Vegan slams chocolate snack for its ‘potentially deadly’ labelling: ‘I felt awful’
- Replies 7
Dietary requirements are not just a matter of preference—they can be a matter of life and death. That’s why accurate food labelling is paramount.
Wallaby Foods, a beloved Australian brand known for its vegan treats, is learning this lesson the hard way.
The brand has been criticised for what many call 'potentially deadly' mixed messaging on its packaging, which left consumers confused and concerned.
Elena Filipczyk, a vegan who also suffers from anaphylaxis and a dairy allergy, shared her distressing experience with Wallaby Foods' products.
Despite the packaging of their cookie dough bites proudly proclaiming 'always vegan’, Filipczyk suffered a reaction that she suspected was due to the presence of dairy.
‘When I bought it [the cookie dough bites], I obviously thought it was vegan, so I thought it was safe,’ she said.
‘I always read the ingredients just to make sure. But then, within the hour, I had a really bad stomachache and took some pretty strong antihistamines, which is kind of the step before using an Epipen.’
‘I felt awful for the rest of the night. I went to bed early and was thankfully fine. But yeah, I definitely think there was dairy, whether it was intentional or accidental,’ she added.
The dark chocolate thins from Wallaby Foods stated 'vegan' on the front but contradicted themselves on the back with a 'contains milk/dairy' warning.
In September 2023, Wallaby's Cookie Dough Bites were recalled after traces of dairy were found despite the vegan label.
Mark Stephan, COO of Byron Bay Superfoods Company, which produces Wallaby Foods, has stated that ‘we take the labelling requirements of all our products very seriously.’
‘Both our Wallaby thins and Wallaby Cookie Dough Bites satisfy a vegan preference as there is actually no milk in the chocolate,’ Stephan added.
‘We ensure with best endeavours that the Wallaby thins and Wallaby cookie dough bites have no animal solids...the chocolate that we purchase for the thins and bites has no milk in the product.’
However, the supplier's facility processes milk chocolate, leading to a 'may contain milk' clause due to the risk of cross-contamination.
In response to the backlash, Wallaby Foods is ‘in the process of manufacturing the product where the vegan statement from the pack has been removed and leaving the milk solids in the ingredients’.
‘We would prefer to leave the milk solids in the ingredients as a safety precaution,’ he said.
‘The cookie dough bites product has been selling well since its product recall in September 2023, and we do not believe the recall is related to this specific labelling matter.’
Filipczyk warned that companies must pay close attention to what ingredients they use in their products.
‘I think that's really misleading for a company that has both dairy and non-dairy or vegan and non-vegan products, having a label that says "always vegan",’ she said.
‘It's really misleading, and either way, they just need to be super upfront. For both medical and non-medical reasons. I think it's easy for companies to forget that [being vegan] is not always a choice for some people; it's a medical necessity as well.’
Have you ever encountered misleading labels, or do you have tips for navigating products for people with food allergies and dietary preferences? Let us know in the comments below!
Wallaby Foods, a beloved Australian brand known for its vegan treats, is learning this lesson the hard way.
The brand has been criticised for what many call 'potentially deadly' mixed messaging on its packaging, which left consumers confused and concerned.
Elena Filipczyk, a vegan who also suffers from anaphylaxis and a dairy allergy, shared her distressing experience with Wallaby Foods' products.
Despite the packaging of their cookie dough bites proudly proclaiming 'always vegan’, Filipczyk suffered a reaction that she suspected was due to the presence of dairy.
Elena Filipczyk criticised Wallaby Foods for its ‘potentially deadly’ mixed messaging on its packages. Credit: Elena Filipczyck
‘When I bought it [the cookie dough bites], I obviously thought it was vegan, so I thought it was safe,’ she said.
‘I always read the ingredients just to make sure. But then, within the hour, I had a really bad stomachache and took some pretty strong antihistamines, which is kind of the step before using an Epipen.’
‘I felt awful for the rest of the night. I went to bed early and was thankfully fine. But yeah, I definitely think there was dairy, whether it was intentional or accidental,’ she added.
The dark chocolate thins from Wallaby Foods stated 'vegan' on the front but contradicted themselves on the back with a 'contains milk/dairy' warning.
In September 2023, Wallaby's Cookie Dough Bites were recalled after traces of dairy were found despite the vegan label.
Mark Stephan, COO of Byron Bay Superfoods Company, which produces Wallaby Foods, has stated that ‘we take the labelling requirements of all our products very seriously.’
‘Both our Wallaby thins and Wallaby Cookie Dough Bites satisfy a vegan preference as there is actually no milk in the chocolate,’ Stephan added.
‘We ensure with best endeavours that the Wallaby thins and Wallaby cookie dough bites have no animal solids...the chocolate that we purchase for the thins and bites has no milk in the product.’
However, the supplier's facility processes milk chocolate, leading to a 'may contain milk' clause due to the risk of cross-contamination.
In response to the backlash, Wallaby Foods is ‘in the process of manufacturing the product where the vegan statement from the pack has been removed and leaving the milk solids in the ingredients’.
‘We would prefer to leave the milk solids in the ingredients as a safety precaution,’ he said.
‘The cookie dough bites product has been selling well since its product recall in September 2023, and we do not believe the recall is related to this specific labelling matter.’
Filipczyk warned that companies must pay close attention to what ingredients they use in their products.
‘I think that's really misleading for a company that has both dairy and non-dairy or vegan and non-vegan products, having a label that says "always vegan",’ she said.
‘It's really misleading, and either way, they just need to be super upfront. For both medical and non-medical reasons. I think it's easy for companies to forget that [being vegan] is not always a choice for some people; it's a medical necessity as well.’
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