Equipment used to produce Dunkaccino mix for Dunkin' Donuts may have contained salmonella contamination.

As most of you know, I’m not a coffee drinker.  Nonetheless, I know that millions of Americans can’t live without their morning libation, which is why I recommend opting for organic coffee beans to brew at home, or to ask for them specifically at their favorite coffee house.

Once people enter their favorite coffee house, though, there are tempting offerings on the menu that people find hard to resist.

Dunkin’ Donuts’ flavor offering, the Dunkaccino, is a great example.   The Dunkaccino boasts a flavor profile that’s almost impossible not partake in:  smooth coffee balanced with a decadent hot chocolate – the perfect pairing, no?

It may be a tasty treat, but if you’re watching your weight, it’s nutrition facts should serve as the hand slap you need to keep your hand out of the proverbial cookie jar:  230 calories, 11 grams of fat, 35 grams of sugar and an additional nine grams of saturated fat – and that’s in a small!

With nutrition like that, it makes soda seem downright healthy!

But if the Dunkaccino’s nutritional profile isn’t enough to make you steer clear, how does a possible bout with salmonella sound?
To Dunkin’ Donuts credit, they’ve voluntarily stopped selling Dunkaccinos to customers after one of their suppliers that produce their Dunkaccino mix may have had their equipment contaminated with salmonella.

Dunkin’ Donuts says that none of their equipment was contaminated, but they still want to make sure no one’s health is adversely affected by salmonella.  Again, kudos to Dunkin’ Donuts.

As of this writing, there have been no reported illnesses linked to the salmonella scare, which is why Dunkin’ Donuts plans to continue Dunkaccino production “shortly.”  But just as every fire and every murder isn’t reported, the same applies to food poisoning.  Who knows how many salmonella poisonings there have actually been.

People are obviously free to choose what they’ll drink and whether or not they trust the media or a restaurant when they say that a salmonella scare has past.  But some people need more than nutrition facts to steer them away from tempting treats like Dunkaccinos, which can become addictive.

The best way to stop any addictive behavior is to replace it with another behavior.  And with this salmonella scare in place, now is a great time in which to make that replacement.

So, instead of driving out of your way for that Dunkaccino, pick up a bag of organic coffee beans instead.  Before you know it, you’ll find it to be every bit as good as a regular cup of coffee and can rest assured in knowing that it’s free of salmonella and is the best nutrition among stores’ coffee coffers.

Sources:
baltimoresun.com
dunkindonuts.com