A takeaway meal triggered an allergic reaction so severe that it landed the diner in A&E.
Now the restaurant owner has been handed a court bill of nearly £15,000 for recklessly ignoring a nut allergy warning.
York Magistrates’ Court heard how a customer placed an order via the Just Eat app on 15 March 2018 with the Shahi Tandoori takeaway on Nunnery Lane in York.
She declared an allergy to both peanuts and hazelnuts on behalf of her partner during the order process.
Breathing problems
Owner of the Shahi Tandoori, Mohammed Abdul Alim, called the customer to determine whether there were any allergies to coconut or almond.
She confirmed that the allergies were peanuts and hazelnuts.
After receiving the food, the customer’s partner began to experience a change in breathing, swollen lips and itchy hives across the arms and torso, which required treatment in A&E.
Following a report submitted to Just Eat and City of York Council, remains of the meal were retained and tested, and all food dishes ordered were found to contain peanut.
Two food safety offences
Alim, aged 50, of Grosvenor Road, Bradford, was interviewed under caution in August, where he couldn’t offer an explanation why the meal ordered contained peanut.
The premises had previously been subject to a test purchase by council officers in January 2015, which failed due to peanut being supplied contrary to the order request.
Alim pleaded guilty to two food safety charges at York Magistrates Court on Tuesday (9 April).
He was ordered to pay a £9,000 fine and a £170 court surcharge in addition to £5,562.51 prosecution costs.