Dunkin Donuts Recall Alert

Before you head out to get your morning beverage at the local Dunkin Donuts, you might want to know that the company has mandated a precautionary halt to the selling and serving of their hot chocolate and Dunkaccino* beverages due to possible Salmonella contamination. At this point, no illnesses have been reported from customers of the popular donut chain, but one of its suppliers, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative of Plainview, Minnesota, was recently found to have salmonella-contaminated equipment.

The company released a statement saying, "We have confirmed that no Dunkin’ Donuts products were contaminated. However, we have made the decision to temporarily withdraw the beverages from our stores to ensure the safety of our customers. No other Dunkin’ Donuts products were subject to this withdrawal. We expect to have these products back in stores shortly, and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our customers."

According to the FDA, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, Plainview, Minn., is voluntarily recalling instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) that it has manufactured over the past two years, because they might be contaminated with Salmonella. The company sells these products to other industry customers, including distributors and manufacturers, who may have incorporated them into their own products. None of Plainview’s products were sold directly to the public.

Founded in 1950 and now located in 44 countries, Dunkin Donuts celebrated the opening of its 15,000th store just last month. At the end of 2008, there were 8,835 Dunkin' Donuts franchised restaurants and 6,013 Baskin-Robbins franchised restaurants, and the company had system-wide sales of approximately $6.9 billion.

*The Dunkaccino is a blend of coffee and hot chocolate containing 230 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 24 grams of sugar in one 10-ounce serving.