Paul Carey is the father of Owen Carey. Owen died in April 2017 as a result of anaphylaxis due to an undeclared allergen, to which he was highly allergic, in food at a restaurant; this was despite Owen making it clear to the server that he had multiple allergies.
Paul, together with members of his family, has since led the Campaign for Owen’s Law, calling for the information on allergens contained in non-pre-packed foods to be provided in writing, at the point of ordering, without the customer having to ask. These requirements would reflect the laws implemented in the Republic of Ireland, and have been recently adopted as policy by the Foods Standards Agency.
The FSA has recommended to the Government that these requirements are made mandatory through changes to the Food Information Regulations 2014. In the meantime Paul and his family continue to highlight the need to change the law and encourage food business operators to adopt the changes ahead of the legislation being implemented.