British Tourist Died After Allergic Reaction to Churro in Argentina, Inquest Hears
A 24-year-old man was repeatedly assured his food was nut-free before suffering a fatal reaction, an inquest found.
A British tourist died from a severe allergic reaction after consuming a churro and hot chocolate in a Buenos Aires cafe, an inquest has heard.
Harry James Kitto, 24, had been traveling through South America and, upon arriving in Argentina in November 2025, visited the popular Cafe Tortoni. He and his girlfriend asked cafe staff in Spanish if the churros contained peanuts due to his severe intolerance. They were assured that they did not, and Mr. Kitto consumed one.
Soon after, Mr. Kitto began to feel unwell, experiencing what he believed was an allergic reaction. His girlfriend again inquired about the ingredients, and staff reiterated that the churros were nut-free. Following this, Mr. Kitto ordered a second churro, after which his condition worsened significantly.
Seeking to retrieve his EpiPen, the couple took the underground back to their accommodation. However, as they neared the metro station, Mr. Kitto began experiencing breathing difficulties. By the time his girlfriend returned with the EpiPen, she found him unconscious on the ground surrounded by onlookers.
An ambulance arrived approximately ten minutes later, and paramedics administered adrenaline. Despite resuscitation efforts at Hospital Ramos Mejia in Buenos Aires, Mr. Kitto's heart stopped as they reached the hospital. Though resuscitated and placed on a ventilator, medical staff determined his brain had sustained irreversible damage. His life support was switched off on November 7, 2025, and he passed away.
His family described him as "kind, adventurous, funny, and full of life." A GoFundMe campaign to repatriate his body raised over £70,000, with remaining funds designated for the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
Further investigation revealed that Mr. Kitto's father and brother visited the same cafe days later and made the same inquiry about peanut content in the churros, receiving the same negative response. A subsequent laboratory test on a sample churro from the cafe found 20mg of peanut protein per kilogram.
Assistant coroner Emma Hillson concluded that it was "more likely than not" that the peanut proteins in the churro caused Mr. Kitto's fatal anaphylactic shock, leading to respiratory depression and unsurvivable brain damage. The death was ruled an accidental death.