Orla Baxendale: Internet outraged as gifted New York dancer dies after eating mislabeled cookie

NEW YOR CITY, NEW YORK: A gifted young dancer from New York, Orla Baxendale, 25, lost her life on January 11 due to a severe allergic reaction leading to anaphylactic shock, as revealed by her lawyer in a statement on January 24. 

In the aftermath of her untimely death, Stew Leonard's, a supermarket chain, has reportedly recalled approximately 500 packages of the Vanilla Florentine Cookie.

These cookies, which were sold between November 6 and December 31 at their stores in Danbury and Newington, Connecticut, were reportedly mislabeled, according to the Associated Press.

Who was Orla Baxendale?

Baxendale, a dancer skilled in ballet, contemporary, and Irish step dance, relocated from the United Kingdom to New York in 2018. She was a scholarship student at the Ailey School, honing her craft.

Her obituary portrayed her as a personification of "enthusiasm, strength, and beauty."

"Known for her quirky character and boundless love for those around her, she was a source of joy and inspiration to everyone."

The Ailey School paid a heartfelt tribute to the dancer saying, "Her loss will be profoundly felt by her friends, colleagues, and all who knew her. We will remember her for her joyful spirit and boundless talent."

How did Orla Baxendale die?

Baxendale's untimely demise was triggered by an "unfortunate incident" where she consumed a cookie that contained undisclosed peanuts, as stated by her legal team, who referred to the mislabeling as a "tragic oversight."

The attorney representing the dancer attributed the medical crisis to "gross negligence and reckless conduct," alleging that the manufacturer or seller "failed to properly identify the contents of the cookie on the packaging."

According to The Messenger, Baxendale consumied Vanilla Florentine Cookies at a gathering in Connecticut.

These cookies, sold by the grocery chain Stew Leonard's, contained peanuts, a fact not indicated on the label. This incident has reportedly sparked a blame game between the Connecticut-based grocery store chain and the product's manufacturer, Cookie's United.

What did Stew Leonard's CEO say?

Expressing his distress over the incident, Stew Leonard Jr, the CEO of Stew Leonard's, stated that the supplier had altered the recipe from soy nuts to peanuts without their knowledge.

Contrarily, Cookies United, the manufacturer, claimed that they had notified Stew Leonard's about the change in ingredients several months earlier, as mentioned by E News.

Internet outraged

The Internet expressed outrage over the company’s inadequate management of product labeling.

A Facebook user commented, "Absolutely inexcusable and totally avoidable. Companies MUST do better with labels. Proper labeling saves lives!"

"Sounds like a lawsuit. This was very preventable." said another. 

One person noted, "Absolutely… labelling still insufficient in some foods today…"

Another person expressed, "As someone who suffers from allergies to food as well, I truly feel for her. Some people don’t take seriousness in this."

"From a family with a severe nut allergy in it. This story is devastating! Companies need to do way better at listing the ingredients," noted another user. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.