling her she loved her in their last conversation. She said: “Mum and us girls spent Christmas together. We were so close. When I left, my mom told me she loved me. I told her: “I love you too.” They were the last words we said to each other.” Celia’s daughter Kayleigh Grice, 20, said she was also shopping in Bath on the day her mother died and wished she had had “one more hug or one more conversation”. She said: “The day it all happened, we split up to go for separate meals. I often think that if we had maybe gone with her, then maybe she wouldn’t have eaten the sandwich and would still be there now. “The labeling needs to be better for people with allergies. There needs to be clearer messages. Mom was so into labels, she checked everything. If there was any indication that something might contain something she was allergic to, she wouldn’t touch it or go anywhere near it.” Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger, said: “As a father and husband, I can only imagine how painful this must have been for Celia’s children and family. Our deepest condolences remain with all who knew and loved Celia. “We fully support the coroner’s findings. As the coroner made clear, Planet Coconut had information that should have alerted them that their yogurt might contain milk, and that information was not passed on to Pret. It goes without saying that if Pret had ever known that the yogurt might contain milk, we would never have used the ingredient. “We have made significant strides with our suppliers and labeling policies since 2017. Through the Pret Allergy Plan, we have made a clear commitment to lead the industry in developing new policies for people with food allergies. We will continue to do everything we can to help each customer get the information they need to make the right choice for them.”
