Tejal Somvanshi
A cafe blender that was not washed between drinks can be deadly for someone with a nut allergy. That is the finding at the heart of the inquest into the death of 12-year-old Mia Shay St Hilaire.
The coroner concluded that Mia died after drinking a Twix milkshake at the Pop Inn Cafe in Bermondsey, south London, in August 2023. The drink was cross-contaminated with hazelnut residue from a Kinder Bueno milkshake made in the same unwashed blender about 25 minutes earlier. CCTV showed cafe operator Baris Yucel preparing Mia's drink without washing the blender first.
Mia, from Sydenham, had a well-established tree nut allergy and had previously had anaphylaxis after exposure to hazelnuts. Assistant Coroner Briony Ballard said she was satisfied that a failure to control allergen contamination at the cafe caused Mia's death. Mia developed rapidly progressing anaphylaxis and later collapsed at her aunt's home. Despite emergency treatment and transfer to intensive care at Evelina London Children's Hospital, she died.
If you or your child has a severe food allergy, ask cafe staff how they prevent cross-contact in blended drinks. Water alone does not reliably remove allergen residue from equipment. Follow your clinician's action plan, and carry the epinephrine autoinjectors your clinician has prescribed.
What the inquest found
The coroner found "failures and missed opportunities" in Mia's allergy management before her death, including lost specialist follow-up care and a lower-dose EpiPen than she should have been carrying. Ballard concluded those failings did not cause or contribute to Mia's death. Expert evidence did not establish that a timely adrenaline dose or a higher-strength injector would have prevented it.
The cafe operator later pleaded guilty to food safety offences and faced penalties, according to reporting. Earlier draft claims about almond residue, a high-pressure rinser, an "80%" residue figure, a failed written-ticket chain and a five-star hygiene rating were not verified and have been removed.
Can rinsing a blender remove nut allergens?
Not reliably. The UK Food Standards Agency's review of allergen cleaning says water alone is insufficient, and that effectiveness depends on the food, surface, detergent, time and method. There is no single universal cleaning procedure that removes all allergen residue.
The coroner said she will issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the Food Standards Agency, Southwark Council and the cafe. Check back for updates.
Internal links: food allergy emergency/epinephrine guide; Natasha's Law explainer.
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