No more sugar-coating the truth: Family business comes clean over misleading claims on popular pineapple snack
- Replies 4
A New Zealand family business has been caught out in a jaw-dropping scandal. The company has been exposed for bulk buying a classic Kiwi confectionery treat, Pineapple Lumps, then re-coating them in chocolate and passing them off as artisanal ‘handmade’ chocolates.
These chocolate-coated lollies, with their pineapple centre, have been a beloved staple in New Zealand for generations.
But, one eagle-eyed customer noticed something strange about a product that appeared eerily similar to the iconic Pascall Pineapple Lumps. The product in question was ‘Pineapple Chews’, made by Potter Brothers, and the similarities were uncanny.
Courtnay Adele shared her startling discovery on social media. Apparently, after biting into a Potter Brothers Pineapple Chew, she discovered a Pineapple Lump under the chocolate coating.
'There's a layer of chocolate over another layer of chocolate. No way, there cannot be just a normal Pineapple Lump, and this company has just covered it with chocolate,' she exclaimed.
The packaging of their product claims that their chocolates are 'handmade in New Zealand,' and they boast about being 'genuinely handcrafted right here in New Zealand' on the back.
Adele's frustrations initially surfaced a few years ago, but her recent video upload has caused her complaints to go viral. It appears that Potter Brothers had been flying under the radar, as a food review just last month had even crowned them as the best pineapple lumps in a taste test, surpassing the Pascall Pineapple Lumps.
This revelation left Adele indignant, exclaiming, 'How dare they do this to our national lolly!'
Potter Brothers eventually came clean. In a statement to a news source, the company admitted that when they initially started five years ago, they hand-coated a bulk product to make their Pineapple Chews.
They acknowledged that they were 'young, excitable, and naive' at the time, and didn't consider the appropriateness of certain words in their content.
Potter Brothers assured the public that they have since learned from their mistakes and have made changes to their processes. They have updated their website, replacing the misleading term 'handcrafted' with 'small batch', and removing sections that claimed their chocolates were individually crafted by hand.
They even shared a video showing how their Pineapple Chews are now cut from slabs made in-house, emphasising their commitment to transparency.
Potter Brothers acknowledged that this has been an ongoing project to reflect their personal and professional growth, but they recognise that there has been a particular focus on this issue in the past week.
It's a step in the right direction, but the public will surely be keeping a close eye on them to ensure that they uphold their commitment to honesty and integrity in their confectionery products.
Well, it looks like Pineapple Lumps aren't the only thing that's been coated in chocolate! Potter Brothers got caught with their hands in the lolly jar, passing off bulk-bought Pineapple Lumps as their own 'handmade' Pineapple Chews.
From TikTok revelations to changed website wording, the drama surrounding the Pineapple Chews has been nothing short of a confectionary rollercoaster.
Members, have you ever been duped by a product's marketing claims? Do you have any 'artisanal' treats that you love to indulge in? Let us know in the comments below!
These chocolate-coated lollies, with their pineapple centre, have been a beloved staple in New Zealand for generations.
But, one eagle-eyed customer noticed something strange about a product that appeared eerily similar to the iconic Pascall Pineapple Lumps. The product in question was ‘Pineapple Chews’, made by Potter Brothers, and the similarities were uncanny.
A woman exposed a family business for bulk buying Pineapple Lumps, re-coating them in chocolate, and passing them off as 'handmade' artisan chocolates. Credit: TikTok/courtnayadele.
Courtnay Adele shared her startling discovery on social media. Apparently, after biting into a Potter Brothers Pineapple Chew, she discovered a Pineapple Lump under the chocolate coating.
'There's a layer of chocolate over another layer of chocolate. No way, there cannot be just a normal Pineapple Lump, and this company has just covered it with chocolate,' she exclaimed.
The packaging of their product claims that their chocolates are 'handmade in New Zealand,' and they boast about being 'genuinely handcrafted right here in New Zealand' on the back.
Adele's frustrations initially surfaced a few years ago, but her recent video upload has caused her complaints to go viral. It appears that Potter Brothers had been flying under the radar, as a food review just last month had even crowned them as the best pineapple lumps in a taste test, surpassing the Pascall Pineapple Lumps.
This revelation left Adele indignant, exclaiming, 'How dare they do this to our national lolly!'
Potter Brothers eventually came clean. In a statement to a news source, the company admitted that when they initially started five years ago, they hand-coated a bulk product to make their Pineapple Chews.
They acknowledged that they were 'young, excitable, and naive' at the time, and didn't consider the appropriateness of certain words in their content.
Potter Brothers assured the public that they have since learned from their mistakes and have made changes to their processes. They have updated their website, replacing the misleading term 'handcrafted' with 'small batch', and removing sections that claimed their chocolates were individually crafted by hand.
They even shared a video showing how their Pineapple Chews are now cut from slabs made in-house, emphasising their commitment to transparency.
Potter Brothers acknowledged that this has been an ongoing project to reflect their personal and professional growth, but they recognise that there has been a particular focus on this issue in the past week.
It's a step in the right direction, but the public will surely be keeping a close eye on them to ensure that they uphold their commitment to honesty and integrity in their confectionery products.
Well, it looks like Pineapple Lumps aren't the only thing that's been coated in chocolate! Potter Brothers got caught with their hands in the lolly jar, passing off bulk-bought Pineapple Lumps as their own 'handmade' Pineapple Chews.
From TikTok revelations to changed website wording, the drama surrounding the Pineapple Chews has been nothing short of a confectionary rollercoaster.
Members, have you ever been duped by a product's marketing claims? Do you have any 'artisanal' treats that you love to indulge in? Let us know in the comments below!
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