UK: Vegan Jaffa Cakes are here – but these ones do belong in the biscuit aisle

From veganfoodandliving.com

Vegans no longer have to miss out on Jaffa Cakes as McVitie's expands its range with new egg- and dairy-free chocolate orange cookies

Biscuit giant Pladis has expanded its lineup with the launch of McVitie’s Jaffa Cookies, and it turns out they may be vegan.

Blending the classic, tangy orange-flavoured centre and half-coated chocolate finish of a traditional Jaffa Cake with a soft-baked chocolate chip cookie, the new cookies are egg-free, unlike their cake-based counterpart. Crucially for the plant-based community, the ingredients list indicates that they are accidentally vegan, although the packaging only carries a ‘vegetarian’ label.

The launch also finally ends a decades-old debate: whether the original Jaffa Cake is legally a cake or a biscuit (a dispute so intense that it famously ended up in a tribunal). No one can deny that these Jaffa Cookies belong in the biscuit aisle, leaving space for the original product to fit firmly in the ‘cake’ category, where they belong.

Following their initial launch in Asda Express stores, the new accidentally vegan Jaffa Cookies are rolling out across Asda supermarkets nationwide from today, retailing at an RRP of £2.50. Wider distribution across all major UK grocery retailers is expected from the week commencing 20 July.

                                                                                                               © McVities, edited by VFL

Is the new Jaffa Cookie vegan-friendly?

Until now, store-bought Jaffa Cakes have been off-limits for vegans due to the presence of egg in the sponge base. However, by swapping the traditional cake element for a soft-baked cookie, the new recipe has made it possible to exclude animal products entirely.

But the sponge layer isn’t the only non-vegan element in the original Jaffa Cakes. They also feature a chocolate topping which contains milk. Instead, the new Jaffa Cookies are half-covered in a “chocolate flavour coating” which is dairy-free. So, for the most part, Jaffa Cookies appear to be vegan-friendly, but some ingredients could cause some vegans to avoid buying them.

One such ingredient is palm oil, which is certified sustainable according to the product packaging. While this is usually accepted as a plant-based ingredient and considered vegan by most, some still choose to avoid it for personal reasons.

And then there’s the use of oranges and other citrus fruits, which can sometimes be coated with shellac or beeswax, meaning that oranges aren’t always vegan. However, the fruits used to produce the ingredients would likely be unwaxed, so this is only a minor concern.

Because the Jaffa Cookies are not specifically marketed as suitable for vegans, and because the product is manufactured on lines that handle milk and eggs, cross-contamination warnings mean it is labelled as vegetarian rather than certified vegan, so the choice to buy the cookies may come down to personal preference.

Crucially, vegans should always check the label in case of ingredient changes that may affect the cookies’ accidentally vegan status.

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/accidentally-vegan-jaffa-cakes-cookies/