For some, nuts are a tasty, on-the-go snack. But for a proportion of people living in Burton and South Derbyshire, they carry the potential to trigger severe reactions - sometimes leading to deadly consequences.

There are about two million people in the UK living with a food allergy, with fish, shellfish and nuts the most common triggers.

For most sufferers, the symptoms are minor, ranging from an itchy mouth to a rash. For others, it can result in difficulty breathing or a possibly fatal anaphylactic shock.

1 in 55 children suffer with a nut allergy
1 in 55 children suffer with a nut allergy

Last month ITV's This Morning showed how devastating nut contamination can really be. In March 2014, tragedy struck in Budapest, Hungary. Amy May Shead, then 24, was on holiday with friends when she suffered a severe reaction to a meal containing nuts.

Despite carrying cards listing her allergies in Hungarian, staff at the restaurant assured the This Morning producer there would be no problem with the food she ordered. Although paramedics fought to save her life, her brain was starved of oxygen for six minutes.

Now, Amy, from London, has been left unable to walk, talk or see. In a further tragic twist, her insurance did not cover her pre-existing conditions, so Amy's family could not claim compensation.

Amy May Shead used to be a presenter on This Morning
Amy May Shead used to be a producer on This Morning

Julie Martin, Amy’s Auntie, told Radio 5 Live Breakfast: "Amy was always incredibly conscious of her allergy and took it extraordinarily seriously, she never ever took a risk.

"She took one taste and had a severe allergic reaction and went immediately into anaphylactic shock. The intensity of that was so strong it caused a cardiac arrest."

Although the incident didn't take place on an airplane, the Amy May Trust launched a petition last month to ban nuts and nut products from airlines.

After viewers learned of Amy's horrific ordeal on This Morning, the petition quickly reached a staggering 150,000 signatures, and now stands at 299,459.

Amy had been on holiday in Budapest when tragedy struck
Amy had been on holiday in Budapest when tragedy struck

Once the petition reaches 300,000 signatures, it will be debated in Parliament and delivered to the likes of British Airways, Easy Jet, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic, Monarch Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority.

If implemented, air stewards will be given the right to inform a passenger with externally purchased nuts they are not permitted to eat them while aboard.

What are the policies on nuts in restaurants around the area?

The Crossing in High Street
The Crossing, in Burton's High Street

Alex Wasikowski, manager at The Crossing, in High Street, said: "We can't guarantee legally that we are nut free.

"We take every care to not cross-contaminate but because we have outside supplies, those can cross-contaminate as well.

"We do everything we can to help those with nut allergies, but unfortunately we can't always guarantee our food on the menu will be nut-free."

The Waterfront, Barton-under-Needwood
The Waterfront, Barton under Needwood

Megan Morrish, who works at The Waterfront, at Barton Marina, said the venue takes nut allergies very seriously and do not serve nuts behind the bar.

She said: "Nuts are kept in a designated area within the dry stores. When they are roasted they are transferred directly from gastronorm pans to sealed tubs.

"When they are taken to the starter section of the kitchen, they are kept away from any other food items. They are then used within a mixing bowl transferred to the dish and served - hands are always washed straightaway.

"If somebody has a nut allergy then a separate and clean mixing bowl is used. Nuts are not kept on any other section within the kitchen line other than starters to prevent cross-contamination."

What is a nut allergy?

An allergy takes place when the body's immune system, which usually fights infection, overreacts to a substance called an allergen.

Most allergens are not noticeably damaging and have no immediate effect on people who are not allergic to them.

According to Patient, both peanuts and tree nuts can act as allergens, and can cause an allergic reaction in some people. When you come into contact with something you are allergic to, an allergen, a group of cells in your body release a substance called histamine.

Histamine causes the tiny blood vessel in the tissues of your body to leak fluid which causes the tissues to swell – resulting in a number of different symptoms.

This severe reaction is called anaphylaxis and without quick treatment victims would soon become unconscious. A small number of people die every year as a result of severe reaction, usually because they do not obtain treatment quickly enough.

In the UK, it is estimated that two per cent of adults have food allergies and intolerances.

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