Cookie Recall After Person Dies Sparks Warning Not to Eat Them

Stew Leonard's Florentine cookies have been recalled with a public health warning to not eat them if you have a peanut allergy after a person died after consuming them.

The Northeast grocery store, in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recalled florentine cookies that were sold at Stew Leonard's in Danbury and Newington, Connecticut, from November 6 to December 31, 2023. These cookies contained unidentified peanuts.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Food, Standards and Product Safety Division and the state's Department of Public Health (DPH) are warning consumers with peanut allergies to not eat the cookies and "seek medical attention if necessary," according to a notice from the DCP posted on Tuesday.

The warning comes after a death was reported to the FDA that "may be associated with the mislabeled product," the release stated. A New York resident in their 20s died after consuming the cookies at a social gathering in Connecticut.

The Connecticut agencies advise consumers to immediately throw the cookies out or return them to Stew Leonard's. The grocery store is offering a full refund for the product.

The DCP and Stew Leonard's removed all baked items made by Cookies United, the New York–based wholesaler that produced the Florentine cookies, from all Stew Leonard's stores in Connecticut "out of an abundance of caution," according to the release.

DCP investigators are working with public health officials in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, along with Stew Leonard's and the FDA, "to determine the cause of the error." They will also be looking to see if any other products were affected by the mislabeling error and sold to other locations.

In a video message shared with Newsweek by Stew Leonard's Director of Public Relations Meghan Bell, Stew Leonard Jr., president and CEO of the grocery store chain, said: "It's a sad day for us. We've learned a customer passed."

Leonard said that the cookies were bought "from an outside supplier, and unfortunately, the supplier changed the recipe and started going from soy nuts to peanuts, and our chief safety officer here at Stew Leonard's was never notified.

"We have a very rigorous process that we use as far as labeling. We take labels very seriously, especially peanuts. And our chief safety officer never was notified, we didn't change the label, hence we sold about 500 packages of these cookies over the holiday."

"I wanna assure you that the food you buy at Stew Leonard's is safe, the cookies you buy at Stew Leonard's are safe, and everything's labeled properly here at Stew Leonard's," Leonard said.

Meanwhile, Cookies United said in a press release on Tuesday, "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.

"This product is sold under the Stew Leonard's brand and repackaged at their facilities. The incorrect label was created by, and applied to, their product by Stew Leonard's," Cookies United said.

Cookies United offered its condolences to those affected by the incident, saying in the release, "Our deepest sympathies to the family of this Stew Leonard's customer."

The company said it has been cooperating with the New York State Department of Agriculture "and [we] have been informed we are in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations relating to this product."

DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in the release of the death caused by the error, "This is a heartbreaking tragedy that should never have happened...Our condolences go out to the family affected by this incident."

The DCP told Newsweek in response to a comment request: "The investigation is ongoing. We do not have any additional information to provide at this time."

Newsweek also reached out to Connecticut's Department of Public Health via email for comment.

DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani said in the release: "Correct labeling so that people who have food allergies can appropriately protect themselves is of utmost importance."

"I am devastated to learn of this incident and will work with partners to ensure that we can protect people with food allergies."

Update 1/24/24, 2:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comments from Stew Leonard Jr.

Update 1/24/24, 11:07 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the Connecticut DCP and additional information.

Update 1/24/24, 3:58 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comments from Cookies United.