Dunkin' Donuts pulls some beverages over supplier contamination
June 30, 2009
Dunkin' Donuts has temporarily stopped serving its hot chocolate and Dunkaccino beverages as a precaution due to salmonella contamination of a supplier's equipment, the company has said.
The company released the following statement:
"We have been made aware by our supplier that some of the equipment used at the supplier's facility was contaminated with salmonella. 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."
WCVB Bostonreportsthat the supplier, Plainville Milk Products Cooperative of Plainville, Minn., assured the company that no Dunkin' Donuts products had been contaminated. Dunkin' expects to have the products back in stores later this week.
On Sunday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Plainview Milk Products Cooperative has voluntarily recalled 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.
Plainview has stopped production of these products and has notified its customers of the recall. Currently, the Plainview recall is limited to industry customers who received suspect product.
Inspection finds contamination
During an investigation of the Plainview facility, FDA found that some of the equipment was contaminated with Salmonella. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not linked any human illnesses to potentially contaminated products from the Plainview facility.
The FDA became aware of this problem through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA found Salmonella in Dairyshake powder, in 100-gram pouches that were not for retail sale. The FDA began an investigation as to the source of the contamination. In the course of that investigation, Plainview Milk Products was identified as a supplier of a key ingredient in the Dairyshake powder. Inspection of the firm uncovered conditions that resulted in the broader recall.
The FDA is conducting this investigation in collaboration with USDA, CDC, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and state and local health departments.
FDA investigators are working to track the distribution of the Plainview ingredients to identify additional products that contain the recalled ingredients.
