Pokimane’s Myna Snacks controversy explained: Midnight Mini Cookie drama timeline
Streaming sensation Pokimane has been at the center of controversy following the launch of her new company Myna Snacks and product Midnight Cookies.
Imane “Pokimane” Anys was the youngest content creator to release his own product. Following in the footsteps of Logan Paul and KSI with PRIME and MrBeast with Feastables, the streamer just announced the launch of snack company Myna Snacks and the unveiling of their first product, the Midnight Mini Cookie.
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The launch hasn’t been without controversy, however, with some online claiming that the Midnight Mini Cookies bear a striking resemblance to a product that briefly appeared on Costco shelves earlier this year.
From the announcement itself to the latest responses from those involved, here’s the full explanation to get you up to speed.
Pokimane announces Myna Snacks
Pokimane first teased on Twitter that she was excited about the launch of an upcoming product on November 9, 2023. A week later, Myna Snacks’ announcement caused quite a stir on social media.
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The snack company focuses on creating healthier snack alternatives. His first product is the Midnight Mini Cookies.
According to a statement on Myna Snacks website, the streamer said: “Most of the snacks were filled with things that I didn’t feel good about. So we created Myna.”
The Midnight Mini Cookies are available now and come in packs of 4, 8 or 12. These boxes cost $28, $56, and $84 respectively, which works out to about $7 per bag.
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Backlash against Myna Snacks Midnight Mini Cookies
Shortly after the announcement of Myna Snacks Midnight Mini Cookies, controversy arose over the product’s origins. Twitter users began wondering where Myna’s latest product came from, comparing it to another product sold by Costco earlier this year.
A Twitter user named Atelisi claimed that Myna Snacks lied about who developed the product and pointed out similarities between Midnight Mini Cookies and a product from Creations Foods, a company also known for developing alternative snack options.
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Myna Snacks and its co-founders Pokimane and Darcey Macken say nothing about how they experimented, created and tested their product. So I looked into their product a little. Here is a thread of my findings. 🧵
References at the end of the thread. https://t.co/cDb0VFNnYN— 🪷🪻Suvana🪻🪷 (@Atelisi) November 13, 2023
Atelisi not only compared the products visually, but also took into account their nutritional information and ingredients, arguing that the two products were almost identical. They then claimed that Myna’s new product was a “money grab” in which “no work was put into the cookies themselves and the claim to have ‘created’ the cookie is (allegedly) a lie.”
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Myna Snacks responds to backlash
Hours after the claims gained traction online, a Myna spokesperson reached out to Dexerto to issue a statement claiming: “Our product formulation is unique to Myna and exclusive to us.”
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“We can confirm that the Midnight Mini Cookies were two years in the making. This process involved many rounds of testing and ingredient changes.”
Beyond the source of the ingredients, there is one key difference between Midnight Mini Cookies and the Creation Foods product, namely the use of mushroom powder, which provides vitamin D.
Pokimane’s answer to the Midnight Mini Cookie drama
Pokimane’s snack company has hinted that a more detailed reveal in the future could help resolve the initial controversy.
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Pokimane has also responded to the backlash and attempted to clarify the situation.
“The batch of Myna biscuits we are currently shipping was made three weeks ago. It is not a drop shipping product and we own our formula.
“The cookies they are being compared to were also made by our manufacturer Creation Foods, which specializes in healthy foods. A test batch of the cookies compared was sold before they were phased out. Months later, we partnered with Creation Foods and fell in love with the Midnight Cookie flavor profile.
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“We then decided to work together to refine and improve the formula and are really happy with the final product. Even though the ingredients list looks similar, they are completely different in terms of the quality of the ingredients, the quantities/proportions, the origin, the size/texture of the cookie and of course the vitamin D added. Refining recipes is a common practice in the food industry + 70-80% of the foods you see in grocery stores are labeled white.”
Twitter: PokimanelolMyna Snacks by Pokimane offer consumers healthier alternatives to snacks.
Myna Snacks’ Midnight Mini Cookies are available for purchase at the time of writing, with Pokimane explaining that the company is currently working on other new products, meaning this is just the first of many to come to market .
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