London, June 2026 – A groundbreaking £10 million prize fund has been unveiled by Natasha’s Foundation to accelerate research into preventing food allergies, which affect more than 220 million people worldwide. Named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who tragically died in 2016 from an allergic reaction to sesame, the initiative represents the largest UK investment in food allergy research to date.
Funded by leading retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Marks & Spencer, and Pret owner JAB Holding Company, alongside donations from The Times and The Sunday Times Christmas Appeal, the prize will run over five years. The Foundation is seeking additional partners to expand the scale of research and collaboration.
The focus of Natasha’s Prize is prevention. Scientists will be asked: what interventions can be made from conception to age two to stop food allergies developing? This critical “first 1,000 days” window is believed to hold the greatest potential for immune system priming and lifestyle interventions.
Applications are open to experts across disciplines — allergists, AI data analysts, dieticians, engineers, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and social scientists. Entries close on 3 July, with selected applicants convening in Windsor this October to refine solutions. Final winners will be announced on 1 June 2027.
Professor Sir Stephen Holgate CBE, Prize Director, emphasized the need for bold, unconstrained thinking: “The solution could be an intervention that primes the immune system, or preventative lifestyle changes. We want to think creatively, boldly and without constraints.”
Natasha’s mother, Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, said the prize aims to galvanize science to stop food allergy before it starts: “We want this Prize to ensure no other families endure the heartbreak we will always carry.”
Ambassador Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, herself living with multiple food allergies, added: “If we can stop food allergy right from birth, children will have a completely different life. This prize is going to be amazing for so many people.”
By uniting global expertise and innovative financing, Natasha’s Prize seeks to deliver transformative breakthroughs in allergy prevention, offering hope for a future free from food allergies.
