LOS ANGELES, Jan 27, (Agencies): The Baxendale family is grieving the loss of their 25-year-old daughter, Órla, a talented dancer who tragically succumbed to anaphylactic shock on Jan 11. Órla, who had a severe nut allergy, ate Vanilla Florentine cookies purchased from Stew Leonard's during an event. Shockingly, the cookies did not list peanuts among the ingredients on the label.

Órla, originally from East Lancashire, England, had moved to New York to pursue her dance career. In a statement released by the family's attorneys, Howard S. Hershenhorn and Marijo C. Adime, they expressed devastation over the "unimaginable loss" of their radiant and brave daughter, who had left an indelible mark on those who knew her.

Following the tragic incident, Stew Leonard's, the local grocery retailer responsible for selling the cookies, issued a recall for the 500 packs of sweets in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration. The cookies were sold at two Connecticut stores between Nov 6 and Dec 31, 2023, with a best-by date of Jan 5, 2024. The recall urges customers with nut allergies to return the product for a full refund.

According to Adime, Órla was meticulous about checking food labels and always carried an EpiPen. Unfortunately, despite immediate administration of the EpiPen during the anaphylactic reaction, the severity of her allergy rendered it ineffective.

Stew Leonard's expressed condolences through a video statement by Stew Leonard Jr., acknowledging the profound sadness surrounding the incident. Leonard Jr. claimed that the cookies were manufactured by wholesaler Cookies United in Islip, New York, and repackaged by Stew Leonard's. He alleged that the supplier changed the recipe from soy nuts to peanuts without notifying their chief safety officer.

Contrary to Stew Leonard's claims, Cookies United insisted that they had informed Stew Leonard's in July 2023 about the peanut content, and any mislabeling was done by Stew Leonard's during repackaging. The tragic event has sparked a dispute over responsibility between the retailer and the wholesaler.