Date ends fatally: Favorite dish becomes fatal!
Lavon (USA) - Because of her peanut allergy, a 23-year-old student from Texas kept going to the same restaurant and ordering the same dish over and over again - but that was her undoing.
As the British news magazine Mirror reported, Alison Pickering went out to eat at a restaurant shortly before graduating from Tarleton State University - a harmless outing that had fatal consequences for the 23-year-old.
The student was always aware of her severe peanut allergy. She paid close attention to what she ate and avoided sauces or dips that might contain traces of peanuts.
To be on the safe side, she chose her favorite restaurant for a date that day. As always, she ordered her favorite dish - a "mahi-mahi" fish fillet with sauce, which she knew well and always felt safe with.
But that evening everything was different and she immediately realized that something was wrong.
The composition of the court had changed
What neither Alison nor the wait staff knew was that the ingredients of the dish had changed.
The sauce, which was normally safe for the 23-year-old, suddenly contained peanuts.
After taking a few bites, Alison found it increasingly difficult to breathe.
Panicked, she quickly used her EpiPen to treat the allergic reaction. Her condition worsened nonetheless and an ambulance was called. But the doctors were powerless.
Alison died shortly afterwards in hospital as a result of anaphylactic shock.
Parents of student campaign to raise awareness of food safety
As CBS News reported, Alison's family has now made it their mission to raise awareness about food allergies following the 23-year-old's death.
Shortly after the incident, the Texas legislature passed the"Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act".
The law obliges all catering establishments in Texas to display an information poster on food allergies. The aim is to sensitize employees to allergies and allergic reactions.
In addition, Alison's parents are working closely with the Texas Restaurant Association to develop guidelines for restaurants to be more transparent about ingredients in the food they serve.
They are convinced that their initiative can save others the pain and loss they have suffered themselves.