Luton hotel fined nearly £40k after guest taken to hospital after allergic reaction to meal
A hotel in Luton has been slammed with a hefty fine after the restaurant served a dish containing sesame to a customer with a sesame allergy.
The guest at the Holiday Inn next to Luton Airport had an allergic reaction after being served the noodle dish on March 6, 2024.
Despite telling the staff numerous times about the allergy, they were left needing hospital treatment after eating the food.
An investigation by Luton Council’s Environmental Health team found that while there was allergen information in the kitchen, staff failed to check this or communicate this properly to the guest.
KE Hotels (Luton) Ltd, the operators of the Holiday Inn, pleaded guilty to two food hygiene offences: providing unsafe food and failing to adequately train and supervise staff. The company was fined a total of £39,834.50.
IHG and KE Hotels were approached for comment.
Councillor Rumi Chowdhury said: "It is essential that food business operators take their responsibilities seriously to provide accurate allergen information to customers. This case shows that failing to do so can have severe consequences for people with allergies.
“Our environmental health team works hard to protect residents from harm through routine inspections, educating businesses, improvement notices and food sampling to ensure businesses comply with the law. We will not hesitate to take action when food safety and hygiene breaches occur.”