A 25-year-old woman with a severe peanut allergy died in New York City after eating cookies that were not labeled as containing peanuts — as required by law.
Órla Baxendale, a UK-born dancer who had moved to New York to pursue her career, had reportedly eaten Vanilla Florentine Cookies, made by Cookies United, earlier this month. She then went into anaphylactic shock, which caused her to die.
The mislabeled cookies, which had been purchased at Stew Leonard's supermarket in Connecticut, have been recalled.
From Baxendale's attorneys via NBC News:
Órla's passing stemmed from an unfortunate incident involving the consumption of a cookie manufactured by Cookies United and sold by Stew Leonard's, which contained undisclosed peanuts. This tragic oversight has led to the recall of the Vanilla Florentine Cookies from Stew Leonard's stores in Danbury and Newington, CT, for the period of November 6 – December 31, 2023.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that Órla's death occurred due to the gross negligence and reckless conduct of the manufacturer and/or sellers who failed to properly identify the contents of the cookie on the packaging. This failure in proper disclosure has led to this devastating yet preventable outcome.
Born in East Lancashire, UK, Órla moved to New York to pursue a career as a dancer. Her sudden loss is not only a personal tragedy for her family and friends but also a significant loss to the artistic community.
