NSW nut cookie death 'a tragedy': coroner - Breaking News - Sydney Morning ... - Sydney Morning Herald

AAP

A coroner has urged schools to consider banning nuts from cooking classes after a Sydney schoolboy died from an allergic reaction to a walnut biscuit.

The death of 16-year-old Raymond Cho was the result of a series of small deficiencies, NSW state coroner Mary Jerram ruled on Friday.

But she stressed no blame could be laid on the boy's parents, friends, teachers or other school staff.

Raymond suffered anaphylactic shock after eating the biscuit baked by a classmate at Ashfield Boys High School in Sydney's inner west.

He was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital but died of ischaemic hypoxic brain injury on May 24 last year.

Handing down her findings after a week-long inquest, Ms Jerram said no one would ever know why Raymond ate the cookie, despite knowing he had a serious nut allergy.

She told Glebe Coroners Court a delay in calling an ambulance and the misfiring of an EpiPen immediately after Raymond collapsed might have contributed to his death.

"The staff had all the best wills of the world, they just didn't have sufficient training," she said.

"But the deficiencies ... really amount to a whole series of small things that add up to such a tragedy."

Ms Jerram said the case showed the need for better training for school staff on how to use EpiPens, but she accepted that it was a large burden on schools.

"Their staff are trained to teach and not to give first aid," she said.

The coroner recommended that the NSW Education Department also consider restricting the availability of nuts in schools and eliminate the use of nuts in school cooking classes.

Ms Jerram acknowledged the department had accepted responsibility for some of the deficiencies and made some policy changes.

Outside court, the Cho family's legal representative expressed hope the tragedy would bring positive changes.

"The family's great hope is that what's happened to Raymond won't be in vain, and that some of the improvements and suggestions the coroner made in future provide assistance to others," lawyer Courtenay Poulden said.

Maria Said, president of Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia, said she supported nut restrictions in schools.

"I support that nuts should be restricted in schools, in curricular and extra-curricular activities," she told reporters.