Canadian Cronut Burger Vendor Remains Closed as Almost 100 Report Illness

Canadian cronut burgers continue to wreak havoc in Toronto today: close to 100 people have gotten sick, allegedly from eating the knockoff fried pastry/meat sandwich combo. (Important to note that New York City pastry chef Dominique Ansel has absolutely nothing to do with this imposter Canadian cronut.)

Victims have started to come out to grab their 15 minutes of fame. According to one victim, "I didn't even make it back to my car before I got violently ill and started vomiting." Which is pretty intense. Even mayor Rob Ford turned down the cronut burger according to the Toronto Sun, saying, "There's not too much I'd miss when it comes to food, but that one I passed on" because "the cheese and the cinnamon, all that, I just didn't." Wise words.

The restaurant responsible for this mess, Epic Burger & Waffle, released a statement which you can read below. They didn't really apologize for anything, but they did say "we will await results and further information from Toronto Public Health before we re-open our operation." Below, updates from Toronto Public Health and Epic Burger. And also a commemorative t-shirt.

Here's a statement from the restaurant:

EPIC Burger Statement – August 22nd, 2013

In the time that we've been operating at the CNE we have had a clean bill of health and all our staff have been fully trained in food safety. We buy our products from only the top suppliers and we've never had any issues in the past, nor do we wish to have any in the future.

We take health and safety very seriously. It's very important to us that our food is not only enjoyed, but also trusted. Our customers, our staff and our families eat here daily.

We will await results and further information from Toronto Public Health before we re-open our operation. We have voluntarily closed and are co-operating fully with all parties involved.

We thank our loyal customers, friends and family for all of their support. We are a small business that aims to bring happy times, innovative and delicious food creations to all visitors of the CNE.

You can continue to drive requests regarding the investigation to Toronto Public Health. http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/9a3dd5e2596d27af85256de400452b9b/eedbc5cbafd4f4cc85257bcf00515c12?OpenDocument

We will send an update when we have further news and information to share.

Kind Regards

Epic Burgers & Waffles

And the latest from Toronto Public Health:

Update on investigation into food borne illness

Toronto Public Health continues to investigate an outbreak of food borne illness among individuals who visited the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto.

Initial reports indicated that 12 people who attended the CNE on Tuesday, August 20 reported becoming ill with vomiting and diarrhea. As of 9 p.m. yesterday, Toronto Public Health had received close to 100 reports from individuals who experienced gastrointestinal symptoms after consuming food at the CNE from August 16 to 20.

"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. "Overall risk to the general public is low."

Food samples have been sent to the lab for testing. These results typically take 48 to 72 hours to complete. At this time, Toronto Public Health has not yet received the results and is waiting to confirm the source of illness.

Symptoms of illness range from an upset stomach to more serious symptoms, including diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration. If you have experienced symptoms of illness after eating food at the CNE from August 16 to August 20, Public Health encourages you to immediately seek medical attention and notify Toronto Public Health by calling 311.

Prior to the opening of the CNE, food handler training was offered to over 1,600 food handlers. During the course of the opening weekend of the CNE, Toronto Public Health (TPH) inspected 200 food premises. TPH continues to actively monitor and work with vendors on food safety for the duration of the annual fair.

Toronto Public Health is working closely with the CNE on this ongoing investigation. The health of Torontonians remains our number one priority.

Also, if you were among the lucky, you can now buy a t-shirt on Etsy declaring "I survived the Cronut Burger."

· Close to 100 complaints of illness [National Post]
· Epic Burgers & Waffles [Facebook]
· Update on investigation into food borne illness [TPH]
· All Cronut Burger Coverage on Eater [-E-]