Alison Pickering, Texas college student at Tarleton State University dies eating favourite meal on first date after restaurant changing recipe as her parents advocate for food allergy awareness following fatal peanut allergy death and file suit against Newton’s Saddlerack.
A Texas college student with a severe peanut allergy died after eating at a restaurant she had frequented. The student’s death came after the establishment changing their recipe, unbeknownst to the 23 year old who had gone thinking it was a safe bet while on a first date.
Alison Pickering was days away from graduating from Tarleton State University when she had the fatal allergic reaction. She had decided on a restaurant for the first date, knowing they had food she could eat.
Alison, who discovered she had a peanut allergy when she was in preschool had always been cautious where she ate out at and wouldn’t change up her dining locales for her safety, according to her family.
‘She would repeatedly go to the same restaurants and order the same dishes, you know. And that was a common thing,’ Pickering’s father, Grover Pickering told CBS News Texas.
For her date on May 12, 2023, Allison chose Newton’s Saddlerack which she had been to before and ordered the mahi mahi, a dish she had ordered from the food joint before.
Unbeknownst to her, and the wait staff, the kitchen had recently changed the recipe for the dish, adding peanut sauce to the fish.
‘She took a few bites, realized something was wrong,’ Alison’s father told the outlet.
Feeling the effects of the peanut sauce, Pickering administered her EpiPen and even walked to an ambulance outside where she spoke to the medics.
‘Somewhere along the way things went downhill,’ the dad said.
Pickering fell unconscious and never woke up.
Pickering died from a ‘severe anaphylactic shock from ingesting peanuts that were not disclosed on the restaurant menu,’ her obituary read.
A year and a half after their daughter’s tragic death, the Pickerings are working to prevent more people from dying because of hidden allergens at restaurants.
‘We would love to see more done to make wait staff and patrons aware,’ Joy Pickering told CBS Texas.
‘Disclosing clearly-known anaphylactic allergens like peanuts or peanut sauce is simple and no cost to restaurants, but is a matter of life and death to customers.’
Part of the change includes Texas restaurants working on communication between all staff members involving changes to recipes especially when it comes to allergens.
‘To determine what guidelines could be put in place to help restaurants have better communication to their customers as far as ingredients, much like labels on grocery store items you buy,’ Grover Pickering added.
‘I know we’re going to save lives by doing this,’ Joy Pickering said.
Mike Newton, the owner of Newton’s Saddlerack, has disputed claims that staff were unaware of the menu change, telling the dailymail that he cannot comment on the Allison’s death, pending a lawsuit, Allison’s family has since brought against the restaurant who it holds responsible for their daughter’s death.
