A Texas college student died after eating a meal she had on a first date just days before her graduation last year, her family claims, even though she had ordered the dish in the past.
Alison Pickering, 23, knew she had a peanut allergy since she came home from preschool with hives, her parents say told CBS News.
“She said, ‘Well, a friend of mine shared a chocolate Jiff sandwich with me,’ and I was like, ‘Oh!’ her mother, Joy Pickering said. “And it became clear that she had a peanut allergy.”
From then on, whenever Alison ate something with peanuts as an ingredient, she “started feeling it in her lips and in her throat,” and her parents rushed her to the emergency room.
But they said those ER visits were rare because Alison became aware of what she ate.
“She was always very, very careful,” her mother said. “She rarely ate cookies that weren’t mine.”
In fact, Alison stayed vigilant as she prepared for a first date on May 4, 2023 — she chose a restaurant she had eaten at before, Newton’s Saddlerack, and ordered the mahi-mahi, a dish she had previously eaten at the restaurant.
Neither she nor the wait staff knew that the recipe had been changed and peanut sauce had been added.
Allison Pickering, 23, died just days before her graduation from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas on May 4, 2023
She had ordered the mahi-mahi from Newton’s Saddlerack, which she had eaten earlier. Neither she nor the wait staff knew the recipe had been changed to include peanut sauce, her parents claimed
“She took a few bites and realized something was wrong,” said Alison’s father, Grover.
“She did her EpiPen. The ambulance came. She even walked to the ambulance and talked to them, but somewhere along the way things went downhill.”
Alison was subsequently pronounced dead just a few days before her graduation from Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
“It’s tragic and it doesn’t have to happen to anyone else,” Grover said, as his wife posted on Facebook that they are still “struggling with a lot of emotions” more than a year later.
“Despite our heartbreak, we are committed to honoring Alison’s memory by raising awareness about the critical need for transparency in the restaurant industry,” Joy wrote on Tuesday.
“Disclosing clearly known anaphylactic allergens such as peanuts or peanut sauce is simple and cost-free for restaurants, but for customers it is a matter of life and death.”
She added that she and Grover hope that “by sharing Alison’s story, no other family will have to endure the pain we experienced.”
At the same time, they call for clear, consistent communication in restaurants and comprehensive allergy training for all restaurant staff.
Her father said she realized something was wrong after taking a few bites
The Pickerings are now calling for clear, consistent communication in restaurants and comprehensive allergy training for all restaurant staff
The Texas state legislature had already passed the Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act last year to improve training and communication among kitchen staff.
But the Pickerings say they also want to work with the Texas Restaurant Association “to determine what guidelines can be put in place to help restaurants have better communication with their customers regarding ingredients, just like labels on items you buy at the grocery store.” .
“I know this is going to save lives,” Joy added.
Mike Newton, the owner of Newton’s Saddlerack, has disputed the claim that staff were unaware of the menu change, but told DailyMail.com he cannot comment pending litigation.