Cookies sold at Stew Leonard's with undeclared peanuts in them that led to death of New York woman also had undeclared eggs, state officials said.
A woman died after going into anaphylactic shock from a severe reaction to peanuts after eating Florentine Cookies.
The CT Department of Consumer Protection and Department of Public Health are warning the public about the store's mislabeled cookies. Both and vanilla and chocolate flavors are affected.
On Thursday, officials announced that the cookies also contained eggs, which did not appear on the label. Eggs are one of the major food allergens identified by the FDA, and they require labeling.
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"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," Stew Leonard's Director of Public Relations Meghan Bell said.
The person who died was a woman in her 20s from New York and her attorneys identified her Órla Baxendale.
Baxendale was a talented dancer, and she died of anaphylactic shock resulting from a severe reaction, her attorneys said. She reportedly ate the cookies at a social gathering in Connecticut, according to officials.
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Her attorneys go on to say that she was born in the United Kingdom and she moved to New York to pursue a career as a dancer.
"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," her attorneys said in a statement.
Stew Leonard's, which has three locations in Connecticut, has issued a recall for the Florentine Cookies.
In the recall, Stew Leonard's states that the cookies, produced by Cookies United, were only sold at the Danbury and Newington locations.
The cookies also contain peanuts that weren't disclosed by the manufacturer. The cookies were sold under the Stew Leonard's brand name.
State officials said the cookies are sold seasonally between Nov. 6 and Dec. 31. The affected cookies have a best by date of Jan. 5, 2024.
Cookies United released a statement and said the company notified Stew Leonard’s in July that the product now contains peanuts.
DCP officials said Stew Leonard's was instructed to remove all baked goods produced by Cookies United from all Connecticut locations. The department is actively investigating.
Anyone with a nut or egg allergy is being advised to immediately throw out the cookies or return them to Stew Leonard's for a full refund.
For more information about the initial incident, click here.
