THE parents of a teenage girl who died as a result of a severe food allergy will address the first Jersey Food Allergy Conference.
Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, founders of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, and parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died aged 15 from a severe allergic reaction to sesame, will visit the Island to help improve the lives of those living with food allergies.
The couple will be campaigning for the implementation of Natasha’s Law in Jersey. The legislation requires all food retailers to display full ingredient and allergen descriptions on every food item made and pre-packed for sale.
Natasha died in July 2016 after consuming a baguette that had sesame seeds, to which she was severely allergic, baked into the dough and which the ingredients’ label did not mention.
At an inquest into her death, a coroner concluded that had the baguette been properly labelled, she would not have eaten it, meaning her death was entirely preventable.
After five years of campaigning, Natasha’s Law was passed in the UK in 2021.
Monday’s conference aims to raise awareness about the impact of food allergies and how local lawmakers should give people living with food allergies in the Channel Islands the same protection as those in the UK.
“For too long people with food allergies in the Channel Islands have failed to have the protections afforded to their counterparts just a few miles away in the UK,” Tanya and Nadim said. “This is unacceptable.
“Being such close neighbours, we believe legislation around food labelling should be in sync with the UK.
“Jersey and Guernsey should adopt Natasha’s Law and other food allergy regulations to bring them in line with standards in the UK without delay, to give Islanders greater transparency about the foods they buy and eat.”
Around 6% of UK adults have a clinically confirmed food allergy, the Food Standards Agency’s Patterns and Prevalence of Adult Food Allergy report said.
It added that more than 30% of adults also reported living with symptoms of food “hypersensitivity”, meaning they have an unpleasant reaction as a result of consuming a particular food.
At the conference, the couple will announce a collaboration between The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and The Jersey Food Allergy Group, which will lead the campaign for local legislative change.
Established in 2023, the Jersey Food Allergy Group was set up by resident allergy sufferers and parents of children with food allergies to support Islanders and families suffering from food hypersensitivity, mediated food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease.
World-leading medical professionals, charities, industry experts and those with lived experience of allergies will also speak at the Jersey Food Allergy Conference.
Topics covered will range from advancements in allergy treatment, to prevention strategies, psychological support and practical solutions for businesses and schools to accommodate those with food allergies.
The conference is due to take place on Monday 18 November in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall from 8.30am until 2pm.
