Tragic Death of British Ballet Dancer in the US Due to Mislabelled Cookie

A 25-year-old British ballet dancer, ?"rla Baxendale, has died in the United States after consuming a mislabelled Vanilla Florentine Cookie that did not list peanuts as an ingredient. Ms. Baxendale, who had a severe peanut allergy, suffered a severe allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock on January 11, 2024. Despite carrying an EpiPen, the severity of her allergy rendered it ineffective in this instance, according to her family's lawyer.

Ms. Baxendale, originally from East Lancashire, had moved to New York to pursue her dancing career. Described as “radiant” and a "gift for lighting up any room," she had trained at the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, where she was known for her authenticity and ability to stay true to herself. Her sister, Ciara Baxendale, an actress, paid tribute to her, describing her as magical, angelic, and other-worldly.

The tragic incident occurred after Ms. Baxendale purchased the mislabelled biscuits from a branch of Stew Leonard's in Connecticut. The cookies were produced by wholesaler Cookies United and labelled with Stew Leonard's brand name. The CEO of Stew Leonard's, Stew Leonard Jr, revealed in a video statement that the supplier had changed soy nuts to peanuts in the recipe without notifying their chief safety officer.

Cookies United, however, claimed that they had notified Stew Leonard's in July 2023 that the product contained peanuts, and all products shipped to the retailer had been properly labelled. Stew Leonard's has since recalled all the mislabelled biscuits in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration.

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli expressed his condolences, calling Ms. Baxendale's death a "heartbreaking tragedy." He assured that his agency is working with local and federal officials, as well as other states, to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The devastating loss of ?"rla Baxendale has left her family, friends, and the dance community in mourning. Her death serves as a reminder of the importance of accurate food labelling and the need for heightened awareness of severe allergies. The incident has sparked discussions about improving food safety regulations and ensuring that proper precautions are taken to protect individuals with allergies.