A healthy donut? Gold from lead?

The Boston Globe reports that "For more than four years, a small team huddled in the Dunkin' Donuts research lab trying to crack the code for a doughnut without trans fats that tasted just like those on which the chain had built its reputation over the last half century."

And now, at last, they have done it. In a few weeks, Dunkin's 5,300 stores will introduce trans-fat free donuts. While they can hardly be considered a health food -- they still contain the same amount of total fat -- this has to be considered a major accomplishment. Just a few years ago, there was doubt about whether such a feat could be accomplished. Competitor (sort of like saying the Tampa Bay Devil Rays compete with the Yankees ...) Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) is still working on a trans-fat free donut, and doesn't yet have anything ready to market.

What's next for these doughnut-engineers? How many years are we away from a truly healthy donut? Will fat-free, sugar-free ice cream ever taste like something other than opening the freezer and sticking your head in? All of this talk about healthy junk food reminds me a bit of alchemy, but researchers seem to be making progress.

But would a healthy donut even be fun? Or would it become to common-place to count as a treat, and lose its allure?