Death may prompt imported food laws probe

Australia's imported food regulations have been called into question following a 10-year-old Melbourne boy's death after consuming a coconut drink from Taiwan.

Ronak Warty, 10, and his father carefully inspected the ingredient list on the can of Green Time Natural Coconut Drink to ensure it didn't contain dairy before Ronak drank it, the coroner's court in Melbourne heard on Thursday.

The keen soccer player from Burwood had a fatal reaction after he consumed the drink on the evening of December 13, 2013.

His parents turned off his life-support on December 20.

Victorian coroner Audrey Jamieson has been asked to conduct an inquest into the death after Sydney-based Narkena Pty Ltd, which imported the drink from Taiwan, pleaded guilty to three charges under the Food Act.

"My son was killed by a corporate entity by not declaring their product correctly," Ronak's father Satyajit Warty, who has since died, said in a letter to the court in 2014.

A lawyer for Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia told the court a delay of one month between Ronak's death and the removal of the drink from shop shelves pointed to systematic problems.

He called on Coroner Jamieson to investigate "the patchwork of regulation that applies to the test and labelling of imported foods".

"Ronak's family closely monitored what he ate and had sought medical treatment for their son since he first exhibited signs of allergic reactions as an infant," Counsel Assisting Rebecca Cohen said.

"Due to the extreme short-comings in the labelling and the company that imported the product, they were misled."

Post-mortem tests confirmed Ronak was sensitive to both cow's milk and also the Green Time Natural Coconut Drink.

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia tested the Green Time Natural Coconut Drink and confirmed it contained dairy products.

A month later the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recalled it from the market.

Coroner Jamieson said she is alarmed and concerned by the fact that it took a month for the coconut drink, which did not disclose it contained cow's milk, to be removed from Australian shelves.

Narkena Pty Ltd was fined $18,000, in addition to being ordered to pay the NSW Food Authority costs of $24,000.

Coroner Jamieson reserved her decision on whether an inquest will be held.