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Cronut Burger Food Poisoning Scare At CNE Leaves Nearly 100 Ill

Cronut Burger Food Poisoning Scare Gets Worse

Initial reports put the number of sick at around a dozen, but Toronto Public Health said Thursday that it has received nearly 100 reports of gastrointestinal symptons from people who ate at the CNE between Aug. 16 and Aug, 20.

While media reports have focused on the cronut burger served at the Epic Burgers and Waffles stand, Toronto Public Health has still not named the vendor.

"Based on information to date, Toronto Public Health has concentrated our investigation around one food premise located at the CNE, however, all possible sources of illness are being investigated," said Dr. Lisa Berger, associate medical officer of health, in a statement.

The CNE has voluntarily shut down Epic, according to the Toronto Star.

The purported connection between the food poisoning and the heavily publicized cronut burger, the crown jewel of the fair's 2013 'food' offerings, has triggered a firestorm of reaction on social media. Many have left angry comments on Epic's Facebook page and the CNE cronut even has its own Twitter parody account.

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The media has also jumped on what many are calling "CronutGate."

Some have used more tasteful treatments than others. On Thursday, the commuter paper 24 featured a photo of a CNE visitor taken sick sitting next to an open toilet bowl.

While the cronut brand has taken quite a beating this week, the originator of the pastry, Dominique Ansel, is still trying to protect it. The baker has been sending legal notices to those who have been using the name, according to The Globe and Mail.

In light of recent events, Ansel may want to look at rebranding his creation.

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