Parents of Teen Who Died From Sesame Allergy Offer £10m Research Prize

The parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died at age 15 after eating a Pret baguette containing undeclared sesame, have launched a £10 million research prize to prevent food allergies. GB News reported that the prize is the largest fund for food allergy research ever awarded in the UK.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, from Fulham in west London, died in July 2016 after a severe allergic reaction to sesame seeds baked into the sandwich.

The seeds were not visible to the naked eye and sesame was not listed on the packaging. After her death, her parents campaigned for a change in the law requiring full ingredient lists and allergy labelling on foods made and packaged on the premises for direct sale. In 2019 they established Natasha’s Foundation.

The foundation announced the £10 million investment to support research aimed at creating a future without allergies. The foundation stated that no baby is born with a food allergy and that rates have risen in recent years. It identified the first 1,000 days from conception as the critical window for intervention.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, Natasha’s mother, who started the foundation with her husband Nadim in 2019, said the prize had been in their hearts for a long time. She added that it is dedicated to Natasha and to all those who live with or have lost their lives to food allergy, calling it a once-in-a-generation opportunity. From June 1, scientists worldwide will be invited to apply.

A scientific advisory panel will select applicants to collaborate on prevention solutions, and the foundation will announce funded projects on June 1, 2027. Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, space scientist and Natasha’s Prize ambassador, said the initiative focuses on preventing allergies for the next generation.

She noted that stopping food allergy from birth could give children a completely different life.

The foundation will bring selected researchers together to work on projects targeting the early developmental window identified as key to prevention.