The headline sounds like a rumor that has been debunked, but it's more complicated than that. When the new foods of the Minnesota State Fair were announced, a curious gimmick called Wingwalker Donut Flight was introduced. They are doughnut holes that you inject with filling yourself, served with syringes of Bavarian cream, chocolate custard, or Minnesota lingonberry jam. Now, many fair foods are traditionally served "on a stick" to make them easier to eat while standing and walking. Filling doughnut holes requires two hands, and possibly three. It's not clear why anyone thought that fairgoers would get excited about preparing their own snacks. The pushback was immediate.
“Incredibly wasteful,” “a gimmick,” and “gross” were some of the comments on the Minnesota State Fair’s Facebook page. Both the environmental impact of single-use plastics and the optics of drug paraphernalia littered on the ground at the fair drew complaints.
An online petition launched last weekend has so far garnered more than 3,000 signatures to “Stop the Minnesota State Fair from allowing Wingwalker Donut to use plastic syringes!”
The vendor withdrew the gimmick, and now doughnut holes will be served with recyclable trays featuring the fillings as dips. You can see the revised list of new foods at the Minnesota State Fair, featuring Cheesy Sriracha Funnel Cake Bites, Irish Whiskey Boneless Wings, and Fried Tacos on-a-Stick, among other extreme treats. -via TYWKIWDBI
(Image credit: Minnesota State Fair)