Case study: Why food crises matter and why response must be fast and decisive
Why
food crises matter and why response must be fast and decisive
The death of a young person is always going to be highly emotive,
especially so when the prevailing view is that the death was preventable and
that a corporate entity is in some way to blame. Such were the circumstances
surrounding the teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse's death from an allergic reaction
from having eaten a Pret A Manger baguette.
As with many of these incidents the situation is more complex than the
headlines care to tell however with the benefit of hindsight the company might
feel that their strategy for reputation management could have been better.
Pret is a massive international company. The company sells around 218
million food products a year and is a common sight on the high street, airports
and railway stations. They are a strong food brand, and we as consumers place
our trust in food manufacturers and retailers. When they let us down, it tends
to be big news. Think KFC, think Bernard Matthews, think BSE.
It must be said that Pret A Manger were within the law with the way they
labelled their products, however the spirit of the legislation was to protect
small owner operated sandwich shops, food made in “local kitchens”, from
onerous packaging and labelling. Pret
didn’t have to label allergens and chose not to. However, as a major firm making significant
profits it was seen to be hiding behind that legislation with its decision not
to label and that was deemed, in the court of public opinion, to be putting the
public, and those who invested their trust in the company, at risk. Don’t play
fast and loose with your customers safety.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in July 2016. The legal processes tend to move forward
slowly because they need to be considered and thorough and that takes time. The
Coroners Inquest is a major milestone in the process and Pret A Manger will
have had that date on their corporate wall planner for some considerable time.
Recognising the medical cause of death was due to an allergic reaction to
something in their baguette they had the opportunity to change their labelling
practice. They had two years to make that change and chose not to.
I cannot say for sure, but my suspicion would be that their motive for
not making any change was legal advice that it might be perceived as an
admission of guilt. There are parallels to the tour operator Thomas Cook who
would not apologise for the deaths of two children who died from carbon
monoxide poisoning until after the Coroners Inquest. There exists a catalogue of organisations who
during a crisis hide behind their lawyers and get it very badly wrong. Pret
have now changed their labelling policies, but if that had been done a year ago
it would have been far better received. In crisis situations put people first
and act decisively and swiftly.
Where Pret also took a hit was that once the media get their claws into
you they start digging. What turned up was that there had been a second death
linked to an allergic reaction in December 2017. This was a non-Pret branded
product but sold in their stores. To the media that didn’t matter, and it gave
a new momentum to their story. The fact that Pret ended the contract with the
producer soon after is immaterial. The damage had been done.
Pret A Manger have managed some aspects of this situation better than
others. The apology, when it came, was a handwritten letter from the CEO, Clive
Schlee, to Natasha’s parents and certainly appeared both genuine and heartfelt.
After the inquest Mr Schlee spoke to the gathered media immediately and
directly outside the courtroom rather than seeking the controlled safety of a
corporate office. He promised Pret would
learn and act.
Changes are now being
made and the company has given every indication that they have learned lessons
from the tragic death of a 15 year old girl and evidence is that the changes
they are making will be meaningful. But, as Natasha’s parents, Nadim and Tanya
Ednan-Laperouse, said it was "too little, too late".