On 8 January 2024, an investigation was opened following the death of a 23-year-old man in the United Kingdom after consuming a pizza ordered via the Deliveroo application. Being allergic to peanuts, he would have checked the list of ingredients.
The death of a 23-year-old man caused by consuming one is under investigation pizza containing peanuts. The facts date back to July 2020 but the investigation was opened on 8 January 2024, as reported by The Guardian.
It turned out that the victim, James Atkinsonresident in Newscastle (UK), was allergic to peanuts.
Before ordering pizza via the app Deliveroo, James and his roommate would do some research to check the ingredients. They reportedly ordered french frieschicken tikka masala pizza, onion bhaji, sag aloo and two meat dishes al curry.
I’m dying
After ingesting the first slice of pizza, James Atkinson would have difficulty breathing. While calling an ambulance, he asked his friend to retrieve his EpiPen: an emergency treatment indicated for severe allergic reactions.
“I’m going to die,” he reportedly said. When help arrived the young man was unconscious. Despite three injections of adrenaline and a trip to hospital that lasted only four minutes, he did not survive.
Initial investigations had already confirmed that the cause of death wasanaphylaxis following the ingestion of peanuts: there were a considerable quantity of them in his stomach. Tests showed no drugs or alcohol in James Atkinson’s system. According to the medical examiner, the young man did not suffer.
James’ parents hope the investigation, which is expected to continue for two weeks, will raise awareness about allergies and ordering food online.
What are the symptoms of peanut allergy?
The body sometimes reacts disproportionately when it comes into contact with certain substances or foods. In the case of food allergies, the first consumption of the food does not cause any symptoms, but the body becomes sensitized. The second contact with the food triggers an allergy with inflammatory phenomena at the skin or intestinal level. Peanuts are made up of many particularly allergenic molecules, which explains the frequency of the allergy.
In most cases, peanut allergy symptoms are intestinal in origin. As soon as it comes into contact with the intestine, rinflammatory reactions. The main symptom remains the diarrheabut can be accompanied by nausea e vomit. Furthermore, peanut allergy can express itself with skin manifestations. Outbreaks of urticaria, common in this type of allergy, appear in patches, mainly on the patient’s chest and back.
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