A bakery owner in Long Island has been accused of selling Dunkin’ donuts as her own. This realization occurred when a vegan grocery store ordered donuts from this baker. Immediately, the store noticed that something was off about the delivered donuts.
An investigation eventually led to the store believing the owner had bought Dunkin’ donuts, but claimed she had made them. On top of this, the owner said the donuts were gluten-free — and they were not.
A Vegan Store’s Discovery
CindySnacks, a vegan grocery store in Huntington, New York, took to social media to share how a trusted bakery owner had tried to pass off Dunkin’ donuts as her own.
According to CindySnacks, they ordered pastries and donuts from Savory Fig, a Long Island vegan bakery owned by Michelle Siriani. Siriani dropped off the store’s orders, and CindySnacks got to work putting out the snacks for customers.
One Odd Donut
However, one of the owners of the store realized that something was amiss with their order. One donut in the middle of one of the boxes was different from the others — and looked very similar to the types of donuts that Dunkin’ Donuts sells.
CindySnacks felt odd about this donut. Out of an abundance of caution, they pulled all the donuts off the racks of their store until they received confirmation from Siriani that this donut was vegan and gluten-free.
Denials
CindySnacks quickly reached out to Siriani. According to the grocery store, Siriani explained that she made this donut herself — and that it was not from Dunkin’ Donuts.
However, the owners of CindySnacks felt that Siriani was not being honest. On their Instagram account, they wrote, “We (Cindy and I) were not given satisfactory answers nor evidence and in that moment knew deep down how bad this was.”
An Investigation
CindySnacks wanted to be certain of what they were dealing with. As they felt Siriani was lying to them and trying to say the supposed Dunkin’ Donuts were her own, they did an investigation.
The first thing they did was buy the alphabet sprinkles Siriani said she used on the donut. However, the sprinkles she supposedly used were much bigger than the sprinkles on the donut. Also, the sprinkles on the questionable donut remained incredibly similar to what Dunkin’ Donuts uses on their pastries.
The Issues With Sprinkles
CindySnacks also searched on the internet to hopefully find similar sprinkles that Siriani could’ve used. However, they came up short.
The sprinkles Siriani claimed she used were not labeled as vegan, which worried the owners. The Amazon listing of this item also didn’t list the ingredients — something the grocery store also didn’t like. However, the most damaging problem was the fact that they looked nothing like the sprinkles on the donut.
A Gluten-Free Test
The investigation continued. CindySnacks had ordered gluten-free donuts from Siriani to put in their store. These donuts were supposed to be 100% gluten-free. However, if it truly was from Dunkin’ Donuts, there was no way it would be.
So, the owners of CindySnacks decided to buy an at-home gluten test to see what would happen if they tested the donut.
The Results of the Test
“We then ordered an at-home gluten test trusted and used by gluten-sensitive and allergic individuals,” the CindySnacks Instagram account wrote.
“The test results as seen in slide 4 proved to us that at the very least, this donut (and most likely ALL of her donuts) contain substantial amounts of gluten. We can only assume, given this recognizable logo design, where these donuts really came from and what other ingredients they might contain,” they explained online.
The Grocery Store’s Apology
CindySnacks ended their social media post by apologizing to all of their customers. Even though they weren’t the ones responsible for this, they wrote that they are “enraged” they trusted Siriani and her bakery.
“We have cut all personal and business ties with this person effective immediately,” CindySnacks wrote. “We are mortified that we provided any of her products to our customers and our own family.”
Siriani’s Claim
To make matters worse, CindySnacks explained that Siriani and her bakery were highly recommended to them. Savory Fig seemingly has been touted to them as a gluten-free and vegan bakery to trust and use.
Siriani herself evidently has stated she has worked as a pastry chef for over 15 years.
What Happens Next
CindySnacks did update people on the developments of their accusations. According to one of their latest social media posts, they got in contact with the Division of Food Safety and Inspection from NY Agriculture and Markets.
This has subsequently led to the organization opening up an investigation into their claims. Siriani, however, has not made a statement yet. But, she has deleted Savory Fig’s Instagram account.
Public Outrage
Quickly after CindySnacks’ post, their story went viral. Many people online were stunned to see what Siriani and Savory Fig did — especially when they saw the photos of the Dunkin’ donut.
The backlash was swift. Many also pointed out that those with allergies could have eaten the donut, thinking it was gluten-free. This could have resulted in a much more severe ending if someone had become sick after eating a donut they were told was safe for them to eat.
