A Victorian coroner is set to investigate whether restaurants and food delivery apps should provide customers with information regarding potentially hazardous ingredients in meals following the tragic death of a teenager who suffered a fatal allergic reaction to a Mexican dish containing nuts.
James Tsindos, aged 17, tragically passed away from anaphylaxis in 2021 after consuming a burrito bowl he had ordered online, unaware that cashews were among the ingredients in the sauce.
Coroner Sarah Gebert has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into James's death, citing conflicting opinions from medical experts regarding the treatment he received after consuming the meal.
According to Rachel Ellyard, the counsel assisting the inquiry, James had ordered the dish from a local vegan restaurant using the Deliveroo app on May 27, 2021. Despite having a history of allergic rhinitis and asthma, James only realized the sauce contained cashews after contacting the restaurant when he experienced lip swelling, throat tingling, and abdominal pain.
James's father, Harry, promptly called paramedics, who arrived within 11 minutes. Initially, they believed James responded well to an adrenaline shot. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was eventually transferred to the Alfred Hospital intensive care unit, where life support was ultimately withdrawn on June 1, 2021, after consultation with his family.
The Tsindos family's barrister, Paul Halley, raised concerns about James's treatment during medical care and discrepancies in hospital and ambulance records, stressing the importance of alerting the community to allergen risks in online food orders.
Coroner Gebert highlighted that current regulations do not mandate restaurants or takeaway businesses to disclose allergenic ingredients like nuts to customers. She announced plans to summon medical experts for testimony during the inquest and indicated intentions to liaise with the Victorian health department to assess the need for additional community education or regulatory updates pertaining to delivery apps.
Expressing condolences to James's family, Coroner Gebert acknowledged the loss felt by both the family and the broader community. Friends and relatives of James, a talented pianist from Brighton Grammar School, attended the courtroom, where emotions ran high, particularly when the coroner announced her decision to conduct a full inquest.
The inquest, which could span two days, is tentatively scheduled for July or August of the current year.
