Texas college student dies eating her favorite meal on first date after restaurant changed menu
A Texas college student died after eating a meal she had on a first date just days before her graduation last year, her family claims, even though she'd ordered the dish in the past.
Alison Pickering, 23, had known she had a peanut allergy since she returned home from preschool with hives, her parents told CBS News.
'She said, "Well, a friend of mine shared with me a chocolate Jiff sandwich," and I was like, "Oh!" her mother, Joy Pickering recounted. 'And it became evident she had a peanut allergy.'
From then on, whenever she would eat something that had peanuts as an ingredient, Alison would start to 'feel it in her lips and in her throat,' and her parents would rush her to the emergency room.
But they said those ER visits were rare, as Alison became cognizant of what she was eating.
'She was always very, very careful,' her mom said. 'She rarely ate cookies that were not mine.'
Alison even remained vigilant as she was preparing for a first date on May 4, 2023 - choosing a restaurant she had eaten at before, Newton's Saddlerack, and ordering the mahi-mahi, a dish she had previously eaten at the restaurant.
Neither she nor the wait staff knew the recipe had changed, and peanut sauce was added.
Allison Pickering, 23, died just days before her college graduation from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas on May 4, 2023
She had ordered the mahi-mahi at Newton's Saddlerack, which she had eaten before. Neither she nor the wait staff knew the recipe had change to include peanut sauce, her parents alleged
'She took a few bites, realized something was wrong,' Alison's father, Grover, said.
'She did her EpiPen. The ambulance came. She actually walked to the ambulance talking to them, but somewhere along the way, things went downhill.'
Alison was then pronounced dead, just a few days before her graduation from Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
'It's tragic, and doesn't need to happen to anyone else,' Grover said, as his wife posted on Facebook that they are still 'grappling with many emotions' more than one year later.
'Through our heartbreak, we are determined to honor Alison's memory by raising awareness about the critical need for transparency in the restaurant industry,' Joy wrote on Tuesday.
'Disclosing clearly-known anaphylactic allergens like peanuts or peanut sauce is simple and no cost to restaurants, but is a matter of life and death to customers.'
She added that she and Grover hope that 'by sharing Alison's story, no other family will have to endure the pain we've experienced.'
At the same time, they are calling for clear, consistent communication at restaurants and comprehensive allergy training for all restaurant staff.
Her father said she realized something was wrong after she took a few bites
The Pickerings are now calling for clear, consistent communication at restaurants and comprehensive allergy training for all restaurant staff
The Texas State Legislature had already passed the Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act to improve training and communication among kitchen workers last year.
But the Pickerings say they also want to work with the Texas Restaurant Association 'to determine what guidelines could be put in place to help restaurants have better communication to their customers as far as ingredients, much like labels on grocery store items you buy.
'I know we're going to save lives by doing this,' Joy added.
Mike Newton, the owner of Newton's Saddlerack, has disputed the claims that staff were unaware of the menu change, but told DailyMail.com he cannot comment pending litigation.
