A 25-year-old professional dancer died Jan. 11 after having an allergic reaction to an incorrectly labeled holiday cookie during a social event.
Órla Baxendale consumed a cookie that had peanuts in it, however the label did not reflect the ingredient, the Baxendale family lawyers alleged in a press release. The dancer suffered a fatal “anaphylactic shock” from her allergic reaction, according to their statement. (RELATED: Quaker Oats Recalls Over 60 Cereals, Snacks Due To Salmonella Concerns)
The family lawyers further allege in their press release that the cookie was “manufactured by Cookies United and sold by the supermarket chain Stew Leonard’s.” The lawyers note that a recall on the cookies had been issued by both the Food and Drug Administration as well as Stew Leonard that were sold from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31.
The president of Stew Leonard laid the blame on Cookies United for not disclosing the presence of peanuts in the cookie.
“This has never happened at Stew Leonard’s before. We have very strict food safety practices and one of them is having all proper ingredients listed on our labels. Unfortunately, we are buying these cookies from a company who never told us they changed the ingredients. We sold them in good faith and one customer was affected. We were devastated to learn this news and our family is sending our deepest condolences,” his statement alleged, according to News 12.
COOKIE RECALL: The cookie was made at an Islip bakery that says they notified Stew Leonard’s that the product contained peanuts. https://t.co/vTBXWsuau6
— News12BK (@News12BK) January 24, 2024
Cookies United said in a statement they had notified Stew Leonard about the presence of peanuts back in July 2023, and that they had labeled the product accordingly.
“Unfortunately, considering the tragedy of these circumstances, we need to point out that Stew Leonard’s was notified by Cookies United in July of 2023 that this product now contains peanuts and all products shipped to them have been labeled accordingly. This product is sold under the Stew Leonard’s brand and repackaged at their facilities. The incorrect label was created by, and applied to, their product by Stew Leonard’s,” Cookies United alleged.
Baxendale was a British-born dancer who moved to New York City for her career.
“I miss my family every day. They’re my world. But then I look out of my apartment window at the buzzing streets of New York City, packing my dance bag ready for another day of training, and I know that every sacrifice has been entirely worth it. I just wouldn’t be me without dance and the people who really care for me know that,” Baxendale told Impact back in 2022.