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A British ballet dancer with a severe peanut allergy has died in the US after eating a cookie whose ingredients label did not contain any nuts.
Órla Baxendale, a 25-year-old woman from New York, purchased the cookie at a Stew Leonard's grocery store in Connecticut earlier this month.
She didn't know that the vanilla Florentine cookies contained peanuts, and there was no mention of nuts on the packaging.
According to a statement from her lawyers, Baxendale was carrying an EpiPen, but it was not enough to counteract the severe allergic reaction she suffered after eating the cookie. She died of anaphylactic shock on January 11th.
“Orla was very careful and extremely vigilant about everything she ate, always thoroughly checking the ingredients on all packaging. “In addition, she always carried an EpiPen with her and surrounded herself with people who knew how to administer an EpiPen,” the attorney said.
“After she experienced an anaphylactic reaction, an EpiPen was used, but it was not effective due to the severity of her allergy,” he added.
The grocery store has since recalled the batch of vanilla Florentine cookies. In its recall notice, Stew Leonard's said the cookies were manufactured by Cookies United and sold only at its Danbury and Newington stores.
“The cookies contain undeclared peanuts and eggs. People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts or eggs are at risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction when consuming these products. “One death has been reported that may be related to the mislabeled product,” said Meghan Bell, director of public relations at Stew Leonard.
Cookies United released a statement and said the company informed Stew Leonard's in July that the product now contained peanuts.
In a video statement, the shop owner said: “It is a sad day for us. We are all just devastated, very sad,” he said.
“I have four daughters, one of whom is in her 20s. I can imagine how this family is feeling right now and we are all very, very sad about the whole thing.”
The Independent has contacted Stew Leonard's for comment.
Baxendale, originally from East Lancashire, had moved to New York from East Lancashire, England to pursue a career in dance.
She was “an exquisite ballet, contemporary and Irish tap dancer” who was “the embodiment of enthusiasm, strength and beauty,” her online obituary says.
Her family said they were “devastated by this unimaginable loss.”
Bryan Cafferelli, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, called Ms. Baxendale's death “a heartbreaking tragedy.”
He said his state agency is working with local and state officials, as well as other states, to “prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future.”