NYC Professional Dancer Órla Baxendale, 25, Dead After Eating Mislabeled Cookies From Stew Leonard's Grocery Store

On January 11, Órla went into anaphylactic shock after eating a Vanilla Florentine cookie from Stew Leonard's, a cookie she believed was safe due to its labeling which stated it did not contain peanuts.

Unfortunately, the cookie, produced by Cookies United and sold by Stew Leonard's, was mislabeled and did contain peanuts, leading to fatal consequences for Órla. 

A preliminary investigation into this heartbreaking incident suggested 'gross negligence' on the part of the manufacturers, who failed to correctly identify allergens on the packaging.

Credit: Instagram / @orla_baxendale

A statement from the lawyers representing Órla's family expressed their devastation: 

"This failure in proper disclosure has led to this devastating yet preventable outcome."

"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."

Credit: Connecticut Department of Public Health

Órla, originally from Manchester in the UK, discovered her passion for Irish dance at an early age. 

This passion grew to encompass other dance styles, leading her to train at the Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds and the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham. 

In 2018, she moved to New York on a scholarship, pursuing her career as a professional dancer, which included performances at New York Fashion Week and various productions at Lincoln Center.

Regarding the incident, Stew Leonard's stated that it was not aware of any changes in the ingredients of the Vanilla Florentine Cookies supplied by a bakery in Long Island. 

Stew Leonard Jr., the CEO, expressed his deep sorrow in a video: "I'm here with our family and, I mean we’re just all devastated, very sad."

Credit: EverLoved

"I have four daughters, one of them is in her 20s. I can imagine how that family feels right now."

However, Cookies United, the wholesaler, claimed the opposite, stating that they had informed Stew Leonard's of the change. 

"Unfortunately, considering the tragedy of these circumstances, we need to point out that Stew Leonard's was notified by Cookies United in July of 2023 that this product now contains peanuts, and all products shipped to them have been labeled accordingly," said a statement from Cookies United. 

The wholesaler alleged that the packaging was changed to reflect the store brand and was not properly labeled.

As a result of this incident, Stew Leonard's has issued a recall on the product in question.