THE mother of a landscape gardener who died after eating a curry he did not realise contained nuts has welcomed a move to force caterers to tell customers if their food contains ingredients which trigger allergies.

Linda Brown said while the EU legislation, which comes into force today (Saturday, December 13), would include 14 everyday allergens, such as nuts, milk, celery, gluten and soya, it fell short of being comprehensive for allergy sufferers.

The move to make restaurants, takeaways, cafes and anyone providing meals in prisons, hospitals and schools examine all their ingredients and spell out which dishes contain allergens, follows the deaths of two men from the region after eating takeaways.

North Yorkshire Police launched their inquiry after bar manager Paul Wilson, of Helperby, near Thirsk, died in January after eating a takeaway curry.

The 38-year-old, who was known to avoid nuts due to a severe allergy, was found in his home after suffering a suspected anaphylactic shock.

Two men were arrested in April over his death, and police said yesterday (Friday, December 12) a 38-year-old man had been released without charge, while investigations were continuing into the 51-year-old.

Derek Stephenson, of Stanhope, suffered an allergic reaction in September 2013 after eating a few mouthfuls of a chicken tikka takeaway.

His friend called for an ambulance, but paramedics declared him dead at his home in Front Street soon afterwards.

His mother, Linda Brown, said: "The law has come too late as I have lost my son, but it is excellent that it's now being enforced.

"Catering outlets really needed to sharpen up their act.

"I have just been diagnosed with an allergy to rape seed, and that is just one of the allergens that is not included on the allergens list."

The move has received a mixed reaction from the catering industry, with the British Hospitality Association saying it would cost up to £200 million per year to implement and that it had created a huge amount of extra work, particularly for small outlets.

The owners of Quayside fish and chip shop, in Whitby, said they had contacted all their suppliers to inspect ingredients and had written a list for customers, using red, amber and green indicators, to help them navigate the menus.

He said: “While we agree with many independents that an entire menu littered with allergen information is unworkable, it’s not difficult to put all this information into a spreadsheet for customers to look at and for staff to learn."