The family of a 12-year-old girl who died after an allergic reaction has called for a dedicated rating system to score food businesses on their allergy management. Mia St Hilaire, who had a tree nut allergy, suffered an anaphylactic shock and died in August 2023 after drinking a milkshake at the Pop Inn Cafe in Bermondsey, south-east London.
An inquest concluded on Thursday that her order contained hazelnut residue because the blender had not been washed after a Kinder Bueno milkshake was made in it beforehand. CCTV evidence showed the proprietor, Baris Yucel, had not cleaned the blender before preparing Mia's milkshake.
In January 2025, the cafe was fined £18,000 and Yucel received 100 hours of community service after admitting six criminal charges related to the Food Safety Act. These charges included not making allergen advice available or visible, failing to manage allergen contamination, and serving food with an unlisted allergenic ingredient.
Mia's parents, Adrian St Hilaire and Chanel Spence, stated that families with food allergies should not be "at risk" when eating out. They hope that "significant changes" will be made and suggested that a separate, clearly displayed rating for allergy management would allow people with allergies to make more informed choices.