Sarah Ferguson is committed to the passing of a law that will require the strict labeling of food to protect those who have life-threatening food allergies. The Duchess of York is standing beside a family who has lost a child after an “inadequately labeled” baguette cost Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, her life on a flight to France.
The Duchess of York says she has been committed to the passing of Natasha’s Law, and comforting the family of Ednan-Laperouse since shortly after the teen’s death, says The Daily Mail . Ferguson made an appearance on the British chat show, This Morning, to support Natasha’s parents — father, Nadim, and mother, Tanya — and talk about the importance of accurate food labeling. She says that throughout this process, she has kept a photo of the schoolgirl in a prominent place to remind her every day about the importance of passing Natasha’s Law.
“Every day I keep a picture of Natasha and I talk to her,” she said. “So as I go by her every morning, I say, ‘It’s all right Natasha we’ve got this, we got this, we’ve got you.’”
Ferguson says she got involved in the cause when she saw Natasha’s parents crying on a flight home from Nice, France as they were escorting their daughter’s coffin home.
So proud to have been asked to be patron of @NatashasLegacy . Today we’re delighted to welcome Government announcement of Natasha’s Law to support allergy sufferers but there is much more work to do to promote research pic.twitter.com/JrFFrmiJMI
— Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) (@SarahTheDuchess) June 25, 2019
The Duchess of York saw their suffering and reached out over her seat.
“I was going through the airport and I heard them really crying. On the airplane I was sitting right behind them and put my hand rather rudely over the top. And I said ‘I’m so sorry, I’ve just got to know, is there anything I can do? I feel so much pain for you.’”
Nadim Ednan-Laperouse explained to Ferguson that their daughter’s coffin was below them in storage as she had died on a flight after an allergic reaction from a Pret a Manger sandwich which was in contact with sesame seeds, despite using her EpiPen. There was no mention of the allergen on the sandwich’s label.
Ferguson said that the parents’ pain broke her heart, and she vowed to do whatever she could to prevent this from happening again. Tuesday, Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed tighter food labeling rules called “Natasha’s Law,” and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse called it “a momentous day,” adding that this will help millions of people.
Natasha’s father continued, saying that one peanut has enough proteins in it to kill six people within an hour. Ferguson added that the number of adults and children with allergies and sensitivities continues to increase.
“Forty-four percent of adults are now suffering from allergies that’s why Natasha’s law is so important.”
