Starbucks: Toddler with milk allergy has allergic reaction at Rugby branch

Two-year-old Harper had a cow's milk protein allergy since birth, her mum said

A mother said her two-year-old had a severe allergic reaction after she was given a drink with cow's milk at Starbucks.

Jasmine said she had asked for a drink with soy milk, due to her daughter's cow's milk allergy, at the branch in Elliot's Fields, Rugby.

Her daughter went into anaphylactic shock after drinking it and needed hospital treatment, she added.

Starbucks said it had investigated and would take "appropriate action".

At the branch on 24 November, Jasmine said she ordered her own drink before ordering her daughter Harper's babyccino with soy milk.

"I said one soy babyccino, but that hers was an allergy," she explained.

"I collected the drinks and the sticker said it was soy with vegan topping."

Jasmine said paramedics had to give her daughter adrenaline and took her to hospital

But after collecting the drinks, she said Harper, who has had a cow's milk protein allergy since birth, told her: "Mummy, my lips are hurting me."

The two-year-old was given adrenaline through an auto-injector pen by paramedics before she was taken to hospital, her mum added.

Harper was given a nebuliser due to "low oxygen levels" and spent the night in hospital.

Jasmine, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, said she tried to contact Starbucks but could not get hold of them through their website and was then contacted by the store's area manager on Monday.

She said she was offered a free drink as compensation but felt "fobbed off" by the chain's response to an incident that "almost killed my child".

"They said they don't want her to be scared of Starbucks and would like to offer her a free babyccino when we next come in," she explained.

"[You] can't make a mistake when you are dealing with someone's health, a mistake can be lethal."

Starbucks said the team at the branch carried out an investigation and "will be taking appropriate action".

"We completely understand the customer's concerns and are getting in touch with her directly," a spokesperson said.