Imagine a normal breakfast at the bar: a coffee and a brioche. A young mother asks for a vegan brioche, but what she receives, according to what has been reconstructed, is not what she requested and, after a few bites, she goes into anaphylactic shock.
The woman was rescued and transported to Sassuolo hospital, where she was stabilized. What saved her life were the timely self-administration of the adrenaline she always carried with her and the rapid intervention of the 118 staff.
What happened
The episode occurred in Formigine, in the province of Modena. The young woman had explicitly asked for a vegan brioche, not for a dietary or ethical choice, but because she suffers from a serious allergy to milk proteins, a condition that can cause a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction even after ingesting small quantities of the allergen.
After a few bites he started to experience symptoms of anaphylactic shock. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately used the self-injectable adrenaline he always carries with him, while emergency services were alerted.
The story was told by the woman’s mother, who wanted to launch an appeal to ensure that similar episodes do not happen again.
According to her story, her daughter was saved only thanks to the promptness with which she used adrenaline and the timely intervention of the 118 operators. She also recalled that behind the request for vegan food there may be a medical necessity and not simply a food preference or an ethical choice.
The woman underlined how an error of this type can have very serious consequences, recalling that her daughter is the mother of two small children and that without immediate intervention the matter could have ended dramatically.
The investigations will clarify any possible responsibilities for what happened. Beyond the single case, however, the story brings attention to an aspect that is too often underestimated: food allergies are not an intolerance nor a simple sensitivity, but can represent a real risk to life.
An episode that should make you think
In Italy thousands of people live with severe allergies and are forced to pay maximum attention every time they eat out. For them, a specific request is neither a whim nor a trend, but an indispensable measure to avoid a potentially fatal reaction.
In recent years, the growing diffusion of plant-based products has meant that many people automatically associate the request for a vegan food with an ethical or healthy choice. In reality this is not always the case.
Those who are allergic to milk proteins can ask for a vegan product precisely because, by definition, it should not contain ingredients of animal origin, including milk. Of course, this does not eliminate the risk of accidental contamination, which is why it is essential that staff are adequately trained and handle allergen-related requests with extreme care.
Mistaking such a request for a simple dietary preference can turn a seemingly trivial mistake into a medical emergency.
Infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti also commented on the case, drawing attention to the superficiality with which food allergies are still sometimes managed today.
This story demonstrates how important it is to never minimize requests related to allergens. For those living with a severe allergy, trusting what is served is often the only option for eating out safely.
Staff training, compliance with procedures and clear communication are not only good practices, but represent essential tools for preventing accidents which, as this case demonstrates, can seriously endanger lives.
But – let’s face it – even if that brioche had been requested for an ethical, personal choice or simply for food preference, that woman would still have had the right to receive exactly what she had ordered.
A food request should not be judged or minimized: it must be respected. Because behind it there may be a health need, but also the legitimate right of each person to decide what to eat.
