A small error involving a cookie was enough to bring unimaginable grief to the lives of a Washington family.
Peggy Bryant’s life was tragically cut short because she took one bite of a mislabeled cookie.
Her loved ones have now filed a lawsuit to prevent such a tragedy from striking other families.
Peggy Bryant lost her life because she took one bite of a mislabeled cookie
Highlights
- Peggy Bryant lost her life during an ill-fated trip to the neighborhood Safeway.
- Her life was cut short after taking a bite of a cookie she thought was safe for her.
- “The last few minutes of my mom’s like were tragic and awful and painful,” her daughter said.
- The deceased woman's family has now filed a lawsuit.
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
In April 2023, Peggy, 78, stopped by her neighborhood Safeway in Duvall for some shopping.
Minutes after buying the intended items, the shopper had a bite of what she thought was one of her favorite snacks—an oatmeal raisin cookie.
But she realized within moments that it wasn’t a cookie that was safe for her to eat.
The deceased woman was shopping at a local Safeway when the incident took place
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
“She realized that the cookie she was eating was actually a peanut butter cookie,” her daughter Lisa Bishop told King 5 News.
The bereaved daughter noted that her mother was “deathly allergic to nuts, peanuts.”
Peggy instantly had an allergic reaction and was rushed to the nearby hospital. However, she did not survive.
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
The wife and mother passed away within an hour of biting into the cookie.
Her passing took place just months before she and her high school sweetheart were meant to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.
For her loved ones, the loss of the beloved woman was compounded by how Peggy had to unnecessarily suffer before breathing her last.
Peggy took a bite of what she thought was an oatmeal raisin cookie
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
“The last few minutes of my mom's life were tragic and awful and painful,” Lisa told the outlet.
Peggy’s son-in-law, Greg Bishop, said the coroner’s report confirmed that she passed away due to anaphylaxis, caused by a life-threatening allergic reaction.
“When they got the blood results back, he said it was clearly anaphylaxis,” he said.
“Her blood vessels had basically broken down,” the son-in-law said
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
About a month after Peggy’s passing, a voluntary recall of the oatmeal raisin cookies at Safeway’s Duvall location was issued by Albertsons Companies Inc., the company that owns Safeway.
The cookies were recalled because of an “undeclared peanut and soy allergen,” as per the recall notice issued by the Food and Drug Administration.
The family believed a recall wasn’t enough.
The family filed a lawsuit about two years after Peggy’s passing
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
They pushed forward for justice so that no family is forced to bury someone because of an error on a product label.
They filed a lawsuit against the grocery store chain last week.
“I knew that we just had to do something,” Lisa said.
Image credits: KING 5 Seattle
“Just growing up with her, she was just always filled with joy and fun,” she added.
The bereaved daughter said it’s important to “do the right thing.”
“I don't want it to happen to anybody else. Labels are there for a reason and I don't want anybody else to d*e from mislabeling," she told the outlet.
Netizens were devastated to hear the news of Peggy losing her life because of a mislabeled product.
“Omg! I am so sorry for your loss. How devastating,” a social media user said.
Peggy’s daughter Lisa said they didn’t want another family to lose a loved one because of a product label
One suggested, “...If you have severe food allergies, be more cautious when shopping for food. Double, triple, quadruple check ingredients!!! Over inspect the food carefully, & sorry to be a stickler, but its probably best not to eat out at restaurants.”
“If you are this deathly allergic to something, why are you putting your life in the hands of a grocery store or restaurant??” one asked.
“To the family -I'm so, so sorry. That's awful. Some people are asking how they couldn't know it was peanut butter. My guess is she just grabbed one and took a bite,” read one comment. “Didn't even notice the feel or the smell until it was too late. It's a sad situation all around, and if the family is reading this, I hope you can get some answers and help prevent another family going through this. Much love to you all.”
Netizens had plenty to say after the family filed the lawsuit
