**Biscuit Manufacturer Clears Product After Tragic Death of Five-Year-Old Schoolboy**
Independent experts representing McVitie’s have stated that their biscuit was not the cause of a fatal allergic reaction suffered by a five-year-old child at a primary school in Cambridgeshire. The case, which has distressed both the local community and observers nationwide, continues to unfold at an inquest in Peterborough.
The boy, Benedict Blythe, collapsed at Barnack Primary School on 1 December 2021, having eaten a gingerbread biscuit during morning break. According to testimony presented at the inquest, the snack was brought from home and was the last item consumed prior to the incident. The staff at the school confirmed Benedict’s medical history included severe allergies to cow’s milk and nuts.
In response to concerns that the gingerbread biscuit may have contained dangerous traces of allergens, Pladis—the company behind McVitie’s—commissioned independent tests on samples from the same production batch. Andrew Baldwin, who oversees safety for McVitie’s, submitted evidence confirming that the tests did not detect milk or nuts at any significant level within the product. “The substances tested for [nuts and milk] were not present in detectable limits,” Baldwin explained, adding that the laboratory procedures used were specifically designed to identify extremely low levels of allergic material.
This development addresses one of the central questions examined by the inquest jury: whether cross-contamination or mislabelling in food provided by a major manufacturer could have contributed to Benedict’s death. While the product seems to have been cleared, the inquiry has also turned its attention to the complex issue of food storage and management at the school.
School staff were questioned about the storage of allergen-free and dairy-based milk drinks in the shared staff refrigerator. Evidence described how Benedict’s oat milk, intended to be dairy-free, was kept alongside a different ‘alternative milk’—which, despite name, contained lactose and was not free from dairy allergens. The jury heard that, on the day of the incident, Benedict refused the oat milk poured for him by his teacher.
Barnack Primary’s executive headteacher, Colette Firth, detailed her actions following the emergency, including a call to the director of education at Peterborough City Council. She described how she relayed information regarding an allergic reaction after eating a biscuit but did not mention any issues with the child’s oat milk. Firth explained that, at the time, staff were not instructed to preserve evidence such as the cup used by Benedict or the bowl he vomited into, as the school was not asked to carry out its own internal investigation.
The inquest also viewed police bodycam footage, recorded when officers arrived at the school on the day of Benedict’s death. The images, presented in court, showed a number of items still present in the classroom, including a bowl containing vomit, the wrappers of two adrenaline pens used in resuscitation attempts, an asthma pump, resuscitation equipment, and a defibrillator.
Despite immediate action by school staff, Benedict’s father, and paramedics, efforts to revive the child proved unsuccessful. Benedict died at Peterborough City Hospital approximately two and a half hours after his initial reaction. The inquest is expected to hear further evidence from his parents, Helen and Pete Blythe, as well as more detailed medical testimony and the recording of the 999 call made that day.
The current hearing aims not to assign blame but to clarify the circumstances that led to Benedict’s untimely death. It is due to continue into the following week, with all parties awaiting the jury’s findings. The case has spotlighted the ongoing challenges faced by schools managing students with severe allergies, as well as broader issues of food safety and emergency response in educational settings.
Benedict’s passing has left a profound mark on his family and the community. Inquests such as this one are a vital step in understanding, and potentially preventing, similar tragedies in the future.