Jamie writes:

Me and my 4 other military friends were enjoying our appetizers when our food arrived. After eating a few bites, I noticed a "food good until" date sticker cooked in with my food. I did not know a date was required on my food...

Anyways, we called the waiter over to show him what was going on. "Well," he said, "Sometimes the food bags and stickers can be mixed in with the chicken when cut up."

WTF! He said he is sorry and is there anything else he can do? Yes you can sir, you can get me another bowl of my food, cooked new. Well, he took the bowl back and about 2 min later he brought out another bowl... 2 min to cook a new bowl?

It looked exactly the same. My fork was still in the bowl. I told him I wanted it to go. He said he was sending the manager over to talk to me. Well the manager came over and said he was sorry and "any drinks need to be refilled?"

Jamie says he didn't get new food, nor did the manager take the sticker pasta off the bill. You stay classy, Applebee's!

From the NY Sun:

While many prepared dishes at Whole Foods can be healthful, an analysis conducted by a laboratory on behalf of The New York Sun found that filling the containers can result in a single meal containing large percentages of the Food and Drug Administration's recommended daily allotment of calories, fat, and sodium.

"This is another variation of supersizing," a nutrition expert for the American Heart Association and a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Judith Wylie-Rosett, said. "If you give someone a large container, they're going to fill it up."

...
In the analysis, the smaller-size containers from Whole Foods were filled halfway with salad bar items that could be considered to be healthful, including Chicken Provencal, Vegan Chicken Delight, Spinach Orzo Feta Salad, Southern Sweet Potato Salad, and Vegan Peach BBQ Tofu Salad. The salad samples were then sent to Microbac Laboratories Inc., based in Warrendale, Pa.

The lab found that some of the food choices were high in fat, calories, and sodium. For example, the Southern Sweet Potato Salad, which weighed about 15 ounces, contained 70% of the recommended daily allotment of sodium, and the Vegan Peach BBQ Tofu Salad, also at 15 ounces, contained nearly 54% of a person's daily allotment of fat.

Vegan Peach BBQ Tofu Salad? Is that a joke? Whole Foods issued a fairly logical response to this hysteria:

"It's a self-serve bar. You take as much or as little as you want," Mr. Shank said. "We give our shoppers the choice. We provide them with foods that are healthful foods, that adhere to our stringent quality standards."

The salad bar containers were also designed to appeal to many customer types. "They can be used for one person or multiple people," Mr. Shank said. "People should still control their serving sizes to maintain a healthy diet."

Um, we have to agree with Whole Foods here. Isn't there a scale right there so you can weigh your food?

Apparently, you, the average consumers, are totally unable to control yourselves when faced with mounds of delicious tofu:

Health experts, physicians, and nutritionists said it is difficult for people to sample appropriate-size portions, which they defined as one-half cup, or four ounces, of one prepared food item.

"Visually, you'd want to fill the space," a cardiac surgeon known for making frequent appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Dr. Mehmet Oz, said.

"The average person who is going to a salad bar is overeating," a registered dietician who is a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, Keri Gans, said.

Anyway, if you're looking for nutritional information for Whole Foods prepared food items, click here.

A New Kind of Supersizing Tempts at Healthy Salad Bars [NY Sun via Buzzfeed ]

Brandon says:

I know a fast food restaurant is not a place that I should expect to receive excellent customer service, but when an employee treats me completely illogically, I just cannot ignore it. An employee at Wendy's this past weekend refused to serve my double stack plain (with no toppings) and stated that it was their policy that they had to serve it the way it comes (with toppings) for that particular sandwich. The straw that broke the camel's back was that she told me that the double stack was the only sandwich that had such rules for its preparation. A more detailed account is provided below in my letter to the Wendy's feedback site:

"Let me first preface my experience by saying that prior to this experience, Wendy's was hands down my favorite fast food restaurant. I likely visit Wendy's once a week and have never had a bad experience until my most recent visit to this store in Baton Rouge, LA.

Three friends and I arrived at the restaurant around 1:00 to get some lunch. Ordering first, I asked for a double-stack plain. After the cashier entered my request into the computer, the lady next to her who prepares the sandwiches interrupted and said that the double stack does not come "plain" (meat and cheese only) as I had requested, to which the cashier agreed. I stood there befuddled and asked the employee if she could simply refrain from putting lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on my sandwich and serve it with meat and cheese only. She told me that she could not, as it was the policy that you have to get a double stack the way it comes (with toppings) and that it was the only sandwich on the menu with such rules. The double stack is my sandwich of choice and I order it every time I go to Wendy's and have always been able to get it served "plain." After a pointless discussion of a minute or so of trying to figure out why she could not make the sandwich plain, I left the store with my friends, all of us in a state of disbelief as to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

Aside from the fact that I have been successful countless times in ordering a double stack plain, it is actually more cost effective for the restaurant to serve it plain, retaining the cost of the toppings that I did not want. Such poor customer service not only was an insult to me as a customer, but gave the illusion that Wendy's sandwiches are pre-packaged and not able to be changed according to the customer's wishes. Hopefully this is an isolated incident of poor employee training at this one location, but I can assure you that it will forever tarnish my opinion of the Wendy's franchise. Burger King's "have it your way" campaign just became much more appealing."

In hindsight I know I should have asked for the manager who I can only hope would have been more reasonable than this employee, but I was so confused and angry by the whole situation that I just left. Let's be honest: after causing a small scene at a Wendy's, chances become pretty good that my food will either be spit in or worse. I'd rather just go somewhere else. I normally don't get very worked up about stuff like this, but this was just such a stupidly unnecessary situation that I've been telling everyone I know. Because I didn't actually buy anything, I realize I should not expect Wendy's to offer me anything, but I am very interested to see what their response is. They promised to contact me within two business days.

All we ever order at Wendy's is that spicy chicken sandwich (yum), so we have no idea what the rules might be about burger toppings, but we can't see any reason why "plain" wouldn't be a valid way to eat your burger. What if you were allergic to pickles or onions or whatever?

We think Wendy's should send you some free burger coupons or one of those weird red wigs from the commercials or something. The whole story is just bizarre. Kudos to you for not throwing a fit and telling the Wendy's employee to hold the toppings between her knees.

(Photo: mbeldyk )

The recall is for 54-ounce, 12-pack cartons of Hot Pockets Pepperoni Pizza with the following printed on the sides of each carton: “8157544614D,” “EST 7721A” and “BEST BEFORE JAN2010.”

If you have some of the recalled product, spit out that plastic and call Nestlé Consumer Services Center at 1-800-350-5016.

"215,660 pounds of Hot Pockets recalled" [Lexington Herald-Leader] (Thanks to Dariush!)

I cooked up the Banquet Chicken Pot Pie per directions.

I flipped it over after cooking and put it in a bowl. I opened up the "bottom" to get at the pot pie goodness and what did I find? Practically nothing. It was almost completely hollow.

On the back of the box were the instructions for cooking.

The final step says to insert a thermometer to ensure a temp of 160 to make sure it is fully cooked. If I had actually done that the probe would have been in the hollow pocket of the pie and not been measuring anything but air.

I will stick with Marie Calendar pot pie from now on. They are actually filled with pot pie goodness.

(Thanks to couponknob!)

The snacks, which include "fresh sandwiches, salads, snack boxes or snacks, depending on the length of flight," will be complimentary for travelers in Business Class and cost coach fliers from $6 for "shelf stable items" to $9 for fresh items such as salads or sandwiches. This price increase will go into effect in October, about a month after United discontinues free snacks in coach. Previously, Business Class customers got free warm meals.

Are you going to pay $9 for a United Airlines sandwich?

United Airlines to Charge Up to $9 for Snacks [WSJ]
United Tests Food Choices in Business and Economy (Press Release) [MarketWatch]
(Photo: pwrplantgirl )

From the New York Times:

Advocates for food safety condemned the agency’s decision and asserted that irradiation could lower nutritional value, create unsafe chemicals and ruin taste.

“It’s a total cop-out,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch. “They don’t have the resources, the authority or the political will to really protect consumers from unsafe food.”

Dr. Laura Tarantino, director of the Office of Food Additive Safety at the F.D.A., said the agency had found no serious nutritional or safety changes associated with irradiation of spinach or lettuce.

“These irradiated foods are not less safe than others,” Dr. Tarantino said, “and the doses are effective in reducing the level of disease-causing micro-organisms.”

The government has long allowed food processors to irradiate beef, eggs, poultry, oysters and spices, but the market for irradiated foods is tiny because the government also requires that these foods be labeled as irradiated, labels that scare away most consumers.

“People think the product is radioactive,” said Harlan Clemmons, president of Sadex, a food irradiation company based in Sioux City, Iowa.

What do you think? Will you happily eat irradiated spinach?

F.D.A. Allows Irradiation of Some Produce [NYT]
(Photo: smcgee )

Dr. Vino says:

[Robin] Goldstein, the author of The Wine Trials has a posting up on his new website describing how he invented a restaurant name, Osteria l’Intrepido, a riff on “fearless.” Then he typed up a menu (”a fun amalgamation of somewhat bumbling nouvelle-Italian recipes”) and then put together a wine list, and submitted both to Wine Spectator–along with the $250 fee. The list was approved and given an Award of Excellence.

The best part is that Mr. Goldstein included "the lowest-scoring Italian wines in Wine Spectator over the past 20 years."

"I didn’t have any empirical evidence of the quality of the restaurants other than my own impressions,” he said. “I wanted to see what the standards of the Awards of Excellence were. The results speak for themselves."

Dr. Vino also notes that in a Times article from 2003, a reporter estimated that Wine Spectator was bringing in $625,275 from the award each year— and that was when the application fee was only $175.

Fictitious restaurant wins Wine Spectator Award of Excellence [Dr.Vino]

Under a Chowhound post titled "Nectarine Dessert at Zuni Is Just That," the poster praised Zuni's "ethos of simplicity in flavors and cooking," but thought that this was going too far. We agree. It's no $55 mac and cheese, but it seems a bit ridiculous to charge $8 for a piece of fruit that isn't a mangosteen.

UPDATE: Commenter Michael Belisle writes that someone from Zuni left a comment on a message board claiming the nectarine should have only been $4.50, which is less ludicrous, although still fairly pricey for a food whose only preparation was putting it on a plate. Thanks, Michael!
Nectarine Dessert At Zuni Is Just That [Chowhound via Serious Eats]

A representative of Lettuce Entertain You denies Franz's allegations, but documents filed with Franz's lawsuit indicate that a pathologist found that the tapeworm could have only come from undercooked fish.

Man Says 9-Foot Tapeworm Came From Undercooked Salmon Salad [Chicago Sun-Times]

Thanks to Mark!

Our sister site Kotaku says the campaign is based in Germany and meant to parody "Vice City" and Grand Theft Auto, and there's even a mini-sniper game on the campaign's website.

Anyway, is it weird that we feel really bad for the onion? He's being humiliated! What did he do to deserve this? Maybe it's his choice in reading material...

Here's a close up: Don't onions deserve privacy?

You can view the entire liner here. And view some reaction from the crowd at Metafilter, here.

What Is Burger King Thinking? [Idea Sandbox]

Ron Siegel, co-owner, told the Journal they have traced the rocks back to a shipment of raisins they received from Hillcrest Foods, a food distributor. When Pigs Fly has since sent the shipment of raisin back to the distributor.

The raisins were traced back to a Chilean company where an older method of drying grapes is used. This old method dries the grapes in between the rows of vineyard. While this method works well, it does allow for more contamination by small rocks and other foreign materials.

When Pigs Fly Inc. did offer compensation for the loaves of “rocky” bread. Siegel said Snyder originally wanted five loaves of bread shipped to his house in North Reading, but a compromise was reached, and Snyder was sent a $5 check.

Snyder is not bitter about the situation. “I have nothing bad to say,” said Snyder. “I am sure this is an isolated event.”

Oh well, we're glad they worked it out. That must be some tasty raisin bread.

Rocks in raisin bread traced to Chilean company [Wicked Local](Thanks, R Interger !)

Mark McDonnell, the County Health Commissioner, was emailed the video and used it as evidence against Burger King.

"Any bacteria on his skin could have been deposited giving people food poisoning," McDonnell told WHIOTV. In the clip, the employee is seen bathing in the sink, using a bucket market "sanitizing solution" to dump soapy water on himself. At one point the employee who was filming the prank tells the manager that someone is bathing in the sink, and the manager simply shakes her head and continues counting money.

Burger King has issued this statement about the incident:

"We have sanitized the sink and have disposed of all other kitchen tools and utensils that were used during the incident. We have also taken appropriate corrective action on the employees that were involved in this video.

Additionally, the remaining staff at this restaurant is being retrained in health and sanitation procedures."

Employee Takes Bath At Xenia Burger King [WHIO](Thanks, Shoan!)

Starbucks coffee shops seem to be on nearly corner in major U.S. cities, but surprisingly 76 percent of American adults say they rarely or never visit one of the shops, and only 14 percent say they visit occasionally.

That might be because the java giant's prices are too high.

This may explain why we're so bored of "personal finance experts" telling people to stop going to Starbucks for their daily latte in order to save a million billion dollars a year. Apparently, you've already stopped.

Starbucks coffee is too expensive, new survey says [Star-Tribune]
(Photo: iwantamonkey )

The check-er-outer lady looked at it a while and said (without the slightest trace of irony),

“I don’t think cheese is a dairy product.”

Oh. Um. Well. Yes. Um. WHAT?

“No, they don’t consider cheese a dairy product.”

With that newly created fact, the cashier refused to apply a store coupon for dairy products to a package of cheddar slices. When the columnist for The Stranger asked her who "they" are, she replied, "Fred Meyer Corporation."

The columnist and his coupon-wielding friend saved the coupon for another day and purchased the cheese at full price, but we have a feeling a lot of our readers would not have let Fred Meyer off so easily.

"Cheese: The Totally Other Food Group. Apparently. Maybe From Space!" [The Stranger] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)
(Photo of tomato plant: Aine D)

Greg says:

So I decided on my lunch break from work I wanted some Mc Donald's.... I went into this new store for the first time and well.... here's my email to Mc Donald's corporate....

I visited this store for the first time. I placed my regular order and when I said "and a Sweet Tea with no ice" I got met with resistance from the cashier and manager. The cashier called over her manager and they spoke in spanish, not english like I was speaking. The manager then said it was $1.69 for the sweet tea even though right above her head it say $1. She claimed it was because I didn't want ice. I stated at every other restaurant I have never been charged 69 cents for "having it my way" without ice. She then pointed to a sign hung on the wall that stated " $1 Sweet Tea with ice only otherwise regular price". First, I never knew Sweet Tea had any other price than $1 and the big sign behind didn't show that. So I then said "Ok, I'll take ice in my drink, 1 ice cube will be enough." She then said it has to be totally full of ice, and then pointed to a different sign that said "$1 Sweet Tea with FULL cup of ice only. Otherwise regular price. No Refills."

For as long as I have been buying food at Mc Donald's I have never been charged for not taking ice. Thats like charging me 50 cents because I don't want mustard on my burger.
Is this normal practice? Is this a new rule about sweet tea? If so I am very disappointed in Mc Donald's and your marketing strategies.

PS. I also do have photos of the two signs they used as proof to try to charge me more money.

I am yet to hear back from Mc Donald's and doubt they will say or do anything in regards to this, but I think its getting a little outrageous how these companies can just start adding fees and surcharges for something as simple as no ice.... Its not like an employee has to stand there with two forks and manually grab the ice out of my cup, just don't put it in to begin with.... shouldn't they give me a discount for not having to spend the time to put the ice in the cup...?

Oh, no, Greg. Don't you see? You're not paying the fee for "convenience," you're just a dirty scammer who was trying to get a tiny amount of "Sweet Tea" for free. McDonald's is on to your little game. You'll take your ice and like it! Oh, wait. Have you tried asking for your ice "on the side?"

In any case, Greg says that the two signs were tucked away in non-obvious locations. He says the one pictured here was "behind the work area of the employees on a side wall at about 7 feet high" nowhere near the menu. Sneaky.

Perhaps surprisingly, some of the items at Whole Foods are competitively priced. The Times compared the prices of items at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and ShopRite (a typical grocery store in the Northeast). They found that the basic items at Whole Foods—like organic milk, organic carrots, cage free eggs, and natural peanut butter—were lower or comparatively priced. As for the budget tours, Whole Foods advises customers to buy items on sale, and stock up on $1.50 tofu.

Whole Foods Looks for a Fresh Image in Lean Times [NYT]
(Photo: Adam Lawrence)

F1.4 says:

This morning I went to one of my favorite restaurants in northern VA for breakfast – it’s a very classy joint, and the food and service is always spectacular. I was sitting outside finishing up my steak and eggs and had just put away my first cup of coffee. As most of my friends know, I generally avoid caffeine so even a little bit is like liquid crack for me, and the first cup had cleared my head and made an already beautiful morning that much better.
The ever attentive waiter noticed my empty cup and promptly topped me off – by now I was rockin the caffeine, the birds were chirping, the sun was smiling, so I gulped down another mouthful and……and something is really wrong here – what the hell did I just drink – It looks like coffee, but I don’t think it is, as a matter of fact it tasted like hot Soy Sauce?! Suddenly I wasn’t sure if I just drank coffee, soy sauce, or maybe some cleaning chemical ended up in the coffee. I am almost instantly nauseous, probably not from what I drank, but my mind and body running in overdrive trying to figure out if I should hurl, because whatever I just drank sure as hell wasn’t coffee.

I call the maitre de over and explain they had a serious problem with their coffee. About two minutes later the manager stops by to tell me they had a mix-up, and that I had indeed just enjoyed a steaming mouthful of Soy Sauce. Apparently they keep heated Soy Sauce in a coffee carafe for fish dishes, and somehow the carafe of Soy Sauce was mixed in with the carafes of regular coffee. The manager was mortified, and comped my breakfast and acknowledged that I was probably not pleased at the moment and she hoped I would be enticed to come back with a fifty dollar gift card.

I felt the restaurant responded appropriately so I won't post its name, and I am glad I didn’t boot my breakfast in a classy joint, but doesn’t Soy Sauce look a little too much like coffee to be putting it in a coffee carafe – nobody saw this coming?

We agree, the restaurant responded completely appropriately, but still, the story was too funny not to share. Hot soy sauce. Eeeeeeeewww! Time for someone at that restaurant to buy one of these.

(Photo: F1.4 )

UPDATE: The name of the mysterious soy-coffee restaurant has been revealed on DCist!

Asked whether the health department thought the lizard came with the lettuce, or whether it was placed with the lettuce later, Davis said, “I don’t want to speculate or place blame.”

The health department has not fined or sanctioned the restaurant, Davis said. The sanitarian’s investigation revealed that nothing appeared out of the ordinary and that Applebee’s staff did nothing wrong, she said.

Employees showed how they wash the lettuce, cut it, then wash it again. “They couldn’t fathom how it (a lizard) got through the process…and they profusely apologized,” Davis said.

Applebee's officials promised that "the report was being taken very seriously."

Lizard reportedly found in salad at Applebee's [Pantagraph]
(Photo: Getty)

• Make A List: Bet you never guessed this would be the first item. Always, always, always make a list. Any gain from coupons is easily offset by wasteful list-free shopping.
• Know Your Prices: You can't tell if you're getting a good deal if you don't keep track of prices. Diehards rely on spreadsheets and pounce with coupons when prices plummet.
• Stockpile!: If it isn't perishable, buy without shame. Reach high and aim for your pantry ceiling.
• Get Organized: Highlight coupon expiration dates to avoid checkout counter letdown.
• Be Selective: Coupons don't automatically mean savings. Compare discounted prices against other brands and generics to make sure you're getting the best price.
• Use Multiple Coupon Sources: The Sunday paper is still the most popular coupon source, but that shouldn't keep you from checking sites like CouponMom.com, TheGroceryGame.com, and MyCoupons.com.
• Combine Coupons: Mix manufacturer's coupons with store coupons for extra savings.
• Leverage Loyalty Programs: We don't like grocers tracking everything we buy, but we do love the savings they offer loyal customers. We always happen to conveniently forget our card at home, and cashiers are always more than willing to swipe through their spare discount card.
• Pay Attention: Look for "redeem now" coupons stuck on products for extra savings.
• Be Shameless: Dented can? Ask the manager for a discount.
• Ask For Coupons: Take a minute to whip-up a gushing letter of praise for your favorite brand. They'll send you coupons as thanks.

Confessions of a dedicated coupon clipper [The Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: Getty)

For children between 4 and 8 years of age, the recommended amount of calories per meal, assuming three meals a day, is 430. If the child is active, the amount goes up to 565. Using these numbers as a guide, the CSPI looked at the biggest restaurant chains in the country, then whittled their list down to the ones that offer dedicated kids' menus and provide nutritional info. This meant the following were left out of the study because they won't provide nutritional info:

We don't need no stinkin' nutrition
• Applebee's
• T.G.I. Friday's
• Outback Steakhouse
• Olive Garden
• Red Lobster
• IHOP

Here's what the CSPI has to say about those restaurants that do provide nutritional info:

Chili's has 700 possible kids’ meal combinations, but 658, or 94 percent, of those are too high in calories, including one comprised of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples, and chocolate milk (1,020 calories) and another comprised of cheese pizza, homestyle fries, and lemonade (1,000 calories).

Burger King has a “Big Kids” meal with a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk (910 calories)

Sonic has a “Wacky Pack” with 830 calories worth of grilled cheese, fries, and a slushie.

KFC has a wide variety of side items, but there are few meal combinations that keep a reasonable ceiling on calories, according to the study. One example of a high-cal combo KFC kid’s meal (the chain calls them “Laptop Meals”) has popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams, and fruit punch, which has 940 calories. (KFC has since dropped Baked Cheetos from its kids’ meals, and some outlets vary the number of chicken strips or sides.)

Most of the kids’meals (93 percent) at McDonald’s and Wendy’s are too high in calories, as are the possibilities at Burger King (92 percent), Dairy Queen (89 percent), Arby’s (69 percent), and Denny’s (60 percent—though its kids’ meals don’t include drinks). (Since CSPI’s study was completed, Burger King has introduced one new children’s meal with macaroni and cheese, apple “fries,” and 1 percent milk, which has a reasonable 420 calories.)

Subway’s kids’ meals came out on top. Only a third of its Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items (apple slices, raisins, or yogurt), exceed the 430-calorie threshold. Subway is the only chain that doesn’t offer soft drinks with kids’ meals.

So how do you improve the nutrition of your kid's meal the next time you eat at a restaurant? A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association gave the following advice:

"Don't be too alarmed even when [studies] come out and seem hopeless," said Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Ass>ociation spokeswoman. "With a few swaps and switches, people really can make healthier choices at these fast-food joints, especially when the decisions are made before going in.

"Many of these restaurants have the nutrition information online that you can print out and go over with your kids even before you go, so that everybody is on the same page before they pull up to the drive-through or [head] to the counter," Blatner said.

She also suggested that "instead of getting the fries, go with the apple slices. Many [restaurants] offer carrot sticks or apple slices or no-sugar-added applesauce or oranges, which make a big difference over deep-fried fries."

And pay attention to how food is cooked. "Instead of the deep-fried nuggets, go for something like the grilled chicken, and you will save fat grams and calories," Blatner said. You'll also save calories by switching the soda, she added: "You can't go wrong with unsweetened iced tea, water or a skim milk."

As for the restaurants that refuse to provide nutritional info, maybe you should just eat elsewhere.

Click here for some specific replacement suggestions from the Chicago Tribune.

You can download a copy of the full CSPI report here.
(Photo: Getty)

Nohreen writes:

... The worker said that she personally cut the apple and that it was not rotten. It was brown because it had been an hour since it left the store. The worker also said that they could not do anything about it because apples turn brown. I said I would go to the store to show the worker that it was rotten. She told me that if I wanted to waste my gas, I could go to the store but they still couldn’t do anything about it.

We got to the store at approximately 5:30 PM and proceeded to make a complaint to the worker. The workers would not acknowledge our presence and decided to call security on us instead. Security arrived and took our statement and informed us that if we wanted to make a complaint we would have to go to the mall concierge. After talking with security for roughly 30 minutes, we were escorted to the concierge. We explained what had happened and the person at the concierge informed us that we could not make a complaint at the concierge. He let us know that complaints were only taken at the security office.

The concierge gave us a piece of paper containing the phone number for the storeowner of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. The store owner was contacted at 6:05 pm. The person who answered had the correct name but she was not the owner of the store. Afterwards, we walked back to the concierge to get the correct number. When we arrived at the concierge, we were told that he could not help us anymore because security had told him so. He then took the paper containing the number, crumpled it up and took it with him. He told us that he could no longer help us and that we would need to call the mall management the following day to get further assistance.

I was appalled that they called the security on me when I wasn't even making a scene. I was just there waiting patiently for them. It was an insult to call a security on your customer. Also, we were told by the security that according to the employee per the owner they would not replace the apple. A child or anyone could have eaten that apple. I can only surmise the quality of their products and how they conduct their business. In my opinion, it only takes one bad apple to infect the rest of the bunch. When I went to the store, I wanted a replacement....now I want action. They need to learn how to conduct good customer service. I want employees to be trained better, and if needed, be reprimanded...not just employees but the owner as well.

Nohreen sent us some photos of the apple in question. We're not botanists or anything, but that looks nasty. She says she's filed complaints with just about every agency out there, and appears to have the situation well in hand, so we'll just end this by saying, "Ew."

In an interview, Don Thompson, president of McDonald's U.S. business, said the company has tested ways to make the burger less expensive to make. Some restaurants are selling it with one slice of cheese instead of two, and billing it as a "double hamburger with cheese." Others are offering a double hamburger without cheese. Some are selling the traditional double cheeseburger at prices ranging from $1.09 to $1.19.

Will you eat a cheeseless Double Cheeseburger?

McDonald's Tests Changes
In $1 Burger As Costs Rise [WSJ] (Thanks, Orlando!)
(Photo: Paxton Holley )

There I am going pee in Wendy's by my office when a Wendy's employee comes into the bathroom and goes into the stall to pee. I wash my hands, dry them and exit as I hear a flush. I get about 3 seconds out of the bathroom and guess who comes out of the bathroom! I'm in gross shock at this point but I think "Ok maybe he's going on break and he will wash after he smokes ones..."WRONG! He not only went behind the counter he started handling fries! So what do I do? "Excuse me, I would like to see your manager.""Um Larry, this guy wants you!... I don't know he wants a manager!"Larry the manager comes to the counter and about 5 employees are eyes glued! Including Mr. Dirty Hands Fry-man."Yeah that guy right there working the fries with the mustache, he was just in the bathroom at the same time I was and he left without washing his hands."

The room fell SILENT!

About 6 people were standing at the counter waiting for their food, plus 10 people sitting close enough to hear this, plus the onlooking employees, INCLUDING Mr. Dirty Hands Fry-man.Now Mr. Dirty Hands Fry-man had this look on his face that can only be explained as a look that said "YOU SON OF A !!!" Without actually saying a word. Fearing he might come over the counter or throw something at my head I bid them farewell. "I'll just go to Burger King." I watched over my shoulder the whole way and I am pleased to say that I saw a couple of familiar faces at Burger King a few minutes later.

Chalk one up for customers!

Sure, he could have spoken privately to the manager to handle it more discreetly. Or filed a complaint with the Health Inspector. But I'll bet you every worker at that Wendy's washes their hands after using the bathroom now.

Reminds me of a scene from a Seinfeld episode:

Health Inspector: Are you Poppie?
POPPIE: I'm Poppie.
Health Inspector: I think you'd better come with me.
POPPIE: What's the problem?
(Poppie leaves with the Health Inspector)
AUDREY: What do they want from Poppie?
JERRY: Well, Poppie's a little sloppy.

See? Not quite as dramatic.

Mr. Dirty-hands Fry-man [Where is everybody???]

(Photo: freakapotimus)

High fructose corn syrup has become a favorite target of the health-conscious as an alleged cause of America's obesity boom. A typical 2-liter bottle of soda contains 15 ounces of corn syrup, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Whether it's really at fault is open to debate.

The Corn Refiners Assn. contends that high fructose corn syrup is just as natural as table sugar and honey. Others say it's not natural at all, because it is manufactured through a chemical process and does not occur in nature by itself. The Center for Science in the Public Interest called the corn refiners' campaign "deceptive."

We prefer real sugar, and eagerly greet Passover as the holiday with the Kosher Coke. How about you?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Consumers are raising cane over corn sweetener [The Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Acrylamide forms naturally when starchy foods are baked or fried. Studies have shown the chemical, which also has industrial uses, causes cancer in lab animals and nerve damage to workers who are exposed to high levels. The Food and Drug Administration is researching whether acrylamide in food poses a health risk.

''Everybody's trying to figure out how to lower levels (of acrylamide) without significantly, adversely affecting taste,'' said Michele Corish, an attorney for Lance, which produces Cape Cod chips.

Corish said the modified snacks will be available nationwide. Messages left with the other three companies were not immediately returned Friday night.

The attorney general's office said the levels of acrylamide in most Cape Cod chips are already near the compliance level as defined by the settlement. However, Brown said Cape Cod Robust Russets contain 25 times the acceptable amount.

Corish said ''Robust Russets'' chips are no longer being sold.

Pringles was not included in the settlement because they are not potato chips, and Proctor & Gamble along with McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and KFC agreed back in 2005 to either "properly label their products or lower levels of the chemical."

Settlement will reduce carcinogens in potato chips [AP]
(Photo: Getty)

Thesmokinggun found some more interesting info on Dunn, including that he filmed his incriminating announcements "from inside a shower stall," that he claimed to have paid off the police and the FBI, and that investigators found him not through fancy IP tracing or anything like that, but because he broadcast the name of a site registered to him across the bottom of some of his Trashman videos.

Dunn has been arrested three times in the past ten months on charges unrelated to his moviemaking, according to the complaint. The Harlem resident, who has previously posted videos in which he claimed to have infected numerous female sex partners with the HIV virus, operates a low-budget porn web site and, on his MySpace page, describes himself as an "adult website owner looking to network with people in the porn and music world."

"'Trashman' Nabbed For YouTube Threats" [The Smoking Gun]
"New York man arrested for YouTube baby food threat" [Associated Press]

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According to this article, the Grocery Shrink Ray could be hitting all of Pepsi products. (Thanks to Mike!)

Ed writes, "I shopped at the Walmart I regularly go to for, among other things, Gillette Mach 3 replacement blades. They have been available in 4, 8, and 12 packs for seemingly ever. The unit pricing for each was typically very close. 4 packs were about $8.25, 8 packs were $16.45, give or take.

Today, I discovered that the 4 pack is now a 5 pack. The insidious part is that the unit price per blade in the 4 pack went from about $2.06 in the 4 pack to $2.25 in the 5 pack, while the 8 pack unit price did not go up as much - $2.10 from $2.06. While I get that it is very common for bigger volume packs to have a lower unit price, this was not the case for this product. This had held true for at least 5 years.

The other interesting aspect of this is that P&G did the opposite of the "shrink ray." They grew/expanded the content and they sharply increased the price for that package. "

Brian writes,"I've been making my world (read: within my household) famous nachos for years now, and always with the same ingredients. The final part of cooking up the topping is a 15 oz. can of Hunts Tomato Sauce, a 4 oz. can of diced jalapenos (either Ortega or La Victoria), and an 8ish oz. can of diced ortega chiles. All of the items came in their normal sizes at their normal prices, but they are all far more watery than they have been in the past. I noticed it as I poured them into the pan, and now that they've been simmering for a good 20 minutes, it's far, far thinner than usual. I think there may be some companies watering down their ingredients rather than making the serving size smaller. Is this the grocery version of water-diluted gas?"

Got a hot grocery-shrink-ray tip? Send your pictures and stories to tips@consumerist.com.

1) Don't waste money on pre-chopped food.
Pre-chopped or single serving food is expensive! Want to save money? Buy a good knife and some plastic bags.

2) Pay attention to unit pricing.
Just because something is bigger or has a sticker on it that says "special value," doesn't mean it costs less per unit. If you hate doing math, use a calculator!

3) Try store brands. It might be the exact same food you're used to eating.
The no name food you see in stores is often made by the exact same factories that produce the brand name stuff. For example, Walmart "Great Value" peanut butter is really just Peter Pan with a different label. Try the store brands. You might like them.

4) Compare prices in different areas of the store.
Deli meats, cheese and olives may be a better deal than similar products in other areas of the store — or they might not. It pays to walk around and compare, says Consumer Reports.

5) Try other stores.
The grocery store isn't always the cheapest place to buy food. Sometimes drug stores have good deals on things like milk, and liquor is cheaper at warehouse stores. Discount stores like Aldi can have great deals. Farmer's markets are fun and often inexpensive. Be careful not to blow your budget by driving all over the place to save $0.50 on organic turnips, however.

6) Make a list that fits within your budget.
Wandering around the grocery store when your hungry is a terrible idea, particularly if you don't have a set budget or a list of items you need. Take a few moments to plan your trip. You'll be done faster and you'll have saved money.

7) Eliminate waste.
People waste a lot of food. The New York Times says we Americans toss about a quarter of what is available to eat. That's not cool. The Guardian has a list of tips that will help you cut down on the food you waste.

Hate coupons, but love money? Share your coupon-free tips in the comments.

(Photo: flyingember )

Makers Kraft deny any trickery and claim they are merely "harmonising triangle weights across the range".

Cadbury spokesman Tony Bilsborough said: "The sizes of the bars goes up and down all the time to suit the market. Dairy Milk comes in all different shapes and sizes and there are a range of cost factors involved."

[Pringles] Spokesman Garry Stephenson said: "We launched a new Pringle with a better crunch texture, better flavour and a significant reduction in total fat and saturates."

Alex Beckett, from The Grocer magazine, says food firms are facing financially tough times and sympathised with their plight.

He said: "This isn't about ripping consumers off - the cost of making these products has rocketed because of more expensive food ingredients and energy costs. It's such a competitive marketplace with each manufacturer bitterly fighting with the next one.

"Downsizing portions and maintaining the original price isn't sneaky. It is a way of cushioning the blow to the consumer. Bumping prices up would hit people much harder.

"And besides, smaller portion sizes are healthier for consumers, especially at a time when obesity is so widespread. It won't do us any harm to be eating a little bit less."

Bollocks.

Our favourite snacks are being quietly downsized... so why's the price the same? [Daily Mirror] (Thanks to Deborah!)

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett says, "[Taco Bell] got on board really early and we helped them promote those items hoping people would take advantage of it."

He goes on to say, "They said when you get 100,000 pounds, we have a special prize for everybody in Oklahoma City and sure enough here it is. Everybody in Oklahoma City gets a free fresco taco."

Taco Bell promotes its "Fresco menu" as having 9 items under 9 grams of fat, but somehow we don't see fast food tacos with mystery meat as part of a healthy diet. Probably some angry reader will say we're being restaurant elitists for assuming that just because a food is cheap it's worthless, and at least Taco Bell is offering something healthy to eat. But considering that 45-50% of the Fresco taco's calories come from fat, we have a hard time equating "Taco Bell" with "nutritious diet."

Update—a reader sent in the following:

As many commenters in that story pointed out, meat grading is entirely optional, and has absolutely nothing to do with it's fitness for human consumption. (Indeed, the optional grading takes place after the required approval for human consumption.) Meat is largely graded by the degree of fat marbling throughout the meat. Given that ground beef would chop any fat up into tiny little bits, no matter how nicely marbled, it would be kind of silly for a ground beef producer to pay extra to have the meat graded.

So, of couse Taco Bell doesn't know the grade of their meat, as it likely doesn't have one. If you went to your local grocer, you would discover that almost all of the ground beef there was ungraded also. To imply that Taco Bell uses "Mystery Meat" simply because they use ungraded beef is really quite unfair to Taco Bell. There are a lot of things you could point out when arguing against eating at Taco Bell, but their use of ungraded beef is not one of them.

"Taco Bell Rewards Metro Residents" [KSBI-TV]

Rising costs give groceries nip and tuck [Chicago Tribune]

The Discount Zone where we bought the Drank seemed as excited about it as we were. They had a large poster in the front window that advised us that consuming Drank may "cause one to lean." When we made our way to the beverage coolers, we found fake VIP passes allowing one to be part of the "official Drank crew."

Then our excitement took a big hit: Drank costs $3 per can, plus tax. Still, we wanted to find out how it tasted and if it actually had any soporific effect, so we proceeded.

Ingredients
Drank contains several roll-slowing supplements: valerian root, melatonin, and rose hips. Oh, and lots of high-fructose corn syrup. My fiancee is getting a Pharm.D., and she helpfully went on Lexi-Comp to check these ingredients out. What follows is not medical advice, and may not be entirely accurate, as I was leaning pretty hard while I took notes on what she was saying.

Valerian Root: Used for restlessness and sleep disorders. The effect is in the same class (anxiolytic) as Xanax and Valium, but considerably weaker. Valerian root is what the doctor in Fight Club advised Tyler Durden to chew when he couldn't sleep. Taking it with alcohol increases the "risk" of sedation. Seems pretty legitimate.

Melatonin: We release melatonin throughout the day, and supplements may help regulate deficiencies that might occur from jet lag or other sleep disorders. My fiancee says, "Some study found that melatonin gives you a rash on your junk, and it took 10 days to go away." Apparently the proper medical term for this is "fixed drug eruption."

Rose hips: Rose hips are pretty much worthl