RELATED: Ice Cucumber Pepsi
Pepsi Blue Hawaii

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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.

VitaminWater B-Relaxed Jackfruit-Guava with vitamins B and theanine
Coca Cola claims that vitamins B and theanine help fight stress. The CSPI says there is no evidence that the vitamins in this water have a calming effect. Theanine can reduce blood pressure but doesn't have an effect on mood, according to studies in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Additionally, this drink contains no jackfruit or guava, just flavors.

Dasani Plus Defend + Protect with zinc and vitamin E
Vitamin E typically only boosts immunity in large quantities in people who have a deficiency. There is evidence that zinc lozenges may shorten the duration colds, but there is no evidence to suggest that drinking zinc in water has an effect on cold duration.

Sobe Life Water Challenge Your Life with taurine and ginseng
This beverage's label doesn't say how much taurine and ginseng is in the bottle. Newsweek asked Sobe about the quantities to which they replied, "We allow customers to decide what 'challenge' means to them."

Aquafina Alive Satisfy with maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a fiber, but not a soluble fiber, so it may do nothing to keep you regular, if that is your goal.

A Healthy Drink? Try Plain Water [Newsweek]

Basically, what we learned from the video is that this stuff might be ok if you're drunk which could probably be said for a great number of things. We are anxious to see how Pepsi will torture Japan's taste-buds next year.

Pepsi Blue Hawaii [HikanNinja]

We've bolded the dumb "go look on PepsiStuff.com" responses from Amazon:

After amassing a lot of PepsiStuff.com points, I decided to try and redeem them to get a Sony Alarm clock as a gift for my parents. Upon visiting PepsiStuff.com, you can easily login with your Amazon ID, and then click on the category for the prize that you wish to redeem. I clicked on "Electronics" and then on the "Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio" link to try and redeem my points for the clock radio. However, there is no link anywhere on that page for redeeming my Pepsi Stuff points for the item. In fact, Amazon.com doesn't even sell the item itself, and its being sold entirely through third party resellers.

Note that if I click on the Coby CD player instead, I do get a nice "Redeem with 125 Pepsi Stuff points" section:

So, I e-mailed Amazon and the first response came in at 1:46 AM almost copying the Pepsi Stuff FAQs verbatim. That wasn't the answer I wanted. I e-mailed them back asking them again how to order it, and I received a reply at 11:34 and was asked for the ASIN. (Never mind that I already gave him the verbatim link to the product, as well as how to get to the product from the PepsiStuff.com home page.) I replied back and received another e-mail at 12:43 PM (wow - quick response), however the answer was this:

Thank you for contacting us at Amazon.com. First, please allow me to express my sincere apologies for any frustration that has been caused. The item "Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm" you're inquiring about is offered by one of our Amazon Merchants. Right now, all of the information we have on this item is on the product description page. Our information is limited to what the Merchants supply to us; this information appears on our Web site. If you'd like to know more about this particular item, we encourage you to contact the Merchant's customer service team with your inquiry. Merchant customer service contact information is available through a link at the bottom of each item's product detail page. 1. Click the "(Seller name) Returns & Exchanges" link. 2. Click the "At A Glance" tab and look for contact information in the bottom right corner of the page. Thanks for asking about the possibility of using your Points from the Pepsi Stuff promotion in order to get "Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm". I'm sorry to say that item isn't eligible for the promotion, but thousands of other items are. You also can find links to eligible products on PepsiStuff.com. Only designated items from our MP3 Music Downloads, Unbox Video, Apparel, and Electronics stores are available with Pepsi Stuff Points. To read more about the eligibility and promotion rules, please visit the Pepsi Stuff Promotion Rules on PepsiStuff.com.Thank you for contacting us at Amazon.com. I hope that this will help you find the information you need. Thank you for shopping at Amazon.com.

Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for. I e-mailed Amazon.com again and tried to be as clear as possible, stating that the item was on the PepsiStuff.com website, and linked directly to that page, so how wasn't this an orderable item? I received another e-mail at 5:28 PM today, and nothing has changed.

Greetings from Amazon.com, Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this issue has caused you. As mentioned by our previous colleague the item "Sony ICF-CD815 AM/FM Stereo CD Clock Radio with Dual Alarm" you're inquiring about is offered by one of our Amazon Merchants. Please note that this item cannot be bought using Pepsi Stuff Points. Your understanding is highly appreciable in this regard. But thousands of other items are. You also can find links to eligible products on PepsiStuff.com. Only designated items from our MP3 Music Downloads, Unbox Video, Apparel, and Electronics stores are available with Pepsi Stuff Points. To read more about the eligibility and promotion rules, please visit the Pepsi Stuff Promotion Rules on PepsiStuff.com. Please do understand if there was any possibility we would have done it for you when you have contacted us earlier. Thank you for contacting us at Amazon.com.

I seem to be caught in an infinite "we can't help you" customer service loop. I asked in my fourth e-mail to get a supervisor's help, because the representatives (all with Indian names) cannot seem to understand that 1) This is a Pepsi Promotion that they are servicing and 2) The product is listed as an eligible product, so 3) Find out why I cannot order it and please fix it so that I can. Note that he completely ignored my request to escalate the matter.

I have been extremely polite and clear/to the point the entire time, but after four e-mails like this, I'm wondering if Amazon even knows what "Customer Service" is. Is there anything that you suggest that I do that I'm not doing?

Thanks,
Jon

This is what I got back when I wrote Pepsi. I'm still not getting anywhere. You would expect someone to help or volunteer to find a resolution, but nothing seems to be happening.

A Message from Consumer Relations XXXXXXXXXX Dear Jon, Thank you for your thoughtful response to our e-mail. We appreciate you taking the time to follow up with us. Please be assured that we will share your sentiments here at headquarters. We value your feedback and the constructive manner in which it was shared. All the best, XXXXXXXXXXXX Consumer Relations

Amazon: "Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will investigate and remove the merchandise from the PepsiStuff site if it is no longer being offered for redemption."

Pepsi: "Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will contact Amazon about removing this item from our redemption list."

Good luck with those PepsiPoints, Jon. We hope your parents enjoy COBY. (The alarm clock probably had a rootkit in it anyway.)

Traditionally, Pepsi contains fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial colourings, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavours.

In comparison, Pepsi Raw has only natural ingredients including apple extract, plain caramel colouring, coffee leaf, tantaric acid from grapes, gum arabic from acacia trees, cane sugar and sparkling water.

It is paler in colour and less fizzy than other cola brands.

Pepsi launch new 'healthy' drink [Metro via BuzzFeed]

As you recall, bottled water costs 1,000 times more than tap water. Places like New York have tap water just as good or better than bottled water. Add a home water filter, refrigeration, and the foresight to bring the water with you in, and bottled water starts to look pretty stupid.

Aquafina labels to spell out source - tap water [CNN] (Thanks to Jim!)
(Photo: Anthony, Baby)

Only 4 brands have lasted 10 years on the poll: Ford (which was No. 1 in 1997), Sony (which was No. 3), Coca-Cola (which was No. 7) and Pepsi Cola (which was No. 10).

How Does It Work?

Poll takers give "spontaneous answers" when asked the following question:

"We would like you to think about brands or names of products and services you know. Considering everything, which three brands do you consider the best?"

The Results:

Microsoft jumped into the top 10 this year at #8, beating Apple at #9. Apple was #10 last year, Microsoft wasn't on the list. Dell slipped a few spots from #2 to land at #4.

Ford was the only American car manufacturer on the list, behind Toyota, but beating Honda. Honda slipped from #6 to #10. Toyota jumped up to grab the #3 spot from last year's #4.

The top 10 brands for 2007 are:

1) Coca-Cola

2) Sony

3) Toyota

4) Dell

5) Ford

6) Kraft Foods

7) Pepsi

8) Microsoft

9) Apple

10) Honda

Coca Cola On Top For First Time In Annual 'Best Brands' Harris Poll (Press Release) [Business Wire]
(Photo:Maulleigh)

Ice cucumber Pepsi. It's a limited edition soda only available in Japan. What does it taste like?

"Kind of like Satan in my mouth," according to a guy on YouTube named Peter who lives in Japan.

You can watch him drink it inside.

We have so many questions.

For example: Why cucumber? Does cucumber have a taste? Should it be iced?

We may not sleep at all tonight.

Ew. —MEGHANN MARCO

Today in Extraordinarily Odd [Reluctant Whore via BuzzFeed]

[An] expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been working on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, has decided to speak out about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.

Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health [Independent] (Thanks, Tom!)
(Photo: decaf)

RELATED: Coca-Cola Settles Benzene Lawsuit

Adam writes:

So I purchased a Mountain Dew out of my office's Pepsi Co. stocked vending machine, and I noticed that the date had expired. I thought nothing of it, so I slammed the Dew and it tasted only slightly flat. I couple weeks later, I purchased a second bottle of Dewey goodness, and this bottle date had already passed as well. So I called Pepsi Co. told them the situation, the woman on the phone was very pleasant and apologetic, and she said that she'd send me out a replacement right away. Less than a week later, (before I even had time to recycle the previous bottle) I received a coupon for one free 6 or 8 pack of any can or bottle product from Pepsi. I was amazed at their turn-around time. Good job Pepsi, thanks for the fresh Dew!

-Adam

While the soda business remains a $68 billion industry in the United States, consumers are increasingly reaching for bottled water, sparkling juices and green tea drinks. In 2005, the amount of soda sold in this country dropped for the first time in recent history. Even the diet soda business has slowed.

Soon Coke will be debuting Diet Coke Plus, and Pepsi will release a disgusting-sounding substance called "Tava". Both will contain artificial sweeteners and will be fortified with vitamins. Too bad everyone knows Diet Coke isn't "healthy." Will adding vitamins convince you otherwise? —MEGHANN MARCO

Makers of Sodas Try a New Pitch: They're Healthy [NYT]

"Every company that adds caffeine to food should tell consumers how much they're getting, so consumers can comparison shop and make their decisions accordingly," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Pepsi deserves credit for voluntarily putting caffeine contents on labels. I don't know why Coke and coffee companies are so jittery about letting their customers know how much they're getting."

Consumer Group Praises Pepsi's Disclosure of Caffeine Content [CSPI]

A November e-mail signed by a Hong Kong-based Coca-Cola sales and marketing manager promised a Mercedes-Benz ML Jeep convertible and a chance at $800,000 cash for entries submitted to a link in the e-mail.Another one in March from McDonald's Corp. and JPMorgan Chase offered a 50% discount at McDonald's over 10 days, followed by a 30% discount thereafter if recipients signed up at a JPMorgan Chase-branded promotional site.

Phishers Switch Brand Bait to Coke and McDonald's [Ad Age]

It's Labor Day weekend. That means today's a half-day for me and Ben. It also means that, depending how drunk we get, there may very well not be any posts on Monday. It also means that the posts we do put up today are going to be slacker heaven.

Like this one! But it's worth it. After Terminator 2 came out in the mid-90's, Pepsi Japan wanted to incorporate the liquid metal CGI technology into their commercials. The amazing, surrealist Pepsiman character is the result. Watch his greatest adventures, which always follow this formula:

1) A lone person wants a Pepsi.
2) Pepsiman comes speeding in at insane velocity, accompanied by a bitching guitar riff and an offscreen choir screaming "Pepsimannnnnnn!"
3) A yawning vortex opens in his face while he begins insanely waving his hand back and forth and Whooooosh-ing.
4) A horrific incident of crippling physical violence befalls Pepsiman.

This corporate mascot is one that definitely ought to have come Stateside.

The details of the plot: a mysterious informant writing from the Bronx and identifying himself only by the name 'Dirk' wrote PepsiCo, claiming to be a high-level employee with Coca-Cola. He asked for $10,000 for the trade secrets and $75,000 for the recipe. PepsiCo called the fuzz, an undercover agent offered Dirk 1.5m for other trade secrets, Dirk fell for it, and now he's in jail. All is right with the world; the secret Coke formula, like the recipe for McDonald's Big Mac sauce, remains sacrosanct.

The leak apparently all came from an executive assistant for a high-level Coke executive, who supplied 'Dirk' with his documents and information after he seduced her. No word on whether she's been fired yet, but all signs point to 'Canned.'

3 charged with stealing Coca-Cola info [Yahoo News]

"According to the suit, the labels on glass bottles of Mexican-made Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light (Diet Coke), Fanta and Sprite are contaminated with high levels of lead and cadmium that can rub off on hands and possibly be ingested. "Lead is so toxic that even minuscule amounts can be hazardous to human health," the suit says.

A joint investigation by Lockyer's and Delgadillo's offices found that painted labels on Mexican soft drinks, which are popular particularly with Southern California Latinos, contained as much as 45% lead."

On April 21st, California similarly sued Pepsi who ended up agreeing to not use lead-based paint on new bottles and to remove all leaded bottles within the generous time-frame of 10 years.

Mmm, now you know why kids love soda pop like dogs love antifreeze.

"CA Cokes Over Lead in Labels" [LAT] [photo]

Jackson is said to have forced overnight visitors to Neverland to reneact this very commercial, except the Pepsi is replaced with wine and the 80's street gear with skivvies.

Of course, the Coca Cola company isn't quite so stupid to purposely add benzene to their sodas. It's formed by a chemical reaction between ascorbic acid and potassium benzoate. Vitamin C and Preservatives, in other words. If you leave a can of pop out in the light, chances are it's already starting to become laced with traces of benzene.

Benzene exposure is commonly associated with leukemia and a swath of blood disease. The sodas that are most risky to drink include such favorites as Fanta Orange, Hawaiian Punch, Mug Root Beer and Tropicana Lemonade. Luckily, IBC Root Beer and Cherry Coke aren't on the list — we're not sure we could live without those.

Not a big surprise. We've often recommended that the only healthy things to drink in today's modern, health-conscious world is water, coffee and as much booze as your liver can absorb. You might want to think twice about reaching for that next Pepsi Vanilla.

Groups Want Sodas With Benzene Out Of Schools [Consumer Affairs]

Oh no! It's the Hoff! [Aptbroadcast via Flickr]