Long Island Bakery Recalls Products Amid Investigation: State

LONG ISLAND, NY — The Savory Fig, which has been caught in a controversy that non-vegan donuts made with gluten were improperly presented as vegan and gluten-free, has voluntarily recalled its products as the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets continues its investigation, a spokeswoman said.

The department’s investigation into this matter is ongoing, she said in an email.

The business, which operates as a home processor, is working alongside the state "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," according to its statement on the state's website.

The products include their donuts, classic frosted rolls, matcha cinnamon rolls, maple pecan oat scones, and blackberry crumb muffins.

"People who have a severe sensitivity to these allergens may possibly run the risk of serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume these products," the statement said. "No illnesses have been reported to date. If you purchased these items and have a sensitivity to any of the allergens stated above, we recommend you discard the items immediately."

People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to a specific type of allergen such as peanuts, tree nuts, such as chestnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, and cashews, as well as milk, eggs, and sulfites run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products, the statement continued.

"Thank you to all of our loyal customers for your support during this time," the statement concluded.

Patch has reached out to The Savory Fig's owner, Michelle Siriani, through her attorney, Theresa Clarke of Melville.

A spokesperson from the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets previously told Patch that it tested samples of bakery products from The Savory Fig, but there was "a dispute" that the bakery is the source of the goods in question.

"The department obtained and tested samples of the bakery products one business stated it had purchased from the home processor," a spokesperson wrote in an email. "However, there is a dispute concerning whether the home processor was the source of the tested products."

The department is also working with the business to determine if any other businesses may have received products from them "and will continue its investigation as appropriate," according to the spokesperson.

The Savory Fig is registered with the department as a home processor, meaning that while it is exempt from obtaining the state's food processing license and retail food store license, it is subject to laws and regulations concerning food production.

This includes identifying all allergens, such as eggs, milk, shellfish, soybeans, tree nuts, and wheat, in the product statement.

An investigation was opened last month after the department received several complaints regarding the business, the spokesperson said.

A woman claiming to be her mother has defended her, according to a report in Greater Long Island.

In attempting to reach Siriani, a writer reached a woman who identified herself as her mother, and she defended her to the outlet, saying the accusations “are totally untrue."

The controversy surrounding the donuts began Feb. 23 with an Instagram post from the owners of Cindy Snacks in Huntington, claiming the Suffolk County-based bakery, dropped off a batch of donuts and one was similar to that of Dunkin, featuring its signature orange and pink icing, as well as sprinkles of little Ds, according to a photo in the post.

One of the owners raised his concerns "respectfully, hoping a simple explanation with confirming evidence would clear this up" but he and his partner were "not given satisfactory answers nor evidence, and in that moment, knew deep down how bad this was," according to the post.

"Still trying to hold out hope that our trusted fellow vegan small business wasn’t doing something so horrific, we scoured the internet for possible sprinkle dupes that would make it make sense," he wrote.

They ordered the sprinkles the owner claimed were the ones used, but they are not labeled vegan and they do not even match the ones on the donut, he wrote, adding that they then ordered an at-home gluten test trusted and used by gluten-sensitive and allergic individuals and the donut contained "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," he wrote. "We have cut all personal and business ties with this person effective immediately. We are mortified that we provided any of her products to our customers and our own family. We trusted a well-known, highly recommended vegan and gluten-free baker who has claimed to be working as a pastry chef for over 15 years."

In a series of reported texts between he and Siriani, which he shared on Instagram, he expressed concern over mistakenly selling a donut that could he believed could possibly kill someone with "a severe food allergy."

She replied that the donuts were "definitely not Dunkin' Donuts!"

"If you don't wanna put them out, don't! But they are not Dunkin Donuts!" she added.

And when he wrote that he did not mean to insult her, she said that she would send a photo of the ingredients later, and he responded that the sprinkles look like those of Dunkin. She then exclaims, "I would never do that!" She later sent him a photo of the sprinkles she says were used, but they are different with multiple colors and spell out the phrase, "Happy Birthday!"

The owners later claimed that they filed complaints with a supervisor of Food Safety and Inspection at the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets.