Toy tycoon's daughter, 15, dies after eating Pret a Manger sandwich on flight
The family of a teenager who died after eating a Pret a Manger sandwich on a plane are to demand answers as an inquest opens into her death.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, bought the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette from a shop at Heathrow Terminal 5 before collapsing on the British Airways flight from London to Nice in July 2016.
An inquest into the teenager's death opens tomorrow.
It will hear evidence from the family, the manager on duty at the branch of Pret, and the head of safety at the UK-based food chain.
Natasha is believed to have suffered a severe allergic reaction suspected to have been caused by sesame seeds in the sandwich.
According to the Observer, her father Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, who founded Wow Toys, said: "As a family now of three, my wife, son and I are still trying to adjust to life without our beloved girl.
"It’s a daily battle and the pain is indescribable. Everything we say and do is a reminder that she isn’t with us; her empty bedroom, school uniform hanging in her wardrobe, her holiday bag packed for her holiday in Nice has never been unpacked. We can’t bear to."
In a statement, Natasha’s parents, said: “As a family of four, we had a very close relationship. Our home was quite noisy with laughter, joking and teasing. As a teenager Natasha was always open with us and would readily talk to us about any problems she may be experiencing and would ask us for our advice. She had a strong moral compass and often showed maturity beyond her years.
"Her closest friends still miss her every day and have found life very difficult to adjust to without her.”
The inquest is set to examine whether the product was appropriately labelled.
The inquest will also hear from British Airways staff over their actions to save Miss Ednan-Laperouse and what training and equipment was provided for such a situation.
Pret carries an allergen guide in all shops and online and had started to improve their signage prior to Natasha's death.
All shelf tickets in branches of Pret now make it clear whether an item contains any of 14 declarable allergens.
A Pret spokesman said: "We were deeply saddened to hear about Natasha’s tragic death, and our heartfelt thoughts are with her family and friends.
"We take food allergies and how allergen information is provided to our customers extremely seriously.
"We will continue to do all that we can to assist the Coroner’s inquest."
In April, the Advertising Standards Authority censured Pret a Manger over claims it had made about its sandwiches using only natural ingredients.
