The 20-year-old Italian woman died in hospital a few days after eating a tiramisu that was claimed to be vegan, but in fact the dessert contained “milk proteins”. As initially determined, the woman had a severe allergy, and the cause of death was anaphylactic shock. Italian media write about “a dinner that turned into a tragedy”.
The Milan prosecutor’s office is investigating four people suspected of involuntary manslaughter, fraud in economic transactions and the sale of non-original food products, the Rai News station reported. Prosecutor Luca Gaglio ordered an autopsy (scheduled for Thursday) and the Italian Ministry of Health recalled a product called “Tiramisun” from the market because of “the content of milk proteins not listed on the label”, the ministry said on its website.
“The Dinner That Turned into a Tragedy”
The 20-year-old (name not made public – ed.) had dinner with her boyfriend at a vegan restaurant in the center of Milan on Thursday, January 26. The couple had been to this establishment before on other occasions. After eating a few spoons of tiramisu, the woman felt bad. She was quickly transported to San Raffaele Hospital, where the doctors “immediately realized that she had suffered a very violent anaphylactic shock. She fell into a coma shortly after,” reported Corriere Milano. Her condition did not improve over the next few days. She died on the night of Sunday, February 5 to Monday, February 6. Italian media write about “a dinner that turned into a tragedy”.
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Ministry of Health warns
It was initially determined that the couple chose the vegan restaurant because of a cow’s milk protein allergy that the 20-year-old had since birth. According to the Ministry of Health, the ill-fated tiramisu “may have contained traces of milk”. Seven jars of the product were confiscated from the restaurant where the couple dined, and the remaining jars were recalled. The Ministry of Health encourages consumers to “not consume it and return it to the point of sale for a refund”.
The daily La Stampa reported that the dessert, served in a Milanese restaurant, was produced by a company in the Milan area that exclusively produces different types of tiramisu.
The 20-year-old was allergic to more than just milk
Tests showed that the deceased woman was also allergic to eggs. They were supposed to be an ingredient of the mayonnaise produced by the restaurant, which was in the sandwich eaten by the 20-year-old. As reported by Rai News, further research is to clarify whether this ingredient could have influenced the woman’s death.
Rai News, Ministero della Salute, Corriere Milano, La Stampa
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