The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USA A British ballet dancer, Órla Baxendale, who had a severe peanut allergy, passed away in the United States after consuming a cookie that did not list nuts on the ingredients label. The 25-year-old woman, living in New York, purchased the cookie from a Stew Leonard’s grocery store in Connecticut earlier this month. Unaware that the Vanilla Florentine Cookies contained peanuts and with no mention of nuts on the packaging, Baxendale ate the cookie which led to a severe allergic reaction. Although she had an EpiPen, it was unable to counter the allergic reaction, ultimately resulting in her death from anaphylactic shock on 11 January. Her attorneys provided this information in a statement. “Orla was very careful and hyper-vigilant about everything she ate, and always thoroughly checked the ingredients on all packaging. In addition, she always carried an EpiPen with her and surrounded herself with people who know how to administer one,” the attorney said. “After she began to have an anaphylactic reaction, an EpiPen was used but due to the severity of her allergy, it was not effective,” he added. The grocery store has since recalled the batch of Vanilla Florentine Cookies and issued a recall notice. Stew Leonard’s stated that the cookies were made by Cookies United and were exclusively sold at its Danbury and Newington branches. The recall notice mentioned, “The cookies contain undeclared peanuts and eggs. People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts or eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. One death has been reported that may be associated with the mislabeled product,” according to Stew Leonard’s director of public relations Meghan Bell. Cookies United released a statement, notifying Stew Leonard’s in July that the product now contains peanuts. In a video statement, the owner of the store said: “It’s a sad day for us. We’re just all devastated, very sad,” he said. “I have four daughters, one of them is in their 20s. I can imagine how that family feels right now, and we’re all just very, very sad about this whole thing.” The Independent has reached out to Stew Leonard’s for comment. Baxendale, originally from East Lancashire, had moved to New York from East Lancashire, England, to pursue a dance career. She was “an exquisite ballet, contemporary, and Irish step dancer” who was the “embodiment of enthusiasm, strength, and beauty”, as described in her online obituary. Her family expressed being “devastated by this unimaginable loss.” Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli referred to Ms Baxendale’s death as “a heartbreaking tragedy”. He mentioned that his state agency was teaming up with local and federal officials, as well as other states, to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future.
