Bad Donut

A strange saga of broken trust

There are so many bizarre news stories out there these days, but the one that really caught my attention is about a bakery passing off donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts as their own homemade gluten-free, vegan confections. It’s such a dark, twisted tale that even People Magazine has picked up on it. The alleged perpetrator, a business called The Savory Fig, is now under investigation by a New York state agency.

If there’s any silver lining in this story, it’s the conscientious behavior exhibited by the owners of Cindysnacks, the vegan supermarket on Long Island that bought donuts from The Savory Fig. The owners noticed an issue, contacted the supplier about it, had an extensive back and forth, and then went on to do a home test for gluten since they weren’t satisfied with the answers they were getting. (The test was positive for gluten.) The owners of Cindysnacks then contacted the local health board. In short, they did everything right.

But that doesn’t make the fact that this happened in the first place any less upsetting. Anyone following a special diet, whether gluten-free or vegan, kosher or halal, nut-free or dairy-free, is putting serious trust in the hands of the people who feed them. That’s true of restaurants and shops, and it’s also true of processed-food manufacturers. (If you were eating gluten-free in 2008, you might remember the Chicago Tribune’s investigation into Wellshire Farms, which was then selling products that contained gluten as “gluten-free.”)

In an ideal world, everyone would be able to eat in safety and confidence. But all we have is this distinctly imperfect world, which sometimes seems like it’s hanging on by a thread. I’m an optimist by nature, and I’m frequently impressed with the great care individuals and businesses go to take care of my dietary needs. But sometimes I get a reminder that not everyone follows basic rules of decency. When I first read the donut story, I felt deeply shaken. But then I reminded myself that in 20 years of eating gluten-free, I’ve only been glutened a couple of times.

Since hearing so much about donuts, I’m now craving one, but only from a trusted source. That list would include: