Six Month Countdown to Natasha’s Law
We quietly grieved in the two years between Natasha’s death and her inquest in 2018, much of the time spent on activities of which we had no experience: arranging her funeral, planning a memorial service for family and friends, finding lawyers who would support us at the inquest, and trying to stop the very fabric of our lives from unravelling.
Natasha had lost her life, just 15 years old, from a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to sesame seeds hidden in a baguette. As her parents, trying to embrace a new way of living without our beloved daughter while trapped in a barely functioning existence of loss and grief, was too much to bear.
Two long years on, we got to the inquest and our pain was shared with the wider world. It was the most gruelling, heartbreaking week. Yet our determination to achieve justice for Natasha won through.
The Coroner Dr Sean Cummings ruled Natasha had been "reassured" by the lack of specific allergen information on the baguette’s packaging. The sesame seeds were hidden in the dough, invisible to the eye. Had they been listed on the label Natasha would be alive today. Dr Cummings announced he would be writing to the Government to inform them the spirit of the law was being abused.
We stood outside the court and read a statement which declared that the food labelling laws had "played Russian roulette with our daughter's life…and are not fit for purpose.” We said: “It is time to change the law.”
We were far from alone. Letters offering love and support had started pouring in from across the UK and from countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
The common thread was the daily fear that weighs so heavily on people living with allergic disease. For many of our correspondents their fears had often been disregarded, misunderstood, or rarely taken seriously by others. Living an allergic life was riddled with pitfalls and dangers around every conceivable corner.
We started a campaign to change the food labelling laws which stated that food prepacked on the premises in which it is sold does not need to display information about allergens. Through Natasha’s death we had been given a voice and we were determined to make sure that people hearing about food allergies for the first time would understand just how important this was.
It turned out that the people who had the power to do something were listening. Positive meetings with then Environment Secretary Michael Gove led to the announcement by the Food Standards Agency of full ingredient and allergen labelling for all foods prepacked for direct sale (PPDS). Natasha's Law was laid in parliament in September 2019 and, following a two-year transition period, comes into effect on October 1st. It provides better protection for allergic consumers and will save many lives.
Research by the FSA suggests that 64% of food businesses selling PPDS are aware of the labelling changes that are due to come into force and 62% already provide full ingredients labelling on the PPDS food they sell. Over the following months leading up to Natasha’s Law, the FSA will be working closely with food businesses to make sure they are all ready for the changes.
When we fast-forward our lives to today, we are still surprised and humbled that Natasha’s death was able to bring about a vital change in UK food laws, change imperative to the two to three million food allergic people in this country.
Prior to Natasha’s death, news of food allergy deaths in the UK rarely made the headlines. Since her death, there have been other high profile allergy fatalities. Most importantly, the food industry is recognising the need for change.
As the six-month countdown to Natasha’s Law begins, we applaud the food businesses who have got ahead of the curve and already implemented Natasha’s Law.
We are also reminded that vital change for good in society is often triggered by tragedy. A spotlight shines in the dark places that allowed the tragedy to happen. Natasha’s Law is not just about food labelling; it is about saving lives.