Too Little, Too Late: After Doctor Died From Alleged Allergic Reaction, Disney World Restaurant Adds Food Safety Warning

Nearly a month after Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at NYU Langone in New York, died from allegedly having an allergic reaction to something she ate while on vacation at Walt Disney World, the Raglan Road Irish Pub has added a food safety warning to its menu.

Related: Doctor Dies After Eating at Disney World Restaurant, Family Alleges in New Lawsuit

The warning reads:

FOR GUESTS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
Kindly note that we are NOT a Gluten/Allergen free restaurant. We CANNOT guarantee that any dish we prepare is free from Gluten/Allergen or free from cross contact. Guests must notify their server of any allergy friendly requests. A Manager will then discuss our Allergy Menu with you. Guests must use their own discretion to make informed choices based on their individual dietary needs. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry or shellfish may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

The family of Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan is suing the Walt Disney World Resort and Raglan Road after she died at Disney Springs shortly after eating at the restaurant. According to the court documents filed by her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, Dr. Tangsuan was having dinner with him and his mother, Jackie Piccolo, at the Irish restaurant.

When the waiter arrived at their table, they asked extensive questions about the menu and food preparation, as Tangsuan suffers from a dairy and nut allergy. The waiter even went so far as to ask the chef whether certain foods could be made allergen-free, and the group was assured that “allergen-free food would be served.”

Related: After New York Doctor Died At Disney World, Family Ponders’ Cruel Irony’ Of Her Passing

Dr. Tangsuan ordered vegan shepherd’s pie, onion rings, corn fritters, and scallops, but the lawsuit noted that none of the plates had food labels that would have made the servers aware of the allergens at the table.

After eating, Tangsuan and her mother-in-law went shopping at Disney Springs while her husband returned to the hotel. Less than an hour later, the pair separated, and Tangsuan went to Planet Hollywood. It was there that she suffered a “severe acute allergic reaction from the food served at Raglan Road.”

Tangsaun was able to administer herself epinephrine, but she was still having a severe reaction, and cast members called 911. When emergency services arrived, they were able to get her to the hospital; however, she was pronounced dead when she arrived.

Tangsuan’s cause of death was “as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.” The family seeks damages “in excess of $50,000.00 plus costs, post-judgment interest, and further demands trial by jury on all issues so triable.”

On its website, Walt Disney World says that it will accommodate any food allergy and that guests should speak directly to cast members to inform them of any allergies. The Disney World’s Website says:

Once you are at the restaurant, tell a Cast Member about your special dietary or allergy-friendly requests—even if you previously indicated it during the reservation process. You can do this when you check in at the podium or via the My Disney Experience app. This will help ensure our special diets processes can be followed when preparing your meal. While table-service restaurants will try to accommodate special dietary requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be able to meet all requests.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.