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Carvel's non-dairy ice cream lands toddler in the ER, sparks investigation

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Published  March 12, 2024 8:06am EDT
Health
FOX 5 NY

Child rushed to ER from Sunset Park's Carvel

A boy had to be rushed to the emergency room after eating a non-dairy soft-serve from a Carvel in Sunset Park. FOX 5 NY's Ashlie Rodriguez spoke to the mother.

BROOKLYN - It’s right there on the window of Carvel’s Ice Cream Parlor in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The new, non-dairy Oatly soft serve, made of oat milk. 

But Saira Weitz says there must have been traces of dairy either in the ice cream machine or the product itself because it almost killed her son on Friday.

Weitz says she told the shop employees her son was allergic to dairy, and inquired about the possibility of cross-contamination. After they assured her, her toddler ate just a bit bit soon started scratching his hands, feet and face, his stomach was red, his eyes were watery and he began to vomit.

"I don’t think anyone understands the fear as a mother when something is going on with your kids. that’s when the whole world flashes before you and all you care about is keeping your kids safe," Weitz said.

Weitz says her son could place died from  anaphylactic shock. But she says time was on her side. Not only did she have an epi pen, the emergency room was right around the corner. 

"The anaphylactic reaction is an immediate type reaction seconds to minutes," said Dr. Jonathan Field, Allergist.

 "The problem is in younger children before they're verbal, they can't express early symptoms. So it becomes a time dependent thing."

Weitz says she’s angry and scared for others, especially after news 25-year-old Órla Baxendale died in Connecticut due to a severe allergic reaction from an after eating a cookie that was not properly labeled as containing peanuts. Weitz says these companies need to be held accountable for such serious and potentially life-threatening errors. 

FOX 5 NY reached out to Carvel, who responded:

We are investigating this incident to determine what happened, and we express our sincerest sympathies to the Weitz Family as their son continues to recover.

"People can die. And that’s the hardest thing. And the point that we need to drive home that it’s not just I can get a little sick. My life is in danger. on Friday, Jesse‘s life was in danger," Weitz said.