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Epic Burgers and Waffles, known for their heart-stopping burgers, created The Bacon Jam Cronut Burger with Le Dolci, Toronto's fun foodie studio. The Cronut Burger is already being hailed by The Ex as "the star" of the Canadian National Exhibition 2013.Hand-out

The Cronut is quickly getting a bad rep on social media this week, but I'm here to tell you it's not the pastry's fault.

Relax for a minute and let me explain.

To date, nearly 100 people have contacted Toronto Public Health citing gastrointestinal pains they've experienced after consuming food at the Canadian National Exhibition.

Though it hasn't been confirmed where they ate or what the culprit was that produced side effects such as nausea and dizziness, several people with symptoms told media they consumed the "Cronut Burger," a creation from EPIC Burgers and Waffles only for those looking to ingest a ridiculous amount of calories.

EPIC Burgers and Waffles remains voluntarily closed until samples that were sent to a lab to be analyzed are back. So the rampant rumours they are solely responsible for the illness outbreak continue.

The Cronut Burger, one of the hot-ticket food items at this year's CNE, consists of a beef patty and melted cheese in a Cronut-bun drizzled with maple-bacon jam.

It's an unfair use of the otherwise-amazing pastry, the original of which has had people lined up outside of creator Dominique Ansel's bakery in New York since its debut.

Ansel's Cronut is a cross between a doughnut and a croissant, a pastry made of delicate peel-away layers filled with cream. Since its introduction in May, it's created an international frenzy. Places from Berlin to Toronto have been making impressions of it, and the Cronut Burger is the latest.

But let's just get this straight: Cronuts are not bad. Cronuts have not made visitors to Ansel's bakery sick. In combination with maple-bacon jam, a beef patty and cheese, though, a Cronut is certainly not adding anything of nutritional value.

Ansel's creation is one that has been celebrated and eaten by people all around the world, even celebrities. Do not boycott the Cronut because there's speculation – and I emphasize, speculation – something that uses it in a totally unorthodox way might be making people sick.

That's not fair to the original, delicate, exquisite pastry.

So don't blame this scandal on it.

Long live the Cronut!

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