'This is disgraceful': Coles customer shocked by detail on bakery item
A woman has hit out at Coles after finding a bakery item in the supermarket had been made in the United Kingdom.
The customer posted a picture on Facebook of the label on a Unicorn Celebration Cake that said it had been made in the UK.
“Seriously? This is disgraceful,” she wrote.
“Australians need your support ... please consider employing some more people to bake cakes if you have to.
“If I buy something from ‘Coles bakery’ I don’t expect it to be baked in the UK.”
While another shopper suggested the customer go to a local bakery and support small business if she was offended, Coles apologised for the disappointment and explained why the product was made in the UK.
“Due to size restrictions of some stores, availability of qualified bakers, and the volume requirements of our business, it is not possible to make all our bakery products from scratch,” Coles said.
“Using parbake and frozen dough technologies ensures our bakeries have a great selection of high quality products available for our customers every day.
“Frozen dough and parbake products are made with the same care and attention as scratch products, and are mixed and prepared offsite by specialty supply partners, snap frozen, and then transported to Coles for final baking in store.”
The supermarket continued the freezing process and final baking at Coles ensures a top quality product.
“Coles is proud of the quality of our bakery snacks, whether baked from scratch in store or parbaked by our Australian suppliers and finished in our ovens,” the supermarket wrote.
“In line with our 100 per cent satisfaction guarantee, you’re welcome to return to any of our stores with the packaging or receipt for a full refund or replacement of the cake. We’re sorry for any disappointment.”
Coles has previously been criticised over tins of corn not containing Australian-grown vegetables.
With farmers doing it tough in the drought last year, a shopper expressed concern that the retailer’s home-branded tinned corn – the cheapest on the shelf – was imported from Thailand.
However Coles said many of its own brand of products were produced in Australia.
“Coles takes its Country of Origin labelling responsibilities seriously and customers can easily find the country of origin of our Coles Own Brand products by looking at the ticket or label,” Coles said in a statement.
“The majority of Coles Brand products are made or grown in Australia, including 100 per cent of fresh meat and eggs, 96 per cent of fresh fruit and vegetables and more than 85 per cent of Coles Own Brand packaged food and drinks.
“Coles is also the only supermarket to offer 100 per cent Australian grown vegetables in all Own Brand frozen vegetable offerings.”
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