We want change, say family of Newcastle graduate who died after eating pizza

Watch Tom Barton's report.

The parents of a computer programmer who died from an allergic reaction after eating a takeaway pizza want their grief to lead to lasting change for people with allergies ordering online.

James Atkinson, 23, died shortly after eating less than a slice of chicken tikka masala pizza from the now closed Dadyal restaurant in Howard Street, Newcastle, ordered via the Deliveroo app in July 2020.

The Newcastle University graduate, originally from Leeds, did not know it contained nuts and quickly became unwell at his home in Jesmond.

An inquest into his death found Mr Atkinson hadn't contacted the restaurant directly to tell them of his allergy but that they also hadn't properly listed ingredients.

In a statement following the inquest, Mr Atkinson's parents, Stuart and Jill Atkinson, paid tribute to their son who "lit up any room" as they asked to meet takeaway bosses to ask for improved allergen information.

They said: “James’ case has shone a light on much bigger issues that need urgent attention.

“There are three major online food apps that dominate the delivery market: Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat.

“The United Kingdom is home to one of the biggest online food delivery markets in the world which is estimated to be worth billions of pounds.

“Online food platforms have a major role in choosing who they partner with and how food is safely provided to customers by their partner providers.

“The inquest in James’ death has heard evidence that Deliveroo is not legally required to provide allergen information to customers using their app.”

Coroner Karen Dilks returned a narrative conclusion and recorded a cause of death as anaphylaxis.

The coroner also said she would write to the Department of Health to urge GPs to regularly review patients who have allergies and educate them about the importance of carrying EpiPens, as well as the relevant authorities in support of Owen’s Law, which is calling for restaurants to state in writing the allergens their dishes include.

Ms Dilks did not make any recommendations to the three major food ordering apps about how they could mitigate the risks for any customers who may have an allergy.

Jill Paterson, of Leigh Day, the legal firm who represented the Atkinson family, said: "In a world where ordering takeaways via an app is the now the norm, more must be done by the operators to ensure that consumers are as safe as possible."

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