The following content is from the CT DPH on January 23, 2024 and was not written by HVHD.
HARTFORD, Conn.— The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Food, Standards and Product Safety Division and the Connecticut Department of Public Health are warning the public about cookies sold at Stew Leonard’s grocery stores in Danbury and Newington that contained undeclared peanuts. Stew Leonard’s has issued a recall for the products.
One death has been reported that may be associated with the mislabeled product. The death was initially reported to the Food and Drug Administration. The person, an individual in their 20s who was a resident of New York, was reported to have consumed the cookies at a social gathering in Connecticut.
Cookies affected by the recall are Florentine Cookies with a best by date of Jan. 5, 2024. These cookies are seasonal and were sold in Danbury and Newington from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31, 2023.
Consumers with a nut allergy should immediately dispose of the cookies or return them to the point of sale and seek medical attention if necessary.
The Florentine Cookies were produced by a wholesaler, Cookies United, in Islip, New York, labeled with the Stew Leonard’s brand name, and sold only at the Danbury and Newington stores.
Out of an abundance of caution, DCP worked with Stew Leonard’s to remove all baked items produced by Cookies United from all Stew Leonard’s Connecticut locations.
DCP investigators are working with state and local public health officials in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, the Food and Drug Administration and Stew Leonard’s to determine the cause of the error, as well as if any other products were affected and sold to other stores.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy that should never have happened,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “DCP Food Investigators are working hard with the Department of Public Health, local health departments, officials in New York State and New Jersey, the Food and Drug Administration and Stew Leonard’s to determine how this error happened and prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future. Our condolences go out to the family affected by this incident.”
“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. I cannot stress enough the importance of food allergy awareness so that an avoidable tragedy like this doesn’t happen again,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “We will continue to work with all our partners — including restaurants and retailers — to provide education on the dangers of food allergens so that best practices are being following for the safety of the residents of Connecticut.”
