How a simple cookie recipe tweak led to the death of a NYC ballet dancer, 25, in the ‘prime of her life’

A new lawsuit has revealed how a simple cookie recipe tweak led to the death of a New York City ballet dancer “in the prime of her life.”

Órla Baxendale, 25, died Jan. 11 of anaphylactic shock after eating Vanilla Florentine Cookies from Connecticut supermarket chain Stew Leonard’s that contained “undeclared peanuts,” according to the lawsuit filed last week.

Ms Baxendale, who is from Britain but lived in New York City, was “hyper-vigilant about everything she ate” and carried an EpiPen. But her reaction was so severe that the medication was ineffective, said the family’s attorney, Marijo D Adminey.

Ms Baxendale’s parents, Simon and Angela Baxendale, are now trying to claim at least $15,000 in damages.

The legal documents show that the cookie manufacturer, Cookies United, had changed the recipe to include peanuts six months before the dancer’s death, but had not updated the ingredients label.

“Despite email notification of these changes, (Stew Leonard’s) ignored the email and never changed the label or nutritional information panel and never properly updated the packaging,” the filing said.

The cookies were labeled for their old recipe, which contained soy nuts instead of peanuts

Cookies United confirmed the claims in a press release, which was pulled from the company’s website, according to the lawsuit.

“Stew Leonard’s claimed in an earlier press release that “the cookies contain peanuts, an ingredient that was not disclosed to Stew Leonard’s by the manufacturer,” the statement read, according to the lawsuit.

‘Stew Leonard’s was notified by Cookies United in July 2023 that this product now contains peanuts and all products shipped to them are labeled accordingly. This product is sold under the Stew Leonard’s brand and repackaged in their facilities.”

“The incorrect label was created and applied to their product by Stew Leonard’s.”

The original label, from the old recipe, stated that the cookies contained soy nuts. These are different and do not cause a reaction in people allergic to peanuts.

Shortly after Mrs. Baxendale’s death, Stew Leonard’s recalled its Vanilla Florentine cookies because peanuts were not on the ingredients list.

The recall affected all specific cookies sold at Stew Leonard’s Danbury and Newington, Connecticut stores from November 6 through December 31, 2023.

The cookies Ms Baxendale ate had a best buy date of January 5, 2024.

‘Órla was truly one of a kind. She was a beautiful, radiant, courageous soul who always believed she would achieve her greatest dreams – and that’s exactly what she did. She danced her way around the world and lived every day to the fullest,” a family statement said.

“We will never recover from the pain of her being taken from us so quickly, in the prime of her life. But we are also so proud to call her our daughter and sister, and to have had the privilege of sharing 25 years with such an incredibly special person.

‘It is incomprehensible that allergies could claim lives in 2024, and we would urge everyone to educate yourself and those around you about anaphylaxis, the use of EpiPens and the early warning signs of serious allergic reactions.’

Ms. Baxendale was in Milford, Connecticut, preparing for a role in a dance company’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland at a social gathering when she ate the cookies.

“It is incomprehensible that allergies could claim lives in 2024, and we would urge everyone to educate yourself and those around you about anaphylaxis, how to use EpiPens and the early warning signs of serious allergic reactions,” said Ms Baxendale’s family said in a statement.

The CDC estimates that one in three American adults has at least one allergy, and that six percent of childhood adults – nearly 20 million people – have a food allergy.

About 2.5 percent of American children, or 1.8 million, are allergic to peanuts, and about 20 percent outgrow the allergy by adulthood.

While some people experience mild reactions, others can go into anaphylactic shock simply by coming into contact with small amounts of peanuts.

Anaphylactic shock, also called anapylaxis, can occur within seconds of coming into contact with an allergen such as peanuts.

It causes the immune system to overreact and mistake the trigger for something harmful, leading to difficulty breathing, confusion, light-headedness and a rapid heart rate.

Medications such as an EpiPen may be needed to stop the immune response, as well as oxygen and intravenous therapies.

Anaphylaxis results in approximately 500 to 1,000 deaths per year in the US.