Photo: AFP
A Long Island bakery is under investigation after being accused of buying and reselling doughnuts from Dunkin under that guise that they are vegan, gluten-free and made on the premises.
New York's Division of Food Safety and Inspection is "conducting a full investigation" following the accusation against The Savory Fig by Long Island vegan market Cindysnacks, which employed The Savory Fig as a vendor, NBC New York reports.
Cindysnacks co-owner John Stengell explained in an Instagram post that concerns were raised after a box of doughnuts from Savory Fig contained several that looked eerily like offerings from Dunkin doughnuts, which are neither vegan nor gluten-free.
One of the images from the box in question, includes a pink frosted doughnuts with 'D'-shaped sprinkles, just like those Dunkin uses. When Stengell could not get "satisfactory answers" from his vendor about the similarities he "cut all personal and business ties" with Savory Fig and contacted state regulators.
Stengell also tested the doughtnuts, noting that they came back "high positive" for gluten. He also ordered the sprinkles the Savory Fig said they used and found that they did not match those on the doughnut and were also not labeled as vegan or gluten-free.
Commenters have noted that if the accusations against the Savory Fig are true, such a scheme could have severe health consequences for celiac disease sufferers and people with legitimate allergies to gluten.