A Texas college student with a severe peanut allergy died after eating at her favorite restaurant, but she didn't know the restaurant had changed the recipe, causing a fatal allergic reaction and killing her parents. called for changes in the food industry.
Alison Pickering, 23, went on her first date just days before graduating from Tarleton State University and decided on a restaurant she knew had food she could eat despite her severe allergies.
Pickering discovered she had a peanut allergy when she was a preschooler and was always careful where she ate out, never changing where she ate to be safe.
“She would go to the same restaurant over and over again and order the same food, which was a common occurrence,” said Pickering's father, Grover Pickering. Texas told CBS News.
For her date on May 12, 2023, she chose an unidentified restaurant she had previously been to and ordered mahi-mahi, a dish she had previously ordered from that restaurant.
Unbeknownst to her or the waitstaff, the kitchen had recently changed the recipe for this dish and added peanut sauce to the fish.
“She took a few bites and knew something was wrong,” Grover Pickering said.
Pickering, feeling the effects of the peanut sauce, administered an EpiPen and walked outside to an ambulance, where he spoke with doctors.
“Somewhere along the way, things went downhill,” said the heartbroken father.
Pickering lost consciousness and never woke up.
Pickering died from “severe anaphylactic shock caused by ingesting peanuts that were not listed on the restaurant menu.” Her obituary was read.
A year and a half after their daughter's tragic death, the Pickerings are working to prevent more people from dying from hidden allergens in restaurants.
“I wish the waitstaff and patrons were better informed,” Joy Pickering told CBS Texas.
Part of the changes include the Texas restaurant working on communication among all staff, including changing recipes, specifically regarding allergens.
“This is to determine what guidelines we can put in place to help restaurants better communicate with their customers about ingredients, similar to the labels on products purchased at the grocery store,” Grover-Pickering added. Ta.
“We know that doing this will save lives,” Joy Pickering said.
Hannah Glass, 19, a freshman at Maranatha Baptist University in Wisconsin, died after eating a gluten-free brownie made with roasted peanut flour.
Glass, who had a severe peanut allergy, became seriously ill after breaking out in hives on Nov. 5 after eating a snack baked by a group of women specifically for gluten-free students.
“When she took the second bite, she knew something was wrong,” said her father, David Glass. he told WISN12. “We believe this is because the product contains roasted peanut flour, separate from the oil-based peanut butter, which was hidden.”
When Glass's body completely failed, his family donated his organs.
