What happens when mere mortals attempt to recreate what has already sprung fully formed from the brain of a revered pastry chef? The deities who reign over the bakery goods world will smite you and lay waste to your customers with a spate of gastrointestinal crappiness. Such could be the case up in Toronto, where health investigators have shut down a faux-cronut burger stand after customers fell ill.

Putting a maple bacon jam burger in a croissant donut was enough to attract headlines as well as diners, as it’s a knockoff by the pastry creation of NYC’s Dominique Ansel. Because no one besides New Yorkers and tourists are crazy enough to stand in line for hours for such a thing, there have been faux-cronuts aplenty.

The Toronto Sun says this particular creation featured at the Canadian National Exhibition is thought to have sent five visitors to the hospital with food poisoning this week. The CNE has warned the stand in question not to open up until a health inspection has been done.

Paramedics treated a total of 12 people for symptoms like vomiting, cramping and dizziness, all indicative of gastrointestinal illness.
While the cronut burger stand was shut down and tongues are wagging, public health officials haven’t confirmed the cause.

“Toronto Public Health is doing its own food safety investigation,” a Public Health spokesman said, confirming that the stand had been shut down last night.

A local hospital’s spokesman confirmed that some patients had come from the CNE.

“Several patients told us that they ate the cronut burger among other things at the CNE but we don’t know the cause of their illnesses,” said the spokeswoman.

Cronut burger stand shut as CNE probes illnesses [Toronto Sun]

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