Talenti Gelato

A TINA.org reader was shopping on Walmart.com when she came across a Talenti Gelato flavor advertised as “non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free.”

Yet it appears this frozen dessert is none of those things.

According to the ingredients list, which consumers can only read if they explore the image gallery or scroll down the page (an action that is not required to add the item to their cart), the gelato contains:

• soy, which is “the number one genetically modified crop in the world,” according to the Non-GMO Project;
• several animal products including milk and egg whites; and
• wheat, which likely has gluten.

Several one-star reviews left on the page remark on the discrepancy between the marketing and the ingredients. One from January, titled “Misleading,” states:

[I]n the images of the product it has this exact container under the words vegan, non-gmo and gluten free which is an absolute lie. This product contains milk and wheat. It is not okay to advertise this way.

Talenti even responded to a one-star review written by a consumer who said they cannot have gluten:

We are sorry you did not notice the ingredient on the product label. Please be assured that all our product labels adhere to the FDA’s (or Health Canada’s) strict regulations regarding declaration of ingredients and allergens. Ingredients can change at any time. For that reason, we strongly recommended that anyone with a known allergy or sensitivity refer to ingredient declarations every time a product is purchased.

In other words, don’t rely solely on the marketing. On that point we can agree with the company. But having been made aware of the discrepancy, why is the gelato still advertised as “non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free”?

TINA.org reached out to Talenti, which was acquired by food giant Unilever in 2014, for comment. Check back for updates.

Find more of our coverage on ingredient claims here.