Bolt allegedly found in Maffra cheese sparks viral backlash from pregnant Bondi TikToker

A Bondi woman has accused a gourmet cheese brand of poor customer service after she claimed to have found a metal bolt embedded in a block of cheddar she purchased from a Sydney supermarket.

Julia Sakr, a pregnant mother, said she bought the Maffra Cheese product from The Fruitologist in Bondi, only to discover the metal object after opening it at home.

“I broke up the top piece, and I saw on the backside of it a bolt. Like a metal bolt, you know, like a tool,” Ms Sakr said in a TikTok video posted on Saturday to her account with over 46,000 followers.

She said she discarded the entire $10 cheese block, concerned it may be contaminated, and later contacted the company via email to request a refund and inform them of the safety issue.

In response, Maffra Cheese director Ferial Zekiman thanked Ms Sakr for reporting the matter and asked for photos of the batch number so the incident could be investigated.

However, Ms Sakr responded that she had already thrown the packaging away and claimed she was frustrated by what she described as an unhelpful tone in the company’s reply.

Ms Zekiman told The Nightly, “We totally refuse any allegations she’s made as there is no evidence to support them. The bolt in question is not one we use, and all of our products are passed through a metal detector.”

Ms Zekiman added, “We have reported this matter to the Dairy Food Safety.”

Ms Sakr reacted to the company’s email, saying: “I decided to get petty because I was like I’m not going to let this woman keep my $10 if that’s the attitude she’s gonna have.”

Ms Sakr continued, “Are you seriously denying this? Why on earth would I contact you if this didn’t happen?”

The dispute culminated in an email from Ms Zekiman from Maffra Cheese stating: “I will be making a police report.”

Ms Zekiman confirmed to The Nightly that the police report was to further investigate the object allegedly found in Ms Sakr’s cheese and not against her complaint.

The incident has divided social media users, with some siding with Ms Sakr and criticising the company’s customer service, while others defended Maffra Cheese, pointing out that requesting batch information is standard practice for safety investigations and potential product recalls.

One user wrote, “Wow, that is incredibly bad customer service. Shame on Maffra Cheese.”

Another commented, “Do they really think you’d go out of your way and wedge a bolt into your cheese for fun?”

Whilst others defended the cheesemaker’s response, “Firstly, you NEVER throw the evidence away. Aside from the email, you should’ve taken it to the store upon your return. Asking for a refund is valid, but my first request would be to investigate this, since it can pose a risk to others. I can see why they would be suspicious.”

Another replied, “Completely standard to ask for a batch number to investigate this internally.”