Cadbury gets roasted after Hyderabad resident spots fungus in Dairy Milk, Netizen roils company with ‘Silk got real’ pun

A resident of Hyderabad discovered fungus on a Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar and posted it on social media, sparking relentless trolling of the confectionery maker on the internet.

In a post on X, user goooofboll shared images of the contaminated chocolate, showing white fungus and a gaping hole at the back, and wrote, “The manufacturing of these dairy milk is January 2024, expiry is best before 12 months from manufacture. Found them like this when I opened it. Look into this @DairyMilkIn.”

Answering Mint's query, Mondelez India said: “At Mondelez we follow the internationally accepted HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) programme, which is the most comprehensive food safety system, to ensure that our products are free from any physical, chemical and microbiological issues."

"Chocolate like any other food product requires specific care and attention in the distribution chain, retail environment and in storage. Every Cadbury product label mentions the storage instruction: 'Store in a cool, hygienic and dry place'. We are trying to contact the consumer but have not heard back. We would encourage the consumer to come forward and share their experience on our email ID or Toll free number as mentioned on the back of our packs and provide us the product for further testing which is critical for investigating the complaint,” the chocolate maker added.

Internet reactions

Many users suggested filing a complaint with the consumer court while others criticized the "degraded" quality of the chocolate.

Abhinav Shrivastava, wrote, “Why do people still buy and eat Cadbury chocolates, especially dairy milk in India? These are the worst chocolates with poor quality and poor taste made for the Indian market.”

Also Read: Rural India's sweet tooth for Dairy Milk: Cadbury missing out on other treats?

Abinash Samal posted this humorous note, “Cadbury Silk just got real.”

Yatin Khurana, said, “They are selling foul foods because they know our authorities won't take any action. And if you criticise the government, then they will take action against you.”

Also Read: What led Bournvita to lose its health drink tag? 

Meanwhile, Cadbury, acknowledging the complaint, said, “Hi, Mondelez India Foods Private Limited (formerly Cadbury India Ltd) endeavours to maintain the highest quality standards, and we regret to note that you have had an unpleasant experience.”

Earlier in February, the Telangana State Food Laboratory discovered white worms and webs in two Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolates submitted for testing by a consumer. 

Also Read: Love chocolates? Here's what Hyderabad man found in his Cadbury Dairy Milk

The laboratory report indicated that the chocolates were “unsafe for consumption”.

In a post on X, Robin Zaccheus, a social activist, tagged Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and stated that it was high time FMCG companies were held accountable and penalized for supplying unsafe food, especially products frequently consumed by children.

“The sample contains white worms and webs and hence is considered unsafe under Section 3 (zz) (iii) (ix) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” the report by the laboratory said.