The parents of a teenager who died from a severe allergic reaction after eating a Pret A Manger baguette have launched a £10 million ($13 million) research initiative aimed at preventing food allergies. Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, who established the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation in 2019, say the fund represents the largest award for food allergy research ever made in the UK.
Their daughter, 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from Fulham, west London, tragically died in July 2016 after suffering anaphylaxis from sesame seeds baked into the dough of a pre-packaged baguette. Because the seeds were not visible and sesame was not listed among the ingredients on the packaging, Natasha was unaware of the danger.
Following their daughter’s death, Natasha’s parents successfully campaigned for stronger food labeling requirements. Their efforts led to “Natasha’s Law,” which requires foods prepared and packaged on-site for direct sale to carry full ingredient and allergen labeling. Now, the family hopes to address food allergies at their source rather than simply improving how they are managed.
The initiative, known as Natasha’s Prize, will focus on the first 1,000 days from conception through early childhood, a period many researchers believe is critical for shaping immune system development and influencing whether food allergies emerge later in life. Unlike many existing research efforts that focus on treating or managing food allergies, the prize is specifically aimed at preventing them from developing in the first place.
“This prize has been in our hearts for a long time,” Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE said. “It is 10 years this year since Natasha died and, like everything we do, it is dedicated to our daughter, Natasha, and all those who live with and have lost their lives to food allergy.”
Tanya said the foundation hopes the prize will “galvanise the best science to stop food allergy,” describing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a future without food allergy.” The initiative comes as food allergies continue to rise, affecting an estimated one in 13 children in the UK and millions of people worldwide.
Reflecting on the loss of their daughter, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse spoke about the enduring impact of grief. “When you lose a child, there’s part of you as a mum and dad that never really recovers,” he told BBC Radio London. “No parent should ever have to bury their child but yet it happens. We’ve thrown ourselves into helping the millions of other people in the UK who have the same type of food allergies as our daughter had.”
Scientists, researchers, and innovators from a wide range of disciplines around the world are being encouraged to apply. The foundation is particularly interested in bringing together expertise from fields that may not traditionally focus on allergy research, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Applications will be reviewed by an independent scientific advisory panel, and selected participants will be brought together to collaborate on potential solutions before submitting detailed proposals. The winning research concepts selected for funding will be announced on June 1, 2027, with the ultimate goal of helping prevent food allergies before they begin.
