ROME – Police were investigating Friday the death of American student, Anne Avarie Tierney, 21, who had died after eating avocado toast in the bohemian Eternal City neighborhood of Pigneto on Wednesday afternoon, police said

 The young woman, who was allergic to cashews, went into anaphylactic shock, collapsing on the road opposite Vitiminas 24, a local vegan cafe. A desperate race to save her then ensued, with the call to 118 and the administration of cortisone. Healthcare personnel performed CPR for 30 minutes, but there was nothing to be done to save the girl. 

 During the initial investigation of the incident, it was found that the 21-year-old, who had been studying at Biola University in California, began to feel bad near via Casilina, number 233, where there is an apartment block in which many American students reside. The 21-year -old, based on the elements collected, had eaten avocado toast in a cafè not far from where she was staying. She was not carrying her Epipen on her at the time. 

 The police have stated that the girl was sold the avocado toast at a local vegan place because the owner was not aware that the girl had a fatal cashew allergy, as she did not speak Italian. It was noted that she had attempted to communicate that she had an allergy but had not been understood. Pigneto is an area in Rome far less frequented by English speaking tourists, unlike the ‘touristic’ centre. 

 For those that do not typically follow a vegan diet, it is worth noting that vegan food is often an allergen nightmare, as the 'meats' and 'cheeses' are typically made with nuts, soy or coconut. 

 The investigation had found that the girl had ordered an avocado toast that came with a 'vegan cheese' style cashew spread, which was listed on the menu in Italian. She had ordered the toast as she believed that it did not contain the nuts to which she was allergic. The word 'cashew' in Italian is 'anacardio' and word 'peanut' is 'arachide', which are very similar sounding 

 A friend who was with her at the time then made the discovery that the toast contained cashews. The girl was then rushed to a facility a few metres from the restuarant, where she was given two adrenaline injections, which unfortunately did not prevent the young girl's death. 

 Tragically, the young girl was due to return home in about a week, having stayed in Rome since January, as part of a term abroad. Since the death of the girl, the local prosecutor's office has opened an investigation and requested more information about the sale of the avocado toast and the kitchen in which is was prepared. The owner of the establishment is currently being investigated for manslaughter. 

It is of the upmost importance that anyone with a fatal allergy carries their Epipen on them and is able to express to staff what their allergy is, whether it be through google translate or an allergy card.  

Here is a list of major allergens in Italian for those that may need it. 

1.  latte (milk)
2. uovo (egg)
3. grano (wheat)
4. arachidi (peanut)
5. frutta a guscio (nut, tree nut, hazelnut, walnut, pine nut, almond, pistachio nuts)
6. anacardio (cashew)
7. soia (soy)
8. pesce (fish)
9. crostacei (shellfish: crustacean)
10. molluschi (shellfish: mollusc)
11. semi di sesamo (sesame seeds)
12. sedano (celery)
13. senape (mustard)
14. lupini (lupins)
15. additivi (additives)

 Italy as a whole has an established history of catering well to allergies, especially gluten allergies and intolerances. While this event is a clear tragedy, it should not cause worry for anyone with an allergy travelling to the country but they would be advised to make sure they know what the certain allergens are in Italian, ideally. 

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