A teenage girl recently died in England after eating a meal of chicken tikka masala from an Indian takeout restaurant. After taking a bite of the dish, she suffered an asthma attack and severe allergic reaction to nuts contained in the dish.
According to The Bolton News 13-year-old Molly Dyer had eaten the same type of curry at least twice before without experiencing an allergic reaction. However, on August 29, she died after doctors spent more than three unsuccessful hours trying to save her.
Her mother spoke at a recent inquest into Molly's death, saying that they had been at a friend's house and ordered an Indian meal. Shortly after tasking the curry dish, Molly began to experience an allergic reaction and asthma attack. According to the coroner, Simon Nelson, “Molly died following a severe anaphylactic reaction, triggered by her preexisting peanut allergy to which an acute asthmatic attack was a contributory factor.”
The manager of Shabaz takeaway, where the Indian meal was ordered, confirmed that the dish she was served contained ground nuts. Molly's mother confirmed that she had seen a menu before ordering the meal, but did not recall seeing a warning that the food 'may contain nuts.'
Molly's tragic death serves as a warning for everyone with peanut allergies to be vigilant whenever ordering food off a restaurant menu. If in doubt, ask the server or restaurant manager whether a dish may contain nuts.
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