Italy: girl died from allergic reaction to dairy-contaminated vegan tiramisu

History repeats itself. A dessert sold as vegan, but which contained - according to initial analyses - traces of dairy products, had recently caused the death of a 20-year-old girl allergic to milk since birth.    

Last month, a young woman had dinner in a restaurant specialized in serving food without ingredients of animal origin. At the end of the meal, the twenty-year-old ordered a jar of «Tiramisun», a dessert with no trace of dairy products on the label. After a few teaspoons of the product, the girl felt sick, lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, where she died due to anaphylactic shock after 10 days in a coma.    

The Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation to understand what actually caused the illness. After being informed of the victim’s food allergies (dairy and egg), the first analyzes ascertained the presence of milk proteins in the dessert.    

In the meantime, the Italian Ministry of Health promptly gave the order to withdraw from the market the batch of vegan tiramisu due to the presence of milk proteins not declared on the label.    

An investigation into manslaughter, fraud in the exercise of trade and the sale of non-genuine foodstuffs has been opened. The suspects already include the owner, the production manager and two other employees of the company manufacturing the product.    

Furthermore, analysis have been carried out on other foods the girl ate that evening and egg proteins have been found in a mayonnaise used to season a hamburger. Therefore, the next tests will have to clarify this aspect as well, investigating a possible contamination and possible links with the death.      

 

Source:  

https://www.ansa.it/lombardia/notizie/2023/02/07/morta-per-tiramisu-non-vegano-si-indaga-su-azienda-produttrice_e385e26a-933b-42bf-bbda-72cc199a895e.html