State Fair vendor won't use syringes in doughnut treat
A new food planned for this year's Minnesota State Fair promised plastic syringes filled with cream, custard and jam that consumers could inject into a doughnut treat.
But the pushback over the plastic waste it could generate has led to change.
State Fair officials on Friday said the vendor — The Hangar — will instead serve its Wingwalker treat in a compostable tray with three compartments that can be used for dunking the doughnut holes in Bavarian cream, chocolate custard and Minnesota lingonberry jam.
Fair officials in mid-June released the annual list of "official new foods" for the 12-day food fest that opens Aug. 22 and runs through Labor Day. The fair said it responded after the public raised questions about the potential plastic waste.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
More than 3,300 people signed an online petition calling on the fair and the vendor to stop the plan because of the waste as well as the optics of "syringes being cool" and containing treats.
"We understand the impact food packaging has on the environment, and The Hangar, along with the fair, has decided that plastic syringes will not be used as part of the Wingwalker Donut Flight," the fair said in a statement Friday.
Vendor Nate Janousek said critics raised valid concerns about plastic waste.
"The fair is very important to us, and we want to keep the fair beautiful. We want to keep this planet beautiful for our kids," Janousek said, adding he's looking at other products to replace plastic straws.
And instead of focusing on donuts, Janousek's featured item this year will be a barbecue tower on a seasoned potato cake.