Mondelēz in row over non-disclosure of beef in products

Global snacking giant Mondelēz International, owner of brands including Cadbury and Maynards Bassett’s, has been embroiled in a row over non-disclosure of beef in some of its products.

The controversy erupted in India after screenshots suggesting Cadbury Dairy Milk may contain gelatine derived from beef surfaced on social media. The brand responded that the products featured in the screenshot are not in manufactured India, adding that all its products sold in India are 100% vegetarian.

The screenshot shared on Twitter purportedly contained product information from Cadbury’s Australian website, which mentioned that any gelatine contained in the product is “halal certified and derived from beef.”

As you can well imagine, negative posts like these, damages consumer confidence in our well-respected and loved brands. We request our consumers to please verify facts related to our products before sharing them further. -2/3

— Cadbury Dairy Milk (@DairyMilkIn) July 18, 2021

A Hindu organisation has now asked for an official apology from Mondelēz and immediate recall of such products from global markets.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism in Nevada, US, said it was “shocking” for Hindus to learn that some of its snacks and chocolates, “which they had been eating for years,” might contain beef while beef was not explicitly mentioned under the ingredients listed on the package.

He noted that the consumption of beef is highly conflicting to Hindu beliefs, as cow, the seat of many deities, is sacred and has long been venerated in Hinduism. “It was a very serious issue for the devotees and would severely hurt their feelings if they would come to know that they were unknowingly eating beef-laced popular snacks/chocolates,” he said.

This pic is circulating round the tweeter,for au(now)
But,@DairyMilkIn is this done same here in India by providing beef (that's halal certified) to vegetarians? pic.twitter.com/R5lDbKOKRV

— $ 🇮🇳 (@ShubhNeitri) July 18, 2021

Zed urged Mondelēz to “admit their error of not being transparent enough” and explicitly list beef in the ingredients on the pack in future. He also asked the company to recall all food items containing gelatin where source of gelatin was not clearly mentioned and later replace these with items which markedly declared source of gelatin under the ingredients label.

Gelatine is procured from various animal body parts and is usually used as a gelling agent in food (also used for clarification of vinegar, juices and wine). There are animal-free and plant-based alternatives.

Mondelēz International and Mondelēz UK have not responded to requests for comment.