A Bradford customer was hospitalised with anaphylactic shock after a food business served a Nutella-style topping instead of chocolate, despite being warned of a nut allergy.
West Yorkshire Trading Standards are now investigating two separate Bradford food businesses over alleged breaches of food allergen laws, raising fresh concerns about customer safety.
In the first case, a customer with a known nut allergy informed staff before ordering a dessert. Despite this, the business allegedly served a topping containing hazelnuts rather than Belgian chocolate. The customer later required hospital treatment after suffering a severe allergic reaction.
Officers subsequently visited the premises and covertly ordered the same dessert. Samples were sent for independent testing, which confirmed the presence of hazelnuts. The investigation remains ongoing.
A second inquiry involves a business accused of falsely advertising food as gluten-free. After an initial advisory visit by Trading Standards officers, a further covert inspection was carried out by an officer posing as a customer with a gluten allergy. Despite making the allergy clear at the point of order, food supplied was later found to contain high levels of gluten following laboratory analysis.
Details of both investigations are included in an annual report due to be presented to Bradford Council, outlining the work of West Yorkshire Joint Services, which oversees Trading Standards.
The report warns that food allergen failures can have fatal consequences and highlights the high number of complaints received across West Yorkshire each year.
It states that responding to allergen complaints is a “high priority”, adding that the cases underline the serious and potentially life-threatening risks posed when food businesses fail to provide accurate allergen information.
Both investigations are continuing.
