28 January 2009
Starbucks Anaphylaxis Incident in Canada
I am not usually one to perpetuate unfortunate stories pertaining to food allergies, but this one involves well known company, Starbucks. You may have head about this story by now about a woman who suffered an anaphylactic reaction to a dessert from Starbucks. Suffice it to say, it's scary! Here's the story: Near-fatal allergic reaction caused by Starbucks dessert.
8 comments:
The worst part of the story was the only compensation they offered this woman was a free coffee card. Say what?? Clearly they aren't understanding the problem that this consumer experienced, but following this story something tells me they will now.
Oh, it's atrocious the way they handled themselves, and yet, not surprising! I have to say--this is not the first time I've heard about food allergy related problems at Starbucks. It's been an ongoing problem. And it just goes to show, you can't really take anyone's word for it.
I hate to say it, and I know...we "can't generalize". Stereotypes, however, exist for a reason! Usually the people behind the counter really don't care and don't know too much about these issues either. We're on our own, people! Food allergies make being spontaneous difficult. We have to read and research every thing--the new, and the tried and true. We have to keep trying promote awareness all the time! At least the internet makes it easier to help spread the word (good or bad).
Thanks for posting this. I had not seen it yet. The story is horrible, but so are many of the comments on that web site. It still amazes me that some feel that the food allergic are to blame for what happens to them. If a package doesn't list nuts or may contain, then it shouldn't contain nuts. I'm curious to know if the item was sent to be tested for nut protein levels. I'm sure this is a snack that many a food allergic parent would give to their kids. Guess I'll be boycotting Starbucks now.
I read this and confirmed why I rarely feed my kid something that I have not made. I read in the same article elsewhere that someone walked into another Starbucks and the counter person said there were no peanuts in the same product.
Food-allergic people are definitely not to blame when they have a reaction. No way. However, this story illustrates that extreme caution is warranted and that we can't expose ourselves to unnecessary risk. The attitudes out there are very intolerant and we need to bring our "A" game when dealing with a restaurant or any place where food is served--for our own protection. I wish it weren't like this and maybe someday it won't be.
I did not bother to read the comments after the CBC article. I guess it's not surprising that some mean-spirited comments blame the poor woman for experiencing a life threatening reaction. I suppose they blame the people who died from Salmonella poisoning for eating tainted food too.
Of course, as Jenny rightly points out, the allergic individual cannot be blamed! It does serve as a reminder to everyone dealing with life threatening food allergies that we must be ever-vigilant.
I agree, we all need to be careful with what we eat. And it is our responsibility. I'm just amazed at home insensitive others can be. The Salmonella is a good point as it pertains to pnut products. A few people die from tainted pnuts and there is mass hysteria. There are food allergic individuals that die each year from pnuts and it's no big deal. I hope you are right Jenny-maybe someday it will be different. Until then we'll keep home baking.
I read the article and saw the interview on TV. The woman asked a lot of questions before consumming the product. The womans Mother went back and asked the same questions her grown daughter asked, and was again told no nuts.
Her eyesight is slowly coming back and is sueing for lost time at work and other costs.
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