Vegan left traumatized after eating ‘plant-based’ pizza from Domino's that had real ham: 'I felt shame and pain for the animal'
An Australian vegan customer was left disgusted after he received real ham on a pizza he thought was supposed to be plant-based.
Patrick Hukins, a childcare worker from Sydney, was left shocked after ordering lunch from Domino's on Monday, October 21. In the first few bites itself, Hukins could tell that something was not right with his order.
"I had a horrible sinking feeling. I had eaten an animal. Not eating animals has become a core part of my belief system," Hukins told Daily Mail Australia. "I felt shame and pain for the animal. And felt guilt (sic) for having unknowingly consumed a product that goes against my endeavors to reduce my environmental footprint as well as harm to other animals... I was shocked."
Domino's had released a new range of pizzas containing meat replacements. Though he cross-checked several times, Hukins was told the ham on his pizza was plant-based and not real.
Since he was hungry, he tried to convince himself that what he was consuming was not really bringing any real harm to the animal the meal was made with. However, he failed and after eating the entire pizza he became ill as his body rejected the food.
"I felt betrayed. I have been vegan for four years, and having eaten an animal against my knowledge or consent has real thrown me off as I feel my values," he said.
Following the mix-up, Hukins said that he reached out to the fast-food company and he was told that despite the photo evidence provided by him, they would "honor" the rebuttal of their employees. Nevertheless, a spokesman for Domino's Australia told the outlet that they were deeply regretful of the error, and their customers were encouraged to speak up in case they are handed incorrect orders.
"We would like to publicly apologize to our customer," he said. "This was an inadvertent mistake, which will be used as a learning opportunity for our team members. Domino's has a 100 per cent customer satisfaction guarantee, and each of our team members works hard to deliver meals that meet our customers' requirements, including specific dietary needs."
The spokesman also added that the company prided itself on being "one of the largest sellers of vegan food in Australia"
"We have specific procedures in place for customers with vegan or allergen requirements, including using fresh gloves and cutting blades for their order. Because of these procedures, we have received positive feedback from customers on our vegan range. But in a busy store environment we know that mistakes, though uncommon, can happen. Where this is the case, our local store will refund or remake the order as soon as possible," he said.