Parents of Girl who Died after Pret Baguette Launch £10 Mln Allergy Research Fund
The parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame hidden in a Pret A Manger baguette, have launched a £10 mln global research initiative aimed at preventing food allergies.
The project, called Natasha’s Prize, was announced by Natasha’s Foundation nearly 10 years after the 15-year-old’s death in July 2016. The fund will support international scientific research focused on preventing food allergies from developing during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life — from conception to the age of two.
According to the foundation, food allergies affect around 220 mln people worldwide, while the number of allergy cases in the UK has doubled over the past decade. Scientists from a range of disciplines, including immunology, nutrition, environmental science and artificial intelligence, are being invited to develop new approaches to tackling the issue.
Natasha’s mother, Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, described the initiative as a «once-in-a-generation opportunity» to help stop food allergies before they develop. The winning research proposals will be selected in 2027 by the foundation’s trustees and scientific advisory panel.
Natasha’s death led to the introduction of «Natasha’s Law» in the UK, which requires food businesses to provide full ingredient and allergen labelling on pre-packaged foods made on site.
