Student with allergy died after eating chicken burger

Shahida Shahid's sister said she was confident at talking to restaurant staff about her allergies

A woman with a dairy allergy died after eating a chicken burger marinated in buttermilk at a restaurant, an inquest jury has heard.

Shahida Shahid, 18, from Worsley, Salford, was out with friends on 9 January 2015 when she collapsed after eating at Almost Famous in Manchester.

A friend gave her an injection in a bid to stem the reaction and she was rushed to hospital, but died three days later.

The inquest at Manchester Coroner's Court is expected to last eight days.

The jury was told the University of Manchester student suffered severe brain damage after eating the burger.

Sally Hadfield, assistant deputy coroner for Manchester, said: "She ate the chicken burger and... did not feel any effect but walked up towards the Printworks at around 8pm... and suddenly the effect of her allergy became apparent.

"She began to feel ill and collapsed."

Ms Shahid had eaten at the Great Northern Warehouse branch of the burger chain

The coroner said the jury will have to consider how she came to eat a burger marinated in dairy produce, what was discussed with restaurant staff and evidence about the injection device.

Shahida's older sister, Dr Sharmin Shahid, a GP living in Bristol, told the court her sister developed eczema and asthma as a child and had allergies, so she avoided dairy products, eggs, fish and nuts.

'Previous reactions'

The witness said by adopting a dairy-free diet she was otherwise able to live normally.

On two previous occasions she had been hospitalised with allergic reactions after inadvertently eating dairy products.

On her 16th birthday while at home she had pancakes with whole milk instead of soya milk and in November 2013, she had a reaction to food at a restaurant in Birmingham and her GP sister administered an injection.

Dr Shahid agreed her sister was confident and "very good at being vocal" talking to restaurant staff about what she could not eat.

The teenager's older brother Rasel Shahid said he had been for meals with his sister "countless" times and she would ask restaurant staff "very thoroughly" about menus in relation to her allergy.

The business analyst said his family were "big foodies".

He added that his sister was in a "jovial mood" on the day she died, and both were joking and laughing while Shahida discussed her plans to go out that night.

The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.