A Long Island vegan bakery “voluntarily recalled” some of its baked goods Tuesday amid a state probe after allegedly trying to pass off a Dunkin doughnut as their own item.
Michell Siriani, owner of The Savory Fig in Patchogue, was called out by a local vegan grocer after a suspicious-looking doughnut similar to those from the fast food chain was found mixed with other baked goods during a recent delivery.
“In February I sold a vendor nearly $800 worth of my products and somehow they claimed that a Dunkin’ Donut was mixed in with the order,” Siriani told News12 Long Island. “I adamantly stand by that I would never pass off a Dunkin donut as either gluten-free or vegan.”
Siriani’s response came two months after CindySnacks, a former specialty vegan grocer in Huntington, alleged they received a doughnut with the telltale sprinkles from the fast food chain within their order.
“On February 23rd the owner of Savory Fig dropped off the baked goods we ordered from her, including her donuts. In the middle of the boxes was the donut pictured in the first slide,” the vegan marketplace wrote in a March 4 Instagram post.
The post included a photo of a strawberry frosted doughnut covered in tiny, purple and orange-colored “D’s” that looked suspiciously similar to the doughnut and sprinkles found at Dunkin’ Donuts — which contain dairy and gluten.
“I immediately became concerned as to why this one donut was decorated differently than all the others and in such a strikingly similar way to a recognizable chain,” CindySnacks co-owner Jonathan Stengel wrote in the post.
Stengel expressed his concern over the doughnut’s ingredients in a text exchange with Siriani.
“If these are Dunkin’ Donuts the ingredients could kill somebody as we have so many ppl with severe dairy allergies that shop here,” Stengel wrote.
Siriani responded that the doughnut was “definitely not” from Dunkin’.
Stengel and his partner Cindy Kay later bought an EZ Gluten home-testing kit for the pastry — which revealed a “high positive” result for gluten, according to photos shared in the post.
Siriani claimed she was threatened and harassed after the allegations went viral, forcing her to change her number and having to relocate.
“The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has not asserted any fines nor has it revoked nor suspended our license,” the baker said. “We will be implementing a new labeling system that will protect our clients from allergens and cross-contamination and ourselves from product tampering, any future incidents.”
Siriani has since confirmed her business has started working with the Department of Agriculture.
The bakery is registered as a home processing business based out of Patchogue.
“The Savory Fig is working alongside the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and is voluntarily recalling their manufactured baked items out of an abundance of caution due to a possible undeclared wheat gluten, soy, and/or milk allergens that may appear in their baked products,” the bakery said in an April 24 statement.
The recalled items include doughnuts, frosted rolls, matcha cinnamon rolls, maple pecan oat scones and blackberry crumb muffins.
People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to a specific type of allergen (e.g., peanuts, tree nuts, (chestnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, cashews], milk, eggs and sulfites run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products, the statement said.
No illnesses or injuries connected to the possible allergen contamination involving the items have been reported.
In an unrelated move, CindySnacks has since closed as a vegan market with plans to open as a vegan specialty deli in Centereach.