New York dancer dies after eating mislabeled cookies that contained peanuts
A New York City woman died after eating a mislabeled cookie containing peanuts
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A New York City woman died after eating a mislabeled cookie containing peanuts, part of a batch that has since been recalled.
Stew Leonard’s announced Tuesday that Vanilla Florentine Cookies sold in its grocery stores in Danbury and Newington in Connecticut from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31 were being recalled in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration. The retailer said about 500 packages of the holiday cookies were sold.
The cookies contained peanuts as an unlisted ingredient and a New York resident died after eating them at a social gathering in Connecticut, state health and consumer protection officials said.
That person was identified Thursday as Órla Baxendale by a law firm representing her interests. Baxendale died Jan. 11 after suffering anaphylactic shock resulting from a severe allergic reaction, according to a post on the website for Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf.
Baxendale was born in East Lancashire in England and moved to the city to pursue a career as a dancer, according to the post.
“Her passion for dance extended well beyond a single discipline as she was an exquisite ballet, contemporary, and Irish step dancer,” read an online obituary for Baxendale.
The cookies were produced by the the Long Island-based wholesaler Cookies United and labeled with the Stew Leonard’s brand name, according to state officials.
Stew Leonard Jr., president and CEO of the retailer, said in a video posted Wednesday that the supplier went from soy nuts to peanuts in the recipe without notifying their chief safety officer.
Cookies United said in a release that they notified Stew Leonard’s last July that the product contained peanuts and that all products shipped to the retailer had been labeled accordingly. Cookies United said the incorrect label was created by Stew Leonard’s.