HE ASKED IF HIS FOOD WAS SAFE. HE WAS REASSURED — THEN A HOLIDAY BECAME A FAMILY’S WORST NIGHTMARE

Harry James Kitto, 24, was travelling through South America with his girlfriend when a churro at a famous Buenos Aires café triggered a catastrophic allergic reaction. An inquest has now concluded that his death was accidental.

A young British traveller with his whole life ahead of him died after eating a churro that reportedly contained peanut protein, despite being reassured that the food was safe for someone with his severe allergy.

Harry James Kitto, 24, from Falmouth, Cornwall, was exploring South America with his girlfriend, Naomi Pye, when the couple visited Café Tortoni, a historic café in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 30, 2025.

They ordered hot chocolate and churros. Because Harry had a severe peanut allergy, they took the precaution of asking staff whether the food contained peanuts.

According to evidence heard at Cornwall Coroner’s Court, they were told it did not.

What should have been an ordinary stop during their travels soon became a desperate medical emergency.

 HE BEGAN TO FEEL UNWELL — BUT WAS REASSURED AGAIN

After eating a churro, Harry began to feel unwell and suspected he was experiencing an allergic reaction.

Naomi reportedly asked café staff about the ingredients again. The couple were reassured once more that the food did not contain peanuts.

Harry subsequently ate another churro.

His symptoms worsened, and the couple began making their way back to their accommodation, where his emergency medication was available. During the journey on the underground, however, Harry began struggling to breathe.

Naomi rushed to retrieve his adrenaline auto-injector. By the time she returned, Harry had collapsed and lost consciousness.

Emergency services were called, and he received urgent medical treatment before being taken to hospital.

A WEEK-LONG FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE

At Hospital Ramos Mejía in Buenos Aires, doctors managed to restart Harry’s heart after cardiac arrest.

But the interruption to the oxygen supply to his brain had caused devastating and irreversible damage.

Harry remained in hospital as his family faced the agonising uncertainty of his condition. Eventually, doctors determined that his brain injury was irreversible.

His loved ones travelled to Argentina to be by his side. His mother, Kerry Burt, was unable to make the journey and had to say goodbye to her son over FaceTime.

Harry died on November 7, 2025, just days after the trip that had been meant to create happy memories.

He was only 24.

A LABORATORY TEST REVEALED PEANUT PROTEIN

After Harry’s death, his father and brother returned to Café Tortoni and purchased the same food.

When they asked staff whether it contained peanuts, they reportedly received differing answers.

The family arranged for a sample to be tested by a laboratory. Evidence presented at the inquest indicated that the churro contained approximately 20 milligrams of peanut protein per kilogram.

The finding was particularly significant because Harry and Naomi had reportedly asked about peanuts before ordering and had been reassured that the food was safe.

The test established the presence of peanut protein in the sample examined. It did not, by itself, establish precisely how the contamination occurred or determine legal responsibility.

 INQUEST CONCLUDES HIS DEATH WAS ACCIDENTAL

On October 21, 2026, Assistant Coroner Emma Hillson recorded a verdict of accidental death following an inquest at Truro Coroner’s Court.

The hearing examined the circumstances of Harry’s allergic reaction and the events leading to his death.

His family hopes that sharing his story will encourage better food-allergy awareness and clearer communication about ingredients, especially for travellers eating in unfamiliar countries.

For people with severe allergies, accurate information is not simply a matter of preference. It can be essential to making informed decisions about what they eat.

 A YOUNG MAN REMEMBERED — AND A FAMILY’S HOPE FOR CHANGE

Harry was a traveller who loved exploring the world and had so much still ahead of him.

His family has endured an immeasurable loss, but they hope that speaking openly about what happened will help protect other people living with serious food allergies.

His story is also a reminder that language barriers and uncertainty about food preparation can make managing an allergy abroad particularly challenging.

Greater awareness, reliable allergen information and careful communication can help reduce those risks.

No words can undo what happened to Harry or ease the pain of his family’s loss. But their hope is that his story will encourage people and businesses to take food allergies seriously.

Harry James Kitto was just 24. May his memory live on through greater awareness and efforts to prevent similar tragedies. 🕊️

Please keep Harry’s family and Naomi in your thoughts as they continue to live with this heartbreaking loss.