A 23-year-old college student in Texas has died after she unknowingly ate peanuts while eating out at a restaurant.
Alison Pickering, 23, died just days before she was set to graduate from Tarleton State University in Stephenville in May last year. She decided to go out on a first date at a restaurant she had been to before. Alison ordered the restaurant's Mahi-Mahi, which she had also previously eaten.
"She would repeatedly go to the same restaurants and order the same dishes, you know. And that was a common thing," her father, Grover Pickering, said, as quoted by CBS News.
However, Alison did not know the recipe for her favorite dish had been changed, and peanut sauce was added. The changes were not disclosed on the restaurant's menu. The wait staff had also been unaware that the recipe had changed.
Did Alison Not Get Medical Attention?
After eating the Mahi-Mahi, Grover said Alison did her Epipen. An ambulance was also called, and Alison had even talked to the emergency responders. But "somewhere along the way, things went downhill," her father said.
The 23-year-old experienced "severe anaphylactic shock," a life-threatening allergic reaction where the patient experiences difficulty breathing, swollen throat or tongue, chest tightness, nausea and vomiting, confusion, and a loss of consciousness.
The college student fainted and never woke up, according to her obituary. Her family did not name the restaurant.
Becoming Advocates
Following Alison's death, the Pickerings became strong advocates of the Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act, a law enacted in September this year in response to the death of Sergio Alexander Lopez, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction to peanut butter despite inquiring about the safety o his meal.
Under the law, all retail food establishments in Texas are required to display a food allergy awareness poster accessible to all employees. The poster must include any risks of allergic reactions to food allergens, symptoms of allergic reactions, and appropriate responses for assisting individuals experiencing allergic reactions. In addition, restaurants must also train their staff members on food allergen safety.
Apart from advocating for the law, the Pickerings are also interested in working with the Texas Restaurant Association to help "determine" what "guidelines" should be put in place that would assist restaurants in communicating the ingredients in their dishes to customers.
