A professional New York dancer died after eating a mislabeled peanut-filled holiday cookie sold at Stew Leonard's. Stores and wholesalers point out who is responsible.
Orla Baxendale, 25, suffered a severe allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock after eating vanilla Florentine cookies on January 11, lawyer Marijo Adimei said. statement Wednesday.
Baxendale, who is from England, ate the candy at a social gathering in Connecticut. According to News 12.
“Mr. Orla's death stemmed from an unfortunate incident involving the consumption of cookies manufactured by Cookies United and sold by Stu Leonards that contained an undisclosed amount of peanuts,” Adimei wrote. Ta.
“Due to this tragic oversight, Vanilla Florentine Cookies will be recalled from Stew Leonard's stores in Danbury and Newington, CT from November 6, 2023 to December 31, 2023. became.”
Mr Marijo said the investigation into Mr Baxendale's death revealed “gross negligence and reckless conduct on the part of the manufacturer and/or seller” of the cookie packaging for failing to indicate that the product contained peanuts. I shared that it has become.
“The failure to properly disclose information led to this catastrophic but avoidable outcome,” the attorneys wrote.
The Manchester native moved to New York City in 2018 to train as a scholar at the Ailey School, according to the school. Website.
Baxendale performed during New York Fashion Week and was involved in a dance production at Lincoln Center.
Stew Leonard's explained that the Long Island bakery from which it purchases its cookies did not inform it of the change in the ingredients in its Vanilla Florentine Cookies.
“I'm here with my family, but I mean, we're all devastated and very sad. I have four daughters, one of whom is in her 20s. That family. I can imagine how you're feeling right now,'' CEO Stu Leonard Jr. said in a video released, according to the report. news 12.
But wholesaler Cookies United insisted it had indeed shared the ingredient changes with a local supermarket chain in the months before Baxendale's death.
“Stu Leonard's claimed in a previous press release that 'the cookies contain peanuts, an ingredient that the manufacturer has not disclosed to Stu Leonard',” United Cookies wrote. Ta. statement Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, given the tragedy of this situation, in July 2023, Stu Leonards, Inc. announced from Cookies United that this product contains peanuts and that all products shipped contain peanuts. I must point out that I have been notified that the label has been affixed accordingly.”
The wholesaler alleges that Stu Leonards changed the packaging to reflect the store's brand, but failed to properly label the cookies as containing peanuts before they hit the shelves.
Stew Leonard's said the product is only sold at its Danbury and Newington stores.
Since then, the supermarket has A recall has been issued This is a seasonal item available on Tuesdays.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection's Division of Food, Standards, and Product Safety (DCP) is working with officials from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, the Food and Drug Administration, and Stu Leonards to investigate this fatal incident. It was announced that
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy that should never have happened,” DCP Chairman Brian T. Cafferelli said in a statement Tuesday. We will prevent this from happening.” ”
“This is absolutely tragic and should not have happened,” said Punitha Ponda, associate director of allergy and immunology at Northwell Health. news 12.
“From a manufacturer's perspective, if this is a sufficient level of care to avoid human exposure, then that is the first level of prevention.”
Ponda emphasized the importance of properly checking labels for people with known food allergies.
“Just like when you go out, you want to make sure you take your wallet and your ID with you. It's the same thing. If you're going to continue and you might be exposed to food in any situation, bring an EpiPen. There is a need,” Ponda told the magazine.
