BANGKOK: The case of a Thai female doctor’s severe food allergy-related death at a Disney World restaurant in Florida last year has garnered attention in the US media, highlighting the danger even when personal precautions are taken if restaurant staff lack knowledge about food allergies.
Kanokporn Tangsuan, 42, a medical professional at NYU Langone Hospital, collapsed from an acute allergic reaction after eating food at a small restaurant in Disney World Florida last October.
NBC reports that she and her husband ordered fried vegetarian food, such as corn fritters, broccoli, onion rings, and shepherd’s pie. As usual, before ordering, Kanokporn stressed to the staff that she had food allergies, especially milk and nuts.
When one of the dishes was served without a “flag” indicating that the dish was “allergy-free”, Kanokporn again asked for a clarification, but the waitress reassured her that it was safe for her to eat.
Soon after, Dr Kanokporn began suffocating, and collapsed to the ground even after using an epinephrine auto-injector that provides an antihistamine. Her husband rushed to dial 911, and Dr Kanokporn was quickly hospitalised.
She passed away the same night at the hospital with doctors saying they had found high levels of milk and nuts in her body.
Jeffrey J Piccolo, Dr Kanokporn’s husband, filed a lawsuit against Disney Parks and Resorts, seeking more than US$50,000 in damages under the Death Victims Act Of Florida, citing negligence by staff and the family’s mental suffering.
The New York Post reports that Dr Kanokporn, inspired by her severe life-threatening condition, pursued a medical career. She was cautious about dining out due to her allergies, consistently alerting restaurant staff and carrying an epinephrine auto-injector at all times.
The New York Post reports also cited disclosures by employees at Disney resorts that prior to the incident, employees had been trained to take food allergies very seriously, and to ensure that people with allergies are to be given careful attention.
Voice of America reports that food allergies are common. Some 26 million Americans are allergic to at least one type of food. Most frequently, they are seafood, eggs, milk, and peanuts.
An international research team surveyed 295 restaurants in Germany. Their findings revealed that only 30% of serving staff could accurately identify allergenic foods like milk, eggs, and seafood. Unfortunately, 89% falsely believed they had accurate knowledge. - The Nation/ANN
