Danisa Traditional Butter Cookies

The Danish royal crown sits atop its container but these cookies are made nowhere near Denmark. Despite the Danish imagery and the very words “Copenhagen Denmark” on the lid, Danisa cookies are baked in Indonesia.

For that reason, the National Advertising Division (The National Advertising Division (NAD) is the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.) recommended that the cookie’s distributor, Takari, discontinue depictions of Danish costumes, crowns and other Scandinavian settings on product packaging. But the imagery remains and now the self-regulatory group is calling on the FTC and FDA to take action.

Why the FDA? Because NAD said Takari also ignored its recommendation to cease claims that the treats are “tradition butter cookies,” and the FDA has a rule on what foods can feature the word “butter” in its name. The Campbell Soup Company, which owns a competing Danish butter cookie company and originally challenged Takari’s advertising with NAD, said lab tests revealed that Danisa cookies contained a non-butter fat ingredient, which would violate the FDA rule.

We’ll just have to wait and see how this cookie crumbles.

Find more of our cookie coverage here.