A severe allergic response that progressed to anaphylactic shock was the direct cause of Chef Michael Chiarello’s untimely death.
“The doctors don’t know what caused the allergic reaction and neither does the family,” a representative for Gruppo Chiarello tells. “They may never know.”
According to a statement provided, Chiarello, a former Food Network star, died on Saturday at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California, after being treated for an allergic reaction for a week. He was 61.
Dr. Inderpal Randhawa, CEO and founder of the Food Allergy Institute, says that it “is rare, but it does happen” for a person to be unaware of a potentially fatal allergy until much later in life.
Contrary to what Chiarello may have been led to believe, “two-thirds of adults with food anaphylaxis develop the disease after 18 years of age,” says Randhawa.
Dr. Randhawa provided the method of an elderly person who develops an allergy and experiences “atypical symptoms” like stomach pain or a rash. The risk of anaphylaxis would rise if the individual changed their diet but “over the next year, continued to cook shellfish where there are allergens in the air,” as explained by Dr. Randhawa. “The next time they consume shellfish, it can result in a severe and rapid reaction.”
The medical director of pediatric pulmonology, clinical immunology, and allergy at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, California, highlighted that autoimmune illnesses, blood pressure drugs, and erectile dysfunction meds are among the “several factors that make allergic reactions worse.”
“Having several factors combined at once during a small food allergen exposure can result in a life-threatening event,” Dr. Randhawa explained.
“Identify the general groups of foods to which he might have reacted,” Dr. Randhawa said, referring to the results of an autopsy. PEOPLE reached out to Chiarello’s camp for comment, but a spokesman has not yet confirmed whether or not an autopsy is being conducted.
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We sincerely mourn the loss of our dear patriarch Michael,” his family said in a statement following his death. His commitment to his family, his brilliant culinary skills, and his infinite imagination were the very foundations of his character. Through the power of food, he united people and created indelible bonds at the table.
“As we navigate this profound loss, we hold dear the moments we cherished with him, both in his kitchens and in our hearts,” added the Chiarello family, who were by his side at the time of his death. “His legacy will forever live on in the love he poured into every dish and the passion he instilled in all of us to savor life’s flavors.”
The 1962 birthplace of this native Californian is Red Bluff. According to Business Wire, in 1987, at the age of 25, he founded his first restaurant, Tra Vigne, in Napa Valley. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, after the success of Tra Vigne, he opened three more restaurants in Napa Valley: Bottega, Ottimo, and Coqueta, which also has a presence in San Francisco.
According to his website, Chef Chiarello has opened multiple restaurants and entered the wine sector in 1999 by establishing Chiarello Family Vineyard. Then, around the turn of 2000, he launched NapaStyle, a retail line of artisanal foods, cookware, and home goods.
