The owner of the Dunkin' Donuts located in the 14000 block of Baltimore Ave. said he pulled several hot chocolates and other beverages from his menu June 29, after the restaurant chain's corporate offices informed him and other franchisees that equipment in the plant of a company supplier may have been contaminated with salmonella.

Jay Bhani, owner of the restaurant, said he stopped selling regular, white chocolate and Milky Way hot chocolate, as well as Dunkaccino brand beverages this week.

"We got a call and letter from the headquarters and we pulled these items on Monday afternoon," Bhani said.

Dunkin' Donuts officials stated in press releases that none of their products were found to be contaminated, but they asked the owners of their more than 6,400 franchises to pull the beverages and hot chocolates as a precaution.

"It's only temporary because they (the beverages) definitely will come back, but we don't know when," Bhani said.

The manager of the Dunkin' Donuts Baskin Robbins in the 8300 block of Ice Crystal Drive said his store, which also pulled the beverages this week, started reselling the recalled menu items on Thursday, July 2, but as of Tuesday, July 7, Bhani had not.

"I won't be selling them until I get the new shipment of these products," Bhani said. "They may come later this week."

Officials of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are hoping Kentucky Fried Chicken executives will follow the lead of Dunkin' Donuts and discontinue serving the fast food chain's much touted new grilled chicken.

Last month, PCRM officials called on KFC to remove the grilled chicken from the menu after their tests results revealed it contained substantial amounts of cancer-causing carcinogens.

According to the group, PhIP, a carcinogen linked to breast and other forms of cancer in scientific studies was found in all samples from six different KFC restaurants that PCRM officials had tested at independent laboratories.

KFC restaurant managers contacted said they are still selling the grilled chicken and have not been asked by corporate officials to pull the item from their menus.

-- Gwendolyn Glenn

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