Pokimane’s Myna brand controversy, explained

Twitch streamers and brand collaborations are a tale as old as time. Some even go as far as creating their own brand of miscellaneous objects and food, and, of course, Pokimane couldn’t be left behind.

Following in the footsteps of other influencers like Logan Paul‘s Prime, and Dr. Disrespect’s bourboun, Pokimane has also decided to venture into the business world; specifically, the snacking industry. Upon launching her company — Myna Snacks — Pokimane’s pride and joy became her line of cookies called “Midnight Mini Cookies.”

While all of this seems completely harmless, after the product reached the shelves at an abnormally high price ($28 for a 4-pack, $56 for an 8-pack, and $84 for a 12-pack), fans became naturally upset that the product was marketed as healthy but with a premium price. Over time, many also noticed that the product wasn’t exactly as original as it seemed.

Are Pokimane’s cookies copying Toatzy?

After the cookies reached the shelves, despite their premium price justified by a set of high-quality ingredients described as “deep chocolate with velvety white chips and sea salt,” there are, naturally, people who want to try them. A user on Twitter went as far as to provide a deep dive into the origin of the product, highlighting the eerie similarities between Pokimane’s Midnight Mini Cookies and Toatzy’s Midnight Mini Cookies.

In the thread, Atelisi alleges that Myna Snacks and their formulation were nearly identical to the “Midnight Mini Cookies” from Creation Foods — a product that was apparently available in Costco stores earlier this year. Both brands are marketing the products towards a specific targeted audience of people who wish to indulge in tasty snacks while maintaining a healthy aspect.

Moreover, the user also included a direct comparison of the nutritional value and ingredients in both Pokimane’s product and Toatzy’s, claiming that it is possibly a “cash grab attempt.” This stems from the fact that Pokimane’s new product appears to be a “rebranded Toatzy Midnight Mini Cookie,” and that “the only difference between the cookies is Vitamin D3.”

This means there is nearly a $10 difference between both products for an extra 400g and Vitamin D3 in Pokimane’s cookies. This similarity also caused Atelisi to allege that Pokimane didn’t work on the product itself, tweeting that “no work into the cookies themselves was put into it, and the claim of ‘creating’ the cookie is (allegedly) a lie.”

Naturally, all of this is speculatory but it has been infusing a gigantic controversy in Twitch circles. Pokimane is often targetted by online trolls (incels, if you will), which would obviously mean the product was bound to have some criticism, but no one could have ever expected that Myna Snacks’ cookie line was so similar to an already existing brand.

Neither Pokimane nor her team has come forward to offer any explanations.