Why All the Food Allergy Tragedies? And What Has Got to Change 

By:
in Features, Food Allergy, Managing Allergies
Published: February 4, 2025

Trigger warning: this opinion article discusses recent food allergy tragedies. Post may not be suitable for some.

In the past couple of months, we’ve witnessed an alarming increase in the number of reported food allergy tragedies. 

In over 15 years of reporting on the food allergy community, I’ve sometimes seen a few such deaths in a row. But late 2024 and into 2025 saw a toll of allergy fatalities like I’ve never witnessed. 

It has been soul-crushing for the food allergy community to watch. First one, then another and another story of a young person losing their life because of bite of nutty brownie or a restaurant that ignored a customer’s allergy requests. 

As a community, we come to over-relate to what the families of those lost to anaphylaxis are going through. It hits that close. 

We start to know the deceased by their first names: students Hannah, Alison, Kayleen, Disney influencer Dominique, Andrew the truck aficionado, and Abraham, the Vegas visitor. In this same time period in England, news emerged of the loss to anaphylaxis of Mia, Idris, and of George‘s debilitating brain injury. Then in Canada in January, Adeva died, simply from eating a cookie she didn’t realize contained peanut.

So much loss and grief for families. So much hurt and worry for our whole food allergy community. We’ve learned of a few deaths after-the-fact, as families stepped forward to tell another tragic tale, or to launch a lawsuit. The collective impact of current and recent loss can overwhelm. It feels like: again and again. 

With this tragic pattern (I hope!) abating, it’s time to seek solutions and change.  

Food Allergy Tragedies: What is Going Wrong?

The truth is, the majority of food allergy deaths are preventable. 

So, what we need to consider first is: What is going wrong? Why has there been this increased level of tragedy? And then, how can we work to fix this, to prevent the preventable.

I notice common patterns among the recent tragedies. First, with the exception of two teens, these are young adults in their 20s to early 30s. Many are either not carrying epinephrine or they aren’t using it in a timely fashion. 

A reminder that getting lifesaving epinephrine without delay is critical. Yet sadly, “late epinephrine” remains a recurring theme in food allergy tragedies. Those of us who are well-informed know to “epi first, epi fast.” But in some young adults, that message is missed. 

Secondly, there are egregious dining out communication problems. In the year 2025, we still have restaurants operating that don’t have food allergy training and protocols. This despite training being widely available

Celebrity chef Ming Tsai recently said of Abraham Williams tragic death in Las Vegas: “If you can’t control 100% what is in all of your dishes and your team is not 100% trained about cross contamination, you should not be running a restaurant, period!” That’s exactly right.

In 2025, about 33 million Americans live with food allergies. It’s a large consumer audience, deserving of respectful accommodation. 

There has been some progress. Some bigger restaurant chains have taken up allergy protocols. In 2023, Connecticut became the eighth state to pass a food allergen restaurant law. But more such mandates are urgently needed. If restaurants across the European Union can be required to show in writing 14 top allergens, certainly restaurants in the U.S. can do better.

Issues: Dominique Brown Needed Epi

Dominique Brown and Alison Pickering, among the tragedies.

In both the Dominique Brown and the Abraham Williams tragedies, there were food service failures. Each had asked whether the food they were served was allergy-safe. In Abraham’s case, he had a shellfish allergy and somehow a pasta dish became contaminated. 

His family has filed a lawsuit, which alleges that as he collapsed to the floor in a worsening reaction, the restaurant staff “stood around doing nothing.” An ambulance was called, but friends allege the staff wouldn’t let them near him to try CPR. If that proves true in court, what an appalling lack of understanding of the urgency of anaphylaxis.

However, communication goes both ways. When Alison Pickering ordered a fish dish she’d had previously eaten at a familiar restaurant, she assumed it was safe to eat. She didn’t know the chef had changed the recipe; it now contained a peanut sauce. 

Sadly, this wasn’t a good strategy. With food allergies, you have to ask – and not just ask the server – but make sure that server has made the kitchen staff aware. In Alison’s case, even the server didn’t know of the recipe change. So it was a communication breakdown on both sides. And terribly, that cost Alison her life.

As Dominique’s reaction became serious, the DJ at the Disney retailer’s event asked into the mike: “Does anyone have an EpiPen?” A family member didn’t reply when I sought to clarify, but no one present suggests she was carrying her own device. Similarly for Abraham, while his attorney says he asked thoroughly about his dish being shellfish-free, she doesn’t know if he had injectable epinephrine.

Lack of food-service knowledge, lack of epinephrine, unclear communications, the patterns begin to dovetail in these tragedies. 

Young Adults with Allergies: The Issues

As mentioned at the start, most of those who recently died of food anaphylaxis are young adults in their 20s and 30s. What is going on here?

Is it complacency when years have passed since a severe reaction? Is it allergy fatigue from the daily grind of having to ask about food and carry that epi?  

We’ve written in past about those in their late teens who become less compliant about allergy management. Downplaying the condition in your teens is even a research focus for psychologists in the food allergy field. “They don’t want to seem different and don’t want to make a fuss,” expert Dr. Rebecca Knibb told us in 2023. 

Could what we’re seeing in teens carry over into adulthood? 

This is the generation who lives on text and is less inclined to ask questions publicly. Does that habit impact speaking up about allergies, too? A global survey of the psychological impact of allergies suggests it may. Among the adult participants, 45 percent “felt stress about telling others about their food allergies”.

There’s also the factor that not everyone has the same experience with food allergy diagnosis and allergy management instruction. Some never see an allergist. Were they even given proper instruction on when to use epinephrine? 

Those in the “involved” food allergy community know the food allergy rules, even if not everyone complies. But there are 33 million Americans affected by food allergies, and there are many in the “not involved” camp. 

One trip to TikTok searching “allergic reaction” tells us education is sadly lacking. So many still reach for antihistamines first, especially Benadryl, the antihistamine that allergists abhor. We know what they need to have and grab: epinephrine.

Bright Spots and Challenges

I worry about our young adults. But there are some brighter spots emerging. On the dining front, again, more restaurants are getting training. 

A new Food Allergy Nursing Association aims to create a workforce of food allergy nurse educators. This type of education can go a long way to increasing knowledge, right from diagnosis. 

Epinephrine carrying remains a big issue. Yet, there is important innovation in the epinephrine space. The new neffy epinephrine sprayer is an appealing option for young adults who resist carrying an auto-injector. As well, Aquestive’s oral film epinephrine is well along in development. Plus, AUVI-Q’s pocket-sized device has a following among students.

However, we still need far more compliance, plus immediate access to this lifesaving drug. 

When news of these tragedies emerged, Georgina Cornago, who lost a son to anaphylaxis, wrote an impassioned plea for change. “Why is there no widespread, clear understanding that epinephrine is the only life-saving medication in the face of anaphylaxis?” she asked. “How many times must it be repeated?”

Georgina advocates for first responders’ access to epinephrine to halt food allergy tragedies. That’s something that resonates with the parents of Andrew Mueller, who died of a fatal, first-time anaphylactic reaction. They are working toward getting epinephrine available with every police officer. They are adamant: their son might have lived if the officer who arrived had epinephrine. 

The Muellers are supporting another Wisconsin allergy family, coincidentally also named Mueller. Those Muellers are working with lawmakers toward a national bill to incentivize states to allow trained individuals to carry an epinephrine device. They could use it, without liability, in an emergency. 

I’m hopeful about this national bill and will keep our readers posted on developments – and how we can support it.

In response to these tragic losses of these young, beloved adults, we simply must advocate for heightened awareness and solutions. It’s vital to do, since we all urgently want to prevent the preventable. 

Sidebar: 5 Actionable Ideas for Young Adults

With young adults who may be less than compliant about food allergy management, here are a few points for sharing.

1. Going out for dinner? Be the one to make the reservation. Menus online look OK? Then ask the restaurant: Can they accommodate your allergens? Do they avoid cross-contact? When you then book online, note the allergies. Once there, tell the server of the allergies and confirm the kitchen is aware. It’s an easy habit to get into.

2. Beware the cavalier. Like the server who hands you a vegan, gluten-free menu when you asked about tree nut allergy safety. Those who don’t listen don’t get it right. If a restaurant isn’t suitable, go elsewhere. Ask yourself: Is this meal worth a trip to the ER?

3. Embrace epinephrine, your personal fire hydrant. If you think you’re having symptoms, do not wait for them to get worse. In the words of allergist Dr. Farah Khan, “Just Use the Dang Epi!” There are even needle-free epi sprayers now. Similarly, watch asthma control. Lack of asthma control is a big factor in food allergy tragedies.

4. Get over shyness. With severe food allergies, you have to speak up for yourself. And any acquaintance who mocks you deserves a withering “what’s wrong with you” look.

5. Parents of young adults: If you think your grown child is becoming lax on allergies, show an article like this to them. With younger kids, we avoid heightening food allergy anxiety, but a wake-up call can be needed in adulthood.

If you’re not being heard, two ideas: First, pick your spots, the biggest points where you need to be insistent for safety. If that’s not working, get your young adult to speak to the allergist about reaction risks. Often, the expert’s voice will be heard.

Related Reading:
Is Your Allergic Teen Taking Risks, Avoiding Food Allergy Rules?
Food Allergy Families Struggling with ‘When’ to Use Epi: Survey
All About Epinephrine: What It Does in a Reaction, How Long It Lasts, When It Gets Hot or Cold