9-Year-Old Shames School Into Healthier Food With Blog About Its Lacking Lunches
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 24, 2012 12:00 PM
78 Comments
Here at Consumerist, we know a little something about publicly shaming big, bad companies into doing right by customers. But apparently, it works on other levels as well — say, a 9-year-old girl blogging about her terrible lunches at her school in Scotland. More »
What Peeves You Most When You Eat At A Restaurant?
By Chris Morran on May 23, 2012 3:45 PM
350 Comments
Most of the time when you go out to a restaurant, you're not only paying for food, but also for service and ambiance. So even if the meal was perfectly prepared, there are still plenty of things about which diners feel justified to complain. More »
Truck Spills 55,000 Pounds Of Bottled Beer On The Ground, None Is Passed Around
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 23, 2012 3:15 PM
25 Comments
Quick, get out your straws and empty your pitchers! A big rig traveling in Florida near Daytona Beach was carrying 55,000 pounds of bottled beer when it overturned, spilling all that foamy, alcoholic liquid onto the road. More »
The "Alcohol-Free" Part Of A Daiquiri Order For 4-Year-Olds Is The Key Phrase
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 21, 2012 10:00 AM
106 Comments
We've seen it too many times by now — ordering kids a beverage that in no way should include alcohol and then, woopsies, there's booze in a 4-year-old's cup. In this case, two boys, both 4, reportedly got alcoholic strawberry daiquiris, sending one of the kids to the hospital. More »
Arby's Is Really Sorry That Piece Of Finger Ended Up In A Sandwich
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 17, 2012 2:30 PM
34 Comments
Tip to fast food workers: If you lose part of your finger while on the job, let your coworkers know so they don't just pick up making that sandwich where you left off. A 14-year-old boy in Michigan ended up with the "fingerprint portion" of an employee's finger in his sandwich recently after a trip to the drive-through. More »
For Some Reason The Idea Of Cat Tongue Candy Is Less Than Appetizing
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2012 3:00 PM
43 Comments
How about biting into a nice chocolatey piece of candy resembling a rough cat tongue suitable for licking up hair and dirt from a furry pelt? Yum? We're always amazed at what companies come up with that somehow made it first into the "Yes!" bin of ideas and then end up on store shelves. Cat Tongue candy, you might be the weirdest thing yet. More »
Should Pizza Be Classified As A Vegetable? Crusading Lawmaker Thinks Not
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 15, 2012 5:00 PM
90 Comments
When I ask for a burger with a side salad, what I'm really after is a nice slice of pizza. Hey, it's a vegetable, right, Congress? U.S. Rep. Jared Polis has had it with this whole "pizza is totally a vegetable because it has tomatoes in it" thing, and has announced new legislation that would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement nutrition standards for pizza. More »
(ShopSmart)
Special K Chocolatey Delight Has More Calories Than Cocoa Puffs
By Meg Marco on May 15, 2012 2:30 PM
52 Comments
Eating Special K to lose weight? Splurging on the chocolate version? You might want to read the label. Our sisters at ShopSmart (also published by Consumer Reports) took a look at a variety of "junk" health foods for the June issue and discovered that "Special K Chocolatey Delight" isn't that different from Cocoa Puffs. More »
Can A Restaurant Meal Be So Bad You Shouldn't Pay The Bill?
By Chris Morran on May 14, 2012 12:45 PM
192 Comments
I have a friend who likes to reward horrible restaurant service and food by leaving two pennies as a tip, but I've never known him to not pay the bill. However, one Colorado couple is telling their local Outback Steakhouse that the meal was so bad, the eatery should not be expecting a payment anytime soon. More »
General Mills Must Defend Claim That Fruit Roll-Ups Are "Made With Real Fruit"
By Chris Morran on May 11, 2012 12:45 PM
44 Comments
It's been a while since we heard any updates on that class-action lawsuit against General Mills over its claims that Fruit Roll-Ups are "made with real fruit." Well, yesterday the judge in the case gave it the go-ahead to proceed. More »
KFC Ordered To Pay $8.3 Million For Chicken That Poisoned Girl To The Point Of Brain Damage
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 27, 2012 4:00 PM
44 Comments
A bellyache after a bucket of chicken is one thing, but in the case of a little girl who fell ill with salmonella poisoning after eating at KFC, things are a lot more serious. The fast food chain has been ordered to pay $8.3 million to the Australian girl's family after she suffered severe brain damage after being poisoned by a "Twister" wrap from KFC in 2005. More »
(FOX 59)
Health Inspector Visiting Fazoli's Because Spider Mites Shouldn't Be Included With Entree
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 26, 2012 12:00 PM
43 Comments
Customers at a Fazoli's restaurant near Indianapolis got a bit of unexpected protein in their food, as several people claimed there were spider mites crawling around in their dishes and elsewhere in the restaurant. More »
Two Grocery Chains In South Korea Halt Sale Of U.S. Beef Citing Mad Cow Concerns
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 25, 2012 11:00 AM
25 Comments
Refusing to sell American beef is one way to spread fear about mad cow disease, even after the USDA assured consumers not to worry about the one cow in California that was found to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and that's exactly what two major South Korean grocery chains are doing. More »
(gblahe)
USDA: "No Cause For Alarm" In California Mad Cow Case
By Chris Morran on April 24, 2012 4:45 PM
55 Comments
You may have heard that officials have confirmed one case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known by its headline-friendly nickname "mad cow disease," in California; the first such incident since 2006. And even though BSE can be fatal to humans that eat tainted meat, the USDA says they have found no cause for mass concern. More »
Starbucks Stops Using Bug Extract In Products
By Chris Morran on April 19, 2012 1:40 PM
73 Comments
Cochineal extract has the vague name one would come to expect from a food ingredient. And for years, it's been used as a food coloring option for people looking to get a nice red hue in their edible items. But what some folks don't know is the "cochineal" in cochineal extract is a tiny insect that is pulverized to make the red dye. More »
Lawsuit: KFC Franchisee Fired Employees For Refusing To Serve Expired Chicken
By Chris Morran on April 18, 2012 12:15 PM
112 Comments
A former manager at a KFC eatery in Oregon alleges that the owner of his franchise not only ordered employees to serve expired chicken, but also that employees who refused to do so were fired. More »
Consumer Groups Ask FDA To Stop This "Corn Sugar" Silliness Already
By Chris Morran on April 17, 2012 12:45 PM
73 Comments
It's been nearly two years since the Corn Refiners Association began running ads referring to High Fructose Corn Syrup as "corn sugar," in spite of the fact that the Food & Drug Administration hadn't yet approved this name change for food labels. The FDA still hasn't gotten around to making a decision on the matter, and a number of consumer groups are tired of waiting for a decision. More »
Guess What, Folks? Pink Slime Isn't The Only Food With Ammonia In It
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 5, 2012 5:00 PM
181 Comments
During the recent outpouring of "eww, that's gross" over pink slime, Americans had a collective freakout over ammonia-treated beef. But hey, why not expand the revulsion with this tasty tidbit: Foods including cheese, baked goods and chocolate products are also involved with ammonia. More »
(acetonic)
Government Might Let Big Chicken Inspect Its Own Poo-Covered Poultry
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 5, 2012 4:00 PM
47 Comments
Federal food safety inspectors already have so much to do, why not just hand over the job of watching birds go down an assembly line to factory employees? What could possibly go wrong? A whole lot, say opponents of a current proposal by the Agriculture Department to allow private companies take over inspections at poultry plants. More »
FDA Memo: Sushi Salmonella Suspected Of Sickening 90
By Phil Villarreal on April 4, 2012 9:15 AM
53 Comments
According to an internal memo that was sent around the Food and Drug Administration offices, a salmonella outbreak that's spread throughout sushi restaurants in 19 states and the District of Columbia could be responsible for making at least 90 people sick. The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the outbreak, which has sent seven people to the hospital. More »
(emuphoto)
Cargill & Tyson Unafraid Of Pink Slime Backlash, No Plant Shutdowns Planned
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 3, 2012 1:00 PM
35 Comments
While other producers of finely textured beef, now known to many as "pink slime," are dialing back their output of the controversial stuff, major beef processors Cargill and Tyson are all like, "Shrug! Business as usual." They will produce less of the stuff, but that doesn't mean they'll close plants or cut jobs. More »
Beef Products Company Files For Bankruptcy & Blames Pink Slime
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 2, 2012 1:00 PM
156 Comments
AFA Foods makes beef products, including the filler denounced recently as "pink slime," and the outcry over the stuff is why they're filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A company spokesman says the business was already struggling, but that the backlash against boneless beef trimmings just put a nail in their meat coffin. More »
FDA Decides Against Banning BPA In Food & Beverage Containers
By Chris Morran on March 30, 2012 5:21 PM
48 Comments
Bisphenol A — better known as "BPA" — is a chemical used in the epoxy resin linings of a lot of food and beverage containers. Studies have linked BPA to everything from increased risks of certain cancers to diabetes, reproductive abnormalities, and heart disease. But the Food and Drug Administration says there is not enough evidence yet to ban its use in food packaging. More »
Beef Company Insists Pink Slime Doesn't Exist, While Critics Say It Ain't Ground Beef
By Mary Beth Quirk on March 28, 2012 11:00 AM
151 Comments
The makers of the ground beef filler we all know now as "pink slime" aren't taking this nickname lying down. After losing business from grocery stores, Beef Products Inc. is fighting back in the media, insisting pink slime isn't even a real thing. Opponents of the stuff are firing right back. More »
There Are Now 900,000 Fewer Pounds Of "Pink Slime" Being Produced Each Day
By Chris Morran on March 26, 2012 3:15 PM
122 Comments
With several supermarket chains — including Kroger and Safeway — opting to stop selling ground beef that contains "lean, finely textured beef," the ammonia-treated filler affectionately known as "pink slime," the company that pumps out the stuff has had to suspend production at three of its four slime-making facilities. More »
(afagen)
Court Orders FDA To Investigate Use Of Antibiotics In Animal Feed
By Chris Morran on March 23, 2012 11:15 AM
31 Comments
Back in 1977, the FDA proposed a ban on putting penicillin and other antibiotics in animal feed solely for the purpose of promoting growth. Amazingly, that proposal has been gathering dust long enough to begin losing its hair and regretting its life choices. That is until yesterday, when a federal court ordered the FDA to finish what it started 35 years ago. More »
Kroger Joins Ranks Of Supermarkets Who Won't Sell "Pink Slime"
By Chris Morran on March 22, 2012 4:15 PM
39 Comments
More than a week after clarifying which of its ground beef products do and do not contain the ammonia-treated beef trimmings known by two wildly different names — "lean finely textured beef" or "pink slime" — Kroger, the country's largest grocery store chain, has decided to nix the controversial filler altogether. More »
Safeway To Stop Selling Ground Beef That Contains "Pink Slime"
By Chris Morran on March 21, 2012 2:15 PM
43 Comments
It's been a bad year for "lean finely textured beef," better known by the less-tasty moniker "pink slime." The ammonia-treated beef trimmings that have been used as ground beef filler for decades is quickly becoming a pariah at U.S. grocery stores like Safeway, which has announced it will no longer sell the stuff. More »
Kroger Clarifies Which Of Its Ground Beef Products Are Free Of "Pink Slime"
By Chris Morran on March 12, 2012 4:15 PM
94 Comments
Following last week's ABC News report which found that ammonia-treated beef trimmings, affectionately known as "pink slime," are in about 70% of the ground beef Americans buy at the grocery store, supermarket chain Kroger has issued a statement to list which of its ground meats do not contain the filler. More »
What Is "Pink Slime" And Why Is It In 70% Of Supermarket Ground Beef?
By Chris Morran on March 8, 2012 12:15 PM
88 Comments
Earlier this year, McDonald's made headlines when it said it would stop using ammonia-treated beef trimmings lovingly known as "pink slime" in its burgers. Now the former USDA scientist who coined the phrase is speaking out against the widespread use of the stuff — not because it's unsafe, but because he feels like consumers are being deceived into paying for cheap filler. More »
Farmers Fail At Suing Monsanto Before Monsanto Sues Them
By Chris Morran on February 27, 2012 2:15 PM
80 Comments
Seed industry titan Monsanto is infamous for its patent infringement lawsuits against farmers for allegedly using its proprietary seeds without paying. Defendants often claim that Monsanto seeds are so prevalent that crops can't help but become contaminated. And some farmers say they have stopped growing certain crops out of fear that they may someday be sued. More »
Raw Milk From PA Now Linked To At Least 78 Illnesses
By Chris Morran on February 27, 2012 10:30 AM
93 Comments
Here is some news that will definitely stoke the debate over the safety of drinking unpasteurized milk. The number of raw milk drinkers that have fallen ill from tainted milk sold by one Pennsylvania farm has now hit at least 78 people in four states. More »
Surprise! Employees Of Catering Company Claim Their Services Were The Opposite Of Kosher
By Mary Beth Quirk on February 9, 2012 11:00 AM
92 Comments
Employees of a Long Island catering company that claimed it offered Kosher food for over 200 weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs say the owner has been pulling the wool over everyone's eyes for too long. The chef and general manager say that the whole process, from food preparation to storage and service, has all been the opposite of Kosher — tainted. More »
Lawmakers Announce Legislation To Set Limits On Arsenic & Lead In Fruit Juice
By Chris Morran on February 8, 2012 4:08 PM
49 Comments
In the wake of a recent Consumer Reports investigation that found high levels of arsenic and lead in a number of fruit juices, Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey and Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro today announced the "Arsenic Prevention and Protection from Lead Exposure in Juice (APPLE Juice) Act of 2012," which would require the Food and Drug Administration to set standards for arsenic and lead in fruit juices. More »
Chowing Down At The Movies Can Add Up To Thousands Of Calories
By Maggie Shader on February 8, 2012 1:20 PM
48 Comments
Like to snack at the movies? That tub of popcorn and large soda can amount to almost a full day's calories, two days' worth of fat and a cup of sugars. More »
At Least 35 People Ill After Drinking Raw Milk
By Chris Morran on February 3, 2012 1:15 PM
106 Comments
Unpasteurized, aka "raw," milk is illegal to sell in a number of states because of concerns about possible pathogen contamination. Of course, those bans also tend to make raw milk a sought-after delicacy for those who believe that pasteurization has a negative effect on the taste and nutritional value of milk. But in the last few weeks, at least 35 people in four states have become ill after consuming the unpasteurized stuff. More »
Scientists Suggest Restricting Sugar Sales For Youngsters
By Chris Morran on February 2, 2012 4:15 PM
93 Comments
Arguing that sugar is as additive as tobacco or alcohol, scientists at the University of California San Francisco say that the sweet stuff should be regulated in much the same way as those products. That means taxes to discourage consumption and age-dependent restrictions on how much can be sold to a consumer. More »
Report Links Taco Bell To 2011 Salmonella Outbreak In 10 States
By Chris Morran on February 2, 2012 2:15 PM
22 Comments
Last fall, at least 68 people in 10 states fell ill following an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis. In the months since, the Centers for Disease Control have only referred to a possible source of that strain as "Restaurant Chain A," but a new report claims to have confirmed that the anonymous chain is actually Taco Bell. More »
Sen. Ralph Shortey
Legislator Calls For Ban On Imaginary Practice Of Using Aborted Fetuses In Food Products
By Chris Morran on January 25, 2012 12:30 PM
129 Comments
Because the lawmakers of this nation don't have real-world issues that need to be resolved, a state senator in Oklahoma has introduced legislation that would finally put a stop to the abominable, completely nonexistent practice of using tissue from aborted fetuses in food. More »
Ex-McDonald's Employee Records Mouse Stuck In Burger Buns
By Phil Villarreal on January 17, 2012 8:15 AM
64 Comments
A fired employee of a Philadelphia McDonald's gave a news station a cell phone video of a mouse stuck in hamburger buns and says he shot it while he was on the job. He says it was common to find mouse droppings on bread in the three months he worked there, and that management knew about the problem, telling employees to brush off the droppings before they served customers. More »
Canadian Scientists: Actually, Mountain Dew Can't Dissolve A Mouse
soda pop-buying public: PepsiCo's claim that Mountain Dew can't dissolve a whole mouse into a "jelly-like substance" seems unlikely to them. A rodent in a small container of soft drink is going to decompose, not dissolve. Doesn't that make you feel better? More »
By Laura Northrup on January 5, 2012 12:30 PM
38 Comments
The Canadian Broadcasting Company has an important message for the 
FDA Bans "Extra-Label" Uses Of Popular Class Of Antibiotics On Farm Animals
By Chris Morran on January 4, 2012 2:27 PM
22 Comments
For those of you who are concerned about the amount of antibiotics being given to the cows, chickens, pigs and turkeys that provide (or end up as) the food on your plate, here's some good news. The Food and Drug Administration has announced a new regulation that prohibits "extra-label" uses of a popular class of antibiotics. More »
Tests Show No Connection Between Enfamil Baby Formula & Child Deaths
By Chris Morran on January 3, 2012 11:31 AM
12 Comments
Late last month, Walmart and a handful of other other retailers decided to pull certain lots of Enfamil powdered baby food formula from shelves following the death of an infant in Missouri who had recently consumed the product. But tests by authorities at the Enfamil plant now show no link between the formula and this child's death. More »
Class-Action Lawsuit Has A Problem With Sun Chips And Tostitos Being Labeled "All Natural"
By Chris Morran on December 22, 2011 4:30 PM
71 Comments
The meaning of the phrase "all natural" is in dispute in a class-action lawsuit recently filed against Frito Lay over claims that some of the company's Tostitos and Sun Chips products may not live up to consumers' expectations of an all-natural label. More »
(Ajruck)
Even More Dog Food Recalled Because Aflatoxin Is Not Part Of Your Pet's Diet
By Chris Morran on December 12, 2011 1:45 PM
18 Comments
Last week, we told you about the recall of some Iams and other dog food brands over concerns about the possible contamination by a nasty mold. Well, the recalls continue, as Advanced Animal Nutrition has announced a recall of its dry Dog Power Dog Food for the exact same reason. More »
Lawsuit: Airplane Food Killed American Airlines Passenger
By Chris Morran on December 2, 2011 12:15 PM
45 Comments
The family of a man who died on board a flight to Miami in May has sued American Airlines and the company that provided the in-flight meal, alleging that airplane food is what caused the passenger's death. More »
High Arsenic & Lead Levels In Juice: What Parents Should Do About It
By Mary Beth Quirk on November 30, 2011 1:00 PM
71 Comments
After our wise older siblings at Consumer Reports published an investigation into apple and grape juice, finding high levels of arsenic and lead levels in a concerning percentage of samples, parents should know what actions to take to keep their children healthy. More »
Consumer Reports Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic & Lead In Some Fruit Juice
By Chris Morran on November 30, 2011 6:00 AM
59 Comments
While federal standards set limits for the amount of arsenic and lead in tap and bottled water, but no such hard line exists for fruit juices, even though such drinks are dietary staples of children. Thus, our cousins-in-arms at Consumer Reports set to testing some juices, only to turn up results that should cause concern among parents and lawmakers. More »
Adventures In Fictional Fish: There's No Such Thing As White Ruffy
November 21, 2011 1:30 PM
49 Comments
If the recent exposé on falsely labeled fish by our lab coat-wearing kin at Consumer Reports has you approaching fish buying with a critical eye, you're not alone. More »
Big Sugar Accuses Big Corn Of Conspiracy To Deceive Public With 'Corn Sugar' Ads
By Chris Morran on November 21, 2011 12:15 PM
62 Comments
Last month, the judge in the sugar industry's lawsuit over ads that try to rebrand high fructose corn syrup as Corn Sugar allowed the suit to move forward but removed the individual corn companies as defendants. Now, Big Sugar has fired the latest legal missle, amending its complaint to accuse those corn companies of conspiracy to deceive the public. More »
McDonald's Kicks Egg Supplier To Curb Following FDA Citations
By Chris Morran on November 18, 2011 12:00 PM
47 Comments
A lot of people are still a bit touchy about eggs following last year's salmonella outbreak and subsequent massive recall. Thus, when the folks at McDonald's saw an upcoming ABC News report on — and learned of an FDA warning against — one of their major egg suppliers, the fast food giant decided it was time to take its business elsewhere. More »
Restaurant Cook Decides That Giving Sake To A 2-Year-Old Is A Good Idea
By Chris Morran on November 16, 2011 12:00 PM
113 Comments
We've written a number of stories — like this one, or this one, or even this one — about restaurants accidentally serving booze to children. But here's the tale of a cook at a Japanese restaurant in Ohio who was arrested because he's alleged to have knowingly squirted some sake into the mouth of a 2-year-old diner. More »
Higher Calorie, Higher Alcohol 'Bud Light Platinum' To Start Getting People Drunk In January
By Chris Morran on November 10, 2011 12:15 PM
61 Comments
For those who think their light beer doesn't have enough calories — or enough alcohol — the folks at Anheuser-Busch InBev think they have the solution: Bud Light Platinum, which only has 8 fewer calories per serving than Budweiser, but is a full percentage point higher on the alcohol by volume scale. More »
Customer Finds Live Tree Frog In Salad Bought At Costco
By Chris Morran on November 2, 2011 1:45 PM
96 Comments
Everyone knows you're supposed to rinse out your salad to get rid of any dirt before you chow down, but the food safety folks rarely mention the presence of frogs. So you can imagine the surprise that one California woman had on Monday when she spotted a living croaker in the salad she'd just bought from Costco. More »
FDA Trying To Protect Us From Salmonella By Testing Pet Food
By Chris Morran on November 1, 2011 2:30 PM
25 Comments
Salmonella is a nasty little pathogen that can get into your home in any number of ways. That's why the Food and Drug Administration has begun testing pet food, treats and supplements for Salmonella in an effort to keep the bacteria at bay. More »
Judge Allows Big Sugar's False Advertising Lawsuit Against "Corn Sugar" To Move Forward
By Chris Morran on October 24, 2011 11:40 AM
35 Comments
It's been nearly six months since we first reported on the false advertising lawsuit filed by a group of sugar companies against the makers of the ad campaign to rebrand controversial sweetener high fructose corn syrup as "corn sugar." Well, there has finally been some movement in the case as a judge declared on Friday that the federal portion of the suit can move forward. More »
Panel Suggests Energy Star-Like Labeling System For Sugar, Fats & Sodium In Food
By Chris Morran on October 20, 2011 3:15 PM
46 Comments
When you inspect the nutrition info on a package of food, it provides all sorts of information — grams of sugar and fat, milligrams of sodium — but consumers may not know exactly whether those numbers are high or low. That's why a U.S. Institute of Medicine — at the behest of Congress and the Centers for Disease Control — has suggested a rating system for food that is not unlike the Energy Star system used for appliances. More »
FDA: Dirty Equipment Likely Responsible For Deadly Cantaloupes
By Chris Morran on October 19, 2011 3:37 PM
35 Comments
While authorities are still investigating the source of the listeria-tainted cantaloupe outbreak that killed 25 people and sickened more than 100 others, the FDA now believes that puddled water and dirty packing equipment is the likely culprit. More »
Delicious Accident Leaves Highway Covered In Cake
By Chris Morran on October 13, 2011 1:15 PM
53 Comments
We've written plenty of stories about delicious desserts that can do damage to your system if you overindulge, but here's one about how these treats clogged up an entirely different kind of artery. More »
Horizon Organic Sued Over Claims That Its Milk Is Good For Your Brain
By Chris Morran on October 4, 2011 11:15 AM
75 Comments
We all know that milk does a body good — or at least that's what they say in the commercials — but a new lawsuit claims that one of the nation's largest producers of organic dairy products is greatly overstating the brain health benefits of some of its milk offerings. More »
Four Loko Changing Cans To Show How Many Beers You Would Actually Need To Drink To Get The Same Buzz
By Chris Morran on October 3, 2011 1:51 PM
86 Comments
For some reason, the makers of Four Loko have been downplaying the amount of alcohol in their big, candy-colored cans. And so today, as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the makers of Four Loko agreed to new labeling that will more accurately let buyers know just how drunk they can get on a single can. More »
Kraft Recalls 137,000 Velveeta Shells & Cheese Cups Because Thin Pieces Of Wire Are Not Part Of Your Daily Diet
By Chris Morran on September 30, 2011 2:45 PM
17 Comments
Kraft Foods has announced a recall of three varieties of Velveeta Shells & Cheese single serve microwaveable cups as a precaution due to the "possible presence of small, thin wire bristle pieces." More »
Zoka Coffee Responds To FDA Warning Letter
By Chris Morran on September 30, 2011 11:15 AM
64 Comments
Yesterday, we reported how Seattle-based coffee seller Zoka Coffee had received a warning letter from the FDA regarding an April inspection that discovered more than a few rodent feces. After the story was posted, Zoka reached out to Consumerist to give its side of the story. More »
FDA Warns Seattle-Based Coffee Company That Rat Poo Is Not Part Of A Seasonal Blend
By Chris Morran on September 29, 2011 3:15 PM
44 Comments
UPDATE: Both Zoka and the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture have responded to Consumerist regarding the situation. More »
(kmacp)
131,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef Sold At Kroger Recalled Because E. Coli Doesn't Make For Good Seasoning
By Maggie Shader on September 28, 2011 2:15 PM
30 Comments
Tyson Fresh Meats is recalling approximately 131,300 pounds of ground beef products sold at Kroger because of possible E. coli contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. More »
Why Did My Walmart Change The 'Use By' Date On My Beef?
By Chris Morran on September 27, 2011 12:15 PM
124 Comments
What's a grocery store to do when an expensive piece of beef goes unsold by the time it's reached its "Use/Freeze By" date? Consumerist reader William believes he caught his Walmart simply slapping a new sticker with a new date on top of the old one. More »
Washington State Inspectors "Deeply Concerned" About Undercooked Beef At Burger King
By Chris Morran on September 8, 2011 2:30 PM
55 Comments
While most people are used to the grayish, overcooked burgers often served at fast food mega-chains, inspectors for the Washington Dept. of Health have found what they call a "disturbing trend" of undercooked beef being served at Burger King. More »
Ben & Jerry's Introduces "Schweddy Balls" Flavor Ice Cream
By Chris Morran on September 8, 2011 9:15 AM
46 Comments
Don't know about you, but when we think about holiday treats, our minds veer toward a special snack created by Pete Schweddy, owner of Seasons Eatings. Apparently, the folks at Ben & Jerry's have heard about this delectable delight too and are introducing a Schweddy Balls flavor of ice cream. More »
(Denny's)
Denny's 1,690-Calorie Sandwich Tops Beef Patty With Mac & Cheese
By Phil Villarreal on September 1, 2011 10:15 AM
103 Comments
If you've always been annoyed at how difficult it is to wedge bites of a patty melt and macaroni and cheese into your mouth at the same time, Denny's pants-splitting Mac 'N Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt is your sandwich. More »
(Karim M)
60,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef Recalled Because E.Coli Doesn't Make For A Good Burger
By Maggie Shader on August 15, 2011 3:15 PM
56 Comments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a recall of more than 60,000 pounds of ground beef because of possible E. coli contamination. The recalled meat was produced by the Kansas-based National Beef Packing Company and shipped to stores nationwide. More »
For Some Reason, The 'Bacon-Egger' Egg Salad Sandwich Never Caught On
By Laura Northrup on August 12, 2011 9:00 AM
49 Comments
One dish conspicuously missing from our modern bacon-crazed menus is the "Bacon-Egger." What's that, you say? Not a breakfast item, as it is at some establishments, but a sandwich. An open-faced egg salad sandwich with strips of bacon, olives, and celery. Featured in a 1965 7-Up ad, it apparently goes well with a bottle of 7-Up. Or, to translate that into ad copy, the soda's "frisky taste and lively sparkle give every bite 'first bite' excitement!" More »
CDC: One Dead, 76 Sick, From Salmonella-fied Ground Turkey
By Chris Morran on August 2, 2011 12:15 PM
40 Comments
There is some tainted turkey making the rounds, as more than 75 people in at least 26 states have gotten salmonella poisoning from chowing down on the ground-up gobbler. And according to the Centers for Disease Control, which has yet to ID the source of the foul fowl, at least one person has died. More »
Excuse Me, I Ordered My Pizza Hut Pie Sans Bloody Bandage
By Mary Beth Quirk on August 1, 2011 11:45 AM
46 Comments
I said no anchovies and no bloody bandage! A Pizza Hut customer says when he bit into his supreme pizza pie he got a mouthful of bloodied plastic and gauze surprise. More »
MGD 64 Lemonade Dies An Early Death
By Chris Morran on July 26, 2011 4:15 PM
63 Comments
Earlier this year, the MillerCoors marketing machine decided that people really wanted a lemonade version of its successful MGD 64 low-calorie beer. Alas, there must have been a mistake in the algorithm and after only a few months on shelves, the beverage is no more. More »
Incredibly Rare Yellow Lobster Shows Up At Wegmans
By Chris Morran on July 19, 2011 4:50 PM
92 Comments
The staff at the Wegmans grocery store in Pittsford, NY, hit the lottery earlier this week — well, the seafood lottery at least — when they discovered an incredibly rare yellow lobster among the other clawed crustaceans in its Monday delivery. More »
Cheesecake Factory Once Again Dominates List Of Most Calorific Menu Items
By Chris Morran on July 19, 2011 3:33 PM
78 Comments
Once again, the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest have taken a look around that the menus of this nation's restaurant chains to identify those items that seem so yummy on paper, so long as you're not actually reading the nutrition info. More »
Meat From Radioactive Cows Sold In Japan
By Chris Morran on July 12, 2011 2:15 PM
53 Comments
Four months following the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan and caused a disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the Japanese government has confirmed that a bit of cesium-contaminated beef from that region has made its way to groceries and likely to the dinner plates of consumers. More »
Tequila-Spiked Smoothies Served To Trio Of Children At Chili's
By Chris Morran on July 7, 2011 6:45 PM
82 Comments
Someone at a Chili's in Colorado made a big oopsy over the holiday weekend by serving up three fruit smoothies loaded with tequila to a trio of youngsters. More »
777-Pound Burger Is World's Largest
By Phil Villarreal on July 6, 2011 10:15 AM
25 Comments
Just a few days ago, some scrappy Canadians held the Guinness World Record for largest hamburger, but now an American concoction has flattened the previous record holder like so much Canadian bacon. Weighing in at 777 pounds, overwhelming the previous titlist's 590 pounds, Juicy's Outlaw Burger set the new record Saturday at the Alameda County Fair in California. It took six people to lug the bun on top to complete the monstrosity. More »
Dole Recalls Some Bag Salads Because Listeria Isn't Part Of The "Italian Blend"
By Chris Morran on June 23, 2011 1:15 PM
28 Comments
The folks at Dole have announced a recall of certain batches of its Italian Blend bag salads — including those it makes under the Kroger Fresh Selections Italian Style Blend name for the Kroger grocery store chain — over concern of possible Listeria contamination. More »
No More Chocolate Milk, Corn Dogs Or Chicken Nuggets For L.A. School Students
By Chris Morran on June 15, 2011 12:14 PM
303 Comments
Almost a year ago, as school boards across the country began to ponder whether or not to keep chocolate milk on students' lunch menus, we asked readers for their opinions, and 75% of you said that the milky, chocolatey childhood fave should continue to be offered, at least part of the time. The folks at the Los Angeles Unified School District disagree, voting yesterday to take away chocolate milk and other goodies from students at the second largest school district in the nation. More »
800 NYC Restaurants Caught Trying To Hide Sub-Par Health Inspection Grades
By Chris Morran on June 15, 2011 11:35 AM
42 Comments
Last summer, the New York City Board of Health began requiring all restaurants to post the letter-grade results of their latest health inspections. But a large number of eateries with non-A marks opted either to not post their grade or post it in a spot where no one could see it. More »
Dispatches From San Diego's Deep-Fried Dystopia
By Laura Northrup on June 10, 2011 12:45 PM
43 Comments
With our fingers on the feeble pulse of the latest news in junk food, we at Consumerist headquarters wait anxiously every year to hear what they're frying at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, California. Later fairs nationwide are sure to follow suit. New this year: deep-fried Girl Scout cookies and deep-fried Kool-Aid. Don't worry, you can still get the boring old classics like fried Krispy Kreme chicken sandwiches and fried Klondike bars. More »
(БРАТСТВО)
Teens Test Limits Of Denny's All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Deal With 24-Hour Chow-A-Thon
By Chris Morran on June 1, 2011 1:30 PM
85 Comments
The true value of any all-you-can-eat deal depends on just how much food you're able to funnel down your gullet while you're sitting at the table. But seven teenagers in California most certainly got the most out of their dining dollar last weekend when they gorged on hundreds of pancakes at a local Denny's over the course of 24 hours, and all for $5 each. More »
(Oceana)
DNA Tests Find "Disturbingly Widespread" Seafood Fraud
By Marc Perton on May 27, 2011 10:45 AM
90 Comments
If you've long suspected that the "mahi-mahi" on your plate may really be yellowtail, you now have science on your side: Researchers with the non-profit group Oceana have harnessed the power of forensic science to confirm that as much as half of all seafood sold in the U.S. is mislabeled. The group accuses the industry of "seafood fraud," and is calling on the federal government to step in to more tightly regulate fisheries and related businesses. More »
Entenmann's Pop'Ems Recalled In Four States For Mold Concerns
By Chris Morran on May 13, 2011 1:30 PM
16 Comments
Bimbo Bakeries doesn't just have an amazing name, it's also the company that makes, among other products, Entenmann's donuts. Alas, Bimbo has had to issue a recall for three different varieties of both Entenmann's Pop'Ems donuts and its Bimbo Donitas. More »
Popeyes Franchise Goes Bust, Leaves Behind Stinky Fly-Filled Building
By Chris Morran on May 6, 2011 11:45 AM
52 Comments
The former operators of a Popeyes chicken joint in Brooklyn have managed to anger an entire neighborhood. After the restaurant went bust, the franchisee apparently decided to leave a mess than can be smelled for miles around. More »
Advertisers Fire Back At Government Over Proposed Food Marketing Guidelines
By Chris Morran on April 29, 2011 1:30 PM
93 Comments
Yesterday we wrote about the proposed guidelines put forth by a federal interagency working group regarding the marketing of food to children. The "principles" asked for food companies to market products with healthier ingredients and gave suggested limits on things like fat and sodium. The ad industry is less-than-pleased by the news. More »
Big Sugar Sues Big Corn Over "Corn Sugar" Ad Campaign For HFCS
By Chris Morran on April 28, 2011 4:49 PM
102 Comments
Last year, the Corn Refiners Association began a campaign to rebrand controversial sweetener high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as "corn sugar." Well that has managed to rankle the folks behind non-corn sugar, who say it is false advertising and have now taken their complaint to a U.S. District Court. More »
Government Proposes New Guidelines For Marketing Food To Kids
By Chris Morran on April 28, 2011 3:30 PM
107 Comments
Earlier today, an interagency working group consisting of folks from the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, and the Dept. of Agriculture, issued a set of "proposed voluntary principles" it hopes the food industry will ultimately adopt in its marketing to the youth of America. More »
Dual-Chambered Slurpee Cup Keeps The Mountain Dew Apart From The Fanta Orange Until Just The Right Time
By Chris Morran on April 20, 2011 12:15 PM
63 Comments
If, like me, you grew up playing Mad Scientist by creating various frozen-drink Frankensteins with the Slurpee machine at 7-Eleven, then this news might be of interest. More »
Mother Claims 4-Year-Old Served Boozy Mudslide Instead Of Milkshake At Chili's
By Laura Northrup on April 19, 2011 2:00 PM
143 Comments
There might be something wrong when a 4-year-old child doesn't want to finish a chocolate milkshake. A mother in Chicago claims that her daughter didn't want to finish her shake at Chili's because it was actually the sweet, boozy chocolaty concoction known as a Mudslide. The child was diagnosed with alcohol ingestion overdose, but did she take in the booze at Chili's? More »
Olive Garden Serves Sangria To Toddler In Sippy Cup
By Laura Northrup on April 15, 2011 9:30 AM
61 Comments
The past month has been a booze-fueled haze for the nation's toddlers at chain restaurants. After a Michigan child received a cup full of alcoholic margarita mix instead of apple juice at an Applebee's, a Florida Olive Garden filled a toddler's cup with sangria instead of orange juice. The child was checked out at a local hospital and was unharmed. More »
Woman Buys Milk With Free Bonus Insects, Complains For Some Reason
By Laura Northrup on April 6, 2011 11:00 AM
60 Comments
American consumers are so ungrateful. An Indiana woman bought a gallon of Great Value house-brand milk at Walmart that included a delicious selection of flour bugs. She's currently pregnant, so why didn't she appreciate the extra protein? She declined the store's offer of replacement milk, and wants a refund. More »
Jennie-O Recalls 55,000 Pounds Of Turkey Burger Because Salmonella Isn't Very Good For You
By Chris Morran on April 4, 2011 9:00 AM
18 Comments
Lots of people are always going on about how turkey burgers are healthier for you than beef, but that doesn't appear to be the case for the nearly 55,000 pounds of raw turkey burger that Jennie-O has had to recall over worries about possible salmonella poisoning. More »
Is 5-Hour Energy Any Better At Keeping You Awake Than Coffee?
By Chris Morran on March 31, 2011 2:30 PM
132 Comments
Do you know what 2:30 feels like? The makers of 5-Hour Energy may have made a commercial worthy of a Worst Ad In America nomination, but that hasn't stopped the pick-me-up from being the top seller in the $800 million/year energy shot market. But our sensible siblings at Consumer Reports Health wanted to find out if the concoction was any better at keeping you awake than a cup of coffee. More »
(flaimo)
Lawsuit: Man's Monster Energy Drink Flavored With Dead Mouse
By Laura Northrup on March 30, 2011 11:00 AM
52 Comments
A man in Washington state hasn't consumed a beverage from a can in more than a year. It's hard to blame him: he claims that more than a year ago, he discovered a mouse at the bottom of his Monster energy drink. Now he's suing Hansen Beverage Company, the maker of Monster. His lawyer and Monster's insurer ran tests, and independent lab results prove the mouse's identity. More »
Baby Formula Is A Prized Item For Shoplifting Rings, Drug Smugglers
By Mary Beth Quirk on March 30, 2011 10:15 AM
90 Comments
Raise your hand if you're surprised to hear that baby formula is a popular choice of not only shoplifting rings, but drug smugglers who use it to cut heroin and cocaine. Yes, we're shocked, too! More »
Even More "Toxic Waste" Candy Lives Up To Its Branding
By Chris Morran on March 28, 2011 1:30 PM
21 Comments
In January, the people behind the Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge candy bars announced a not-that-surprising recall for possible lead contamination. And in keeping with the company's brand message, more candy has been recalled for the same reason. More »
Food Dyes May Exacerbate Hyperactive Behavior In Some Kids
By Meg Marco on March 28, 2011 1:15 PM
77 Comments
It has long been suspected that kids with ADHD might be having some sort of reaction to common synthetic food dyes — but now the FDA is going to formally consider any links between the dyes and hyperactivity in children, including over 30 different studies on the topic. More »
(afagen)
Man Gives Up All Sustenance Except For Beer & Water During Lent
By Chris Morran on March 11, 2011 12:30 PM
84 Comments
To everyone who thought you couldn't have a less healthy diet than that of The McRunner, meet the Iowa man who says he's going to consume nothing but beer and water for the entirety of Lent. More »
Did PepsiCo Leave Cap'n Crunch Adrift At Sea?
By Phil Villarreal on March 10, 2011 1:15 PM
67 Comments
A seafaring high commander of morning goodness for decades, Cap'n Crunch may now be walking the plank, because PepsiCo apparently hasn't so much as put out a press release about the cereal since 2007. More »
Some Skippy Peanut Butter Recalled Over Possible Salmonella Contamination
By Chris Morran on March 7, 2011 3:58 AM
20 Comments
The folks at Unilever, with a little help from the FDA, have announced a recall of certain jars of Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread, because these products may be contaminated with everyone's favorite pathogen, Salmonella. More »
Coke Pulls Some Products From Shelves For "Off Taste"
By Chris Morran on March 4, 2011 1:15 PM
33 Comments
Some retailers in the St. Louis area are being asked to pull a variety of Coca-Cola products off the shelves because of a "slight off taste." More »
Man Claims He Found Maggots In McDonald's Big Mac
By Chris Morran on March 2, 2011 1:30 PM
35 Comments
A McDonald's customer in Melbourne, Australia, claims he got a most unwelcome add-on to his Big Mac: maggots. More »
Doctor: 5-Second Rule Should Become 0-Second Rule
By Phil Villarreal on March 2, 2011 9:45 AM
118 Comments
We've written many times about science's ongoing war on the 5-second rule. Despite evidence that you really shouldn't eat food you drop on the ground, only 20 percent of voters in our poll last year said they trash food that's taken the plunge. More »
Pizzeria Owner Arrested For Releasing Mice In Competing Shops
By Chris Morran on March 1, 2011 12:15 PM
34 Comments
The owner of a Philadelphia-area pizzeria got served a slice of cold, hard justice yesterday when he was caught allegedly trying to release mice at two competing pizza shops. More »
Breast Milk Ice Cream Confiscated From London Shop
By Chris Morran on February 28, 2011 4:45 PM
66 Comments
When we wrote about the London ice cream shop that had made a frozen treat from human breast milk, some readers wondered about the legality and/or safety of such a product. Well, they weren't alone, as local authorities decided to confiscate the ice cream until those questions were resolved. More »
(tomms)
Blogger Finds Over 400 Expired Items On Dominick's Shelves
By Mary Beth Quirk on February 25, 2011 10:15 AM
70 Comments
Keep your eyes sharp, Chicago grocery shoppers: A local blogger discovered cartloads of goods past the expiration date at a few Dominick's in her area. More »
London Ice Cream Shop To Offer Scoops Of Frozen Breast Milk
By Chris Morran on February 24, 2011 4:15 PM
93 Comments
If you've ever wondered what ice cream made from human breast milk might taste like, a London shop will soon have the answer. More »
(DQD)
American Beverage Association Responds To Call For Ban On Caramel Coloring In Cola
By Chris Morran on February 18, 2011 3:30 PM
73 Comments
Earlier this week, the Center For Science In The Public Interest petitioned the FDA to ban two forms of caramel coloring, claiming that the ammonia and sulfites used in the creation of the products results in allegedly carcinogenic chemicals making their way into the resulting food and drink. Consumerist reached out to Coca-Cola and Pepsi to get their side of the story, but were instead passed on to the American Beverage Association, which offered its own version of things. More »
Family Sues Disney, Says Too-Hot Nacho Cheese Burned Son
By Chris Morran on February 17, 2011 4:45 PM
168 Comments
A family in California has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney World, alleging that the nacho cheese served at one of its restaurants was so hot it scalded their 4-year-old son. More »
CSPI Asks FDA To Ban Caramel Coloring Used In Coke, Pepsi And Other Stuff You Like
By Chris Morran on February 17, 2011 9:15 AM
130 Comments
Yesterday, the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest sent a petition to the Food & Drug Administration, demanding that the "caramel coloring" commonly used in sodas like Coke and Pepsi be banned because they claim it contains a pair of carcinogenic chemicals. More »
(avlxyz)
The Secret Economy Behind Free Food Samples
By Marc Perton on February 15, 2011 4:30 PM
90 Comments
The next time you see free food samples at the local supermarket, take a closer look at what's being served and how it's presented. You could be on the receiving end of an elaborate and expensive offering cooked up by a clever retailer — or may be getting leftovers that are about to hit their expiration date. More »
Eggs Today Contain Less Cholesterol Than They Did A Few Years Ago
By Chris Morran on February 9, 2011 1:15 PM
71 Comments
It's been a rough few months for eggs, following a massive salmonella-related recall. But there is a slight bit of decent news for the chicken ova industry: The eggs being popped into folks' frying pans today aren't as bad for your arteries as they were not so long ago. More »
(joyosity)
Strange, This Yogurt Sample Tastes Just Like Semen
By Laura Northrup on January 28, 2011 8:00 AM
176 Comments
Earlier this week, a shopper in a New Mexico grocery store received a free sample of yogurt. She tasted it, then immediately spat it out on the floor and called the police. The woman told police that the yogurt tasted like it contained a "bodily fluid." Specifically, semen. More »
Why Won't Burger King Share Its "X-Tra Long" Burgers With America?
By Chris Morran on January 26, 2011 12:15 PM
63 Comments
The next time your snooty European friend goes off on a rant about obese, burger-eating Americans blah blah blah, you can just shut him up by pointing to these super-long beasts from Burger King that are not available stateside. More »
(SCHMEGGA)
Would You Eat A Lion-Meat Taco?
January 20, 2011 3:45 PM
105 Comments
Boca, an Arizona restaurant that has served tacos featuring the meat of alligators, elk, kangaroos and rattlesnakes, has upped the ante with its latest Exotic Taco Wednesday offering: Next month, the restaurant will offer lion tacos. We're prepared to taste-test the king of the jungle and report back here, if you want us to. Vote inside. More »
The Cheesecake Factory: Where 150 Calories Is A "Skinny" Drink
By Chris Morran on January 18, 2011 12:20 PM
59 Comments
Last spring, the folks at the Cheesecake Factory were responsible for two of the nine items on this list of the most calorific meals in America. Perhaps the restaurant chain can't fit into its pants anymore, because it is about to introduce a line of (somewhat) slimmed-down cocktails to go with your 2,500-calorie pasta entree. More »
Gag Me Or Gimme More? Burger King's Cheese & Jalapeno-Stuffed Burger
By Chris Morran on January 11, 2011 12:15 PM
71 Comments
The idea of jalapenos and cheddar cheese on a Burger King burger doesn't sound so bad (unless you're not a fan of any one of those three things), but judging by the picture of BK's new Stuffed Steakhouse burger, we're not quite sure if the fast food chain made the right decision to actually put the peppers and cheese into the burger itself. More »
Women Laugh Alone With Salad, But Chocolate Makes Us Sexy
By Meg Marco on January 5, 2011 3:30 PM
25 Comments
Here's what I've learned today from stock photos: I've never watched myself eating chocolate, but apparently I'm making a sexy face while I'm doing it. When I eat salad, I probably laugh, even if I'm alone. More »
1 In 6 Americans Getting Sick From Food-Borne Illnesses
By Chris Morran on December 16, 2010 11:22 AM
58 Comments
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control says that even while there have been inroads against the spread of some food-borne illnesses, one out of every six Americans will catch some type of food-borne illness each year. More »
Keeping Brooklyn's Bees Out Of The Red Dye No. 40
By Chris Morran on December 1, 2010 4:30 PM
35 Comments
Remember those bees in Brooklyn that were pumping out a bright red honey thanks to the presence of a nearby maraschino cherry factory (and its vast amounts of super-sweet HFCS colored with Red Dye No. 40)? Well that factory is now working with bee experts to figure out a way to keep the buzzers out of the syrup without calling the exterminator. More »
Brooklyn Bees Now Producing Honey With Red Dye No. 40
By Chris Morran on November 30, 2010 4:30 PM
55 Comments
Honey bees are the epitome of DIY all-natual wholesome food goodness. But don't try to tell that to beekeepers in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn whose bees have been putting out a glowing red secretion, complete with Red Dye No. 40. More »
Chef Tries, Succeeds In Making Better Meat Munchkin Than Dunkin' Donuts
By Chris Morran on November 30, 2010 3:40 PM
27 Comments
Earlier this month, Dunkin' Donuts launched a new sausage-in-dough-with-maple-syrup product they call "sausage pancake bites," but which many have just taken to calling "meat munchkins." But one NYC food blogger, unhappy with the results of his taste test, challenged a real restaurant chef to go DD one better. More »
Is Today The Last Day To Eat Your Thanksgiving Leftovers?
By Chris Morran on November 29, 2010 1:21 PM
55 Comments
Surely most have you have finished picking the carcass of your Thanksgiving turkey of all things edible. But for those of you who still have some bird meat sitting in your fridge — today is the deadline for eating them without putting yourself at risk. More »
Is Booze-Infused Whipped Cream The Next Four Loko?
By Chris Morran on November 29, 2010 12:50 PM
52 Comments
With caffeinated malt beverages coming under fire from the FDA and other buzzkills, a hole has been created for those who are tired of just getting their booze the old-fashioned way... A hole that is being filled by the makers of alcohol-infused whipped cream. More »
So What Does A $777 Burger Actually Taste Like?
By Chris Morran on November 24, 2010 3:02 PM
52 Comments
For some reason we can't fathom, our siblings at Consumer Reports didn't include the $777 burger at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas in its survey of the country's best and worst burgers. So it was left up to the folks at NPR to try out the high-priced hamburger for those of us who either can't afford or would never, ever in a million years spend that much on a food product. More »
E. Coli Tainted Cheese Isn't Only Sold At Costco
By Chris Morran on November 24, 2010 12:21 PM
10 Comments
A couple weeks back we told you about some Gouda cheese sold at Costco that had been recalled after being linked to an outbreak of E. Coli. And then last week, it was the same thing, just with gorgonzola. Now the company that produced the Gouda cheese has recalled all of their cheeses, regardless of where they were sold. More »
The 5 Stupidest Questions People Ask The Butterball Turkey Hotline
By Chris Morran on November 23, 2010 5:15 PM
103 Comments
If you've ever wondered why companies like Butterball have a Turkey Talk-Line to help people cook a bird that, in theory, shouldn't require all that much effort, here are some examples why. More »
Gastroenterologists Warn That Thanksgiving Can Make You Sick
November 23, 2010 2:00 PM
40 Comments
If you're a regular reader of Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, you already know about this, but just in case you've allowed your subscription to lapse, here's a word of warning: you may get heartburn from your Thanksgiving dinner. You can thank us later. More »
Thanks But No Thanks For The Raw McRib
By Chris Morran on November 22, 2010 1:20 PM
80 Comments
You probably never wanted to see what the insides of a raw McDonald's McRib sandwich looked like. Neither did Consumerist reader Russell, but he didn't really have a say in the matter. More »
Bans, Controversy Spark Four Loko Buying Run
By Phil Villarreal on November 19, 2010 9:45 AM
63 Comments
Ah, the taste of forbidden fruit... juice flavor mixed with caffeine and alcohol. Since states and municipalities started banning Four Loko and the Food and Drug Administration classified caffeine as an unsafe additive to malt liquor, stores can't keep the stuff on shelves. In response to the FDA ultimatum, the beverage maker has pledged to drop caffeine from the drink, but the original article is still out there. More »
(Erik R. Trinidad. ©2010 Trinimation)
How To Turn A McRib Into A Hawaiian Thanksgiving
By Chris Morran on November 18, 2010 4:20 PM
26 Comments
With only a couple weeks to go before the McRib disappears into obscurity again, true fans of the pork-ish McDonald's sandwich are trying to get their fill. And now, thanks to Erik Trinidad, the mad genius behind Fancy Fast Food, they can even enjoy their favorite treat on Thanksgiving. More »
FDA Warns Makers Of Alcoholic Energy Drinks
By Chris Morran on November 17, 2010 1:46 PM
63 Comments
Earlier today, there was speculation that the FDA might issue a declaration that effectively bans alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine and other stimulants. While the agency opted to not go to such lengths, it did announce that caffeine added to malt liquor qualifies as an "unsafe food additive" and sent warning letters to the makers of seven different drinks, giving them 15 days to come up with a plan for remedying the violation. More »
Is A Ban Needed On Alcoholic Energy Drinks?
By Chris Morran on November 17, 2010 11:30 AM
120 Comments
Reports say the the Food & Drug Administration is planning to announce today that caffeine is an unsafe food additive in alcoholic drinks. This would effectively ban a whole range of products like Four Loko, Joose and Sparks, which market themselves as a sort of boozed-up energy drink. More »
Watch A Man Subject Himself To Four Loko In The Name Of Journalism
By Meg Marco on November 16, 2010 3:20 PM
59 Comments
There's been a lot of talk lately about Four Loko and whether or not the mix of energy drink and alcohol is dangerous or irresponsible. There's also some concern about whether or not the beverage is marketed to kids. One brave soul decided to subject himself to several cans of the potent potable, then tested his ability to recite Shakespeare, play Call of Duty, and flirt with a lady. Let's watch. More »
Chef Doesn't Quite Appreciate Reviews From Inbred, Jobless, Bored Yelp Users
By Chris Morran on November 10, 2010 1:20 PM
110 Comments
Some people don't like to be criticized, especially when the criticism comes from amateurs and when said criticism can have an impact on their income. Just ask the chef at a restaurant in Denver who has kicked up a crap storm after unleashing his true feelings about Yelp.com reviewers. More »
Professor Drops 27 Pounds In 10 Weeks On 'Twinkie Diet'
By Chris Morran on November 8, 2010 1:10 PM
113 Comments
In an attempt to prove that caloric intake is the main factor in weight loss, a nutrition professor at Kansas State University has been subsisting on mostly Twinkies and other snack foods for 10 weeks. More »
Bacon, Hot Dogs, French Fries, Cheese, Gravy, French Toast And Maple Syrup Combine In 'Angry French Canadian'
By Chris Morran on November 5, 2010 3:45 PM
47 Comments
A couple days ago, we asked you to describe the best sandwich ever, but little did we know that the same guys behind the world's worst pizza had already been working on something they call the Angry French Canadian. More »
What Is The Most Perfect Sandwich On Earth?
November 3, 2010 3:40 PM
149 Comments
Yes, yesterday was election day and blah blah democracy and all that. But what many have overlooked in all that hype is that today is National Sandwich Day. More »
(j.buck)
Man Dies After Ingesting Enough Caffeine For 70 Energy Drinks
By Chris Morran on November 2, 2010 12:00 PM
132 Comments
A 23-year-old man in the UK has passed away after he reportedly ingested "spoonfuls" of powdered caffeine at a party. More »
Don't Toss Those Halloween Candy Wrappers Just Yet
By Chris Morran on November 1, 2010 2:20 PM
25 Comments
Even if you didn't go trick-or-treating last night, there's a decent chance you have some candy and chocolate sitting around the house. Perhaps you're like some Consumerist staffers who just can't help but be tempted by the bulk bags of Kit Kats that go on sale at their local Walgreens? Regardless, before you toss those empty wrappers in the garbage, you might want to consider using them to help out a good cause. More »
Meet Pumpple Cake, The Perfect Dessert To Go With Turducken
By Chris Morran on October 29, 2010 12:15 PM
38 Comments
If a simple slice of pie or cake just isn't complicated enough after you've gourged on the chicken-in-a-duck-in-a-turkey poulty Voltron known as turducken, then here's a dessert for you. Meet Pummple Cake, which combines two kinds of fruit pies (apple and pumpkin) with two kinds of cake (vanilla and chocolate) into one divine mess — and at only 1,800 calories a slice. More »
Study: Credit Cards Are Making You Fat
By Chris Morran on October 28, 2010 12:15 PM
52 Comments
No, it's not that second Baconator I ate yesterday or the 6-pack of Schlitz I had afterward that's causing my clothes not to fit anymore. It's the credit card I used to pay for them — or at least that what the authors of a new study are theorizing. More »
Why Can't We Have The Nacho Whopper Or The McArabia Here In The U.S.?
By Chris Morran on October 25, 2010 11:40 AM
64 Comments
Sure, here in these United States we've got a White Castle that will serve you noodles and a Burger King that makes a Whopper bigger than your head, but the grass is always greener — and the food always more interesting — on the other side of the fence, right? More »
KFC, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell And A&W Combine To Make The World's Worst Pizza
By Chris Morran on October 20, 2010 4:45 PM
43 Comments
In June, we wrote about the Frankenburger, an experiment in which the Village Voice attempted to form a Voltron sandwich from the best bits of many fast food burgers. But the folks behind this video seem to be on the hunt for the most atrocious combination of fast foods — and they just might have succeeded. More »
(cavale)
Is Olde English Truly The Worst Beer?
By Chris Morran on October 20, 2010 2:16 PM
130 Comments
While Budweiser may be going to desperate lengths to remind beer drinkers it exists, it can rest easy in the fact that it's not the world's worst beer — at least according to a poll on RateBeer.com. More »
6 Nasty Things The FDA Found At Facility Behind Recalled Eggs
By Chris Morran on October 19, 2010 4:30 PM
60 Comments
The FDA has released the warning letter it recently sent to Quality Egg, one of the facilities behind the massive egg recall in August. And while some things are redacted — mostly details from Quality's plan to get back up to snuff — the letter contains more than its fair share of stomach-churning imagery. More »
Study: Gloves No Substitute For Hand-Washing When It Comes To Food Prep
By Chris Morran on October 13, 2010 2:15 PM
52 Comments
If seeing your food cooked and handled by someone sporting a pair of latex gloves gives you a sense of security, the results of a new study in the Journal of Food Protection might give you pause. More »
Dept. Of Agriculture Wants To Trick Kids Into Eating Better
By Chris Morran on October 12, 2010 4:15 PM
144 Comments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture really wants kids to eat better, especially during school lunches where parents have a lesser impact on what their children shove down their gullets. To that extent, it is spending $2 million researching how to trick them into picking healthier meal options. More »
Watch A Man Eat As Much Sugar As Is In A 20 Oz. Soft Drink
By Meg Marco on October 6, 2010 3:45 PM
88 Comments
Well, this is gross. It's the sequel to the notorious "Man drinking fat" commercial from the New York City Department of Health. More »
What Every Child Needs For Christmas: A $15,000 Gingerbread House
By Chris Morran on October 6, 2010 12:15 PM
59 Comments
For the child who has everything except an edible playhouse, the folks at Neiman Marcus have just the thing — a 6-foot-tall gingerbread house. And don't worry about the cost, because it can be all yours for the low, low price of $15,000. More »
If This Snickers Lady Scares The Crap Out Of You, You Are Not Alone
By Meg Marco on October 5, 2010 3:45 PM
59 Comments
Look, there's nothing really to report here other than lots of people are scared of this commercial, and I'm one of them. That's clearly what they were going for, so bravo to you, Snickers. More »
Does Olive Garden's Deep-Fried Lasagna Count As Food Porn?
By Chris Morran on October 1, 2010 2:15 PM
41 Comments
So far, 2010 has been a big year for lasagna in the world of extreme food news. First, there was the 100-layer lasagna and then the outright unappetizing (at least to those of us who think cheddar has no right being within 3 feet of lasagna) lasagna sandwich. Now the occasionally over-cautious folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest have labeled Olive Garden's deep-fried Lasagna Fritta as "food porn." More »
Can Of Planters Trail Mix Comes With Free Dried Gecko
By Laura Northrup on October 1, 2010 9:00 AM
33 Comments
You never know what you might get the next time you reach into a container of trail mix. Peanut...raisin...dried apricot...sunflower seed...dried gecko. AHHH!!! DRIED GECKO! More »
(NBCLA)
Los Angeles Farmers Markets Full Of Lies, Warehouse Produce
By Chris Walters on September 27, 2010 9:30 AM
111 Comments
If you're in California and need to make a little extra cash, why not buy a bag of baby carrots from the supermarket, throw some potting soil on them, and sell them at your local farmers market as fresh-from-your-farm organic treats? Okay, maybe technically that's not permitted, but who's going to stop you? An NBCLA investigation found vendors at several farmers markets were lying to customers about their produce, and sourcing it from local warehouses instead of their own farms. More »
Similac Baby Formula Recalled Because It May Contain Chunks of Beetle
By Laura Northrup on September 23, 2010 8:00 AM
48 Comments
Certain types of Similac powdered baby formula have been recalled because of, as the FDA delicately puts it, "the remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product." More »
(afagen)
FDA Won't Require 'Genetically Modified' Label On Salmon
By Phil Villarreal on September 21, 2010 3:30 PM
166 Comments
If you're curious about whether the food you're munching on is the product of gene-splicing scientists, don't expect the Food and Drug Administration to allay those fears. More »
Boston Jumping On Anti-Soda Ban-Wagon
By Chris Morran on September 20, 2010 2:15 PM
65 Comments
Life may soon be a little less sweet for city employees in Boston, as officials consider the idea of curbing — or even completely cutting — sales of sugary drinks on city-owned property. More »
Restaurant Makes The Best Out Of Health Department Ding
By Phil Villarreal on September 20, 2010 9:45 AM
39 Comments
A Midtown Manhattan sandwich shop got less than stellar marks from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene decided to integrate its 'B' grade into some inaccurate, possibly ironic advertising. More »
(matneym)
'Priest Choker,' 'Limping Susan' Are Foods, Not Sex Positions
By Phil Villarreal on September 17, 2010 9:15 AM
47 Comments
It says something that many of the dishes on Woman's Day's roundup of 10 oddly-named foods are from England. Spotted dick — a pudding and fruit muffin dessert — made its acquaintance to many American children of the early 1990s when it was introduced in the movie King Ralph and has tormented their minds ever since. More »
McDonald's Serves Customer A Used Burger
By Chris Morran on September 16, 2010 2:30 PM
144 Comments
If car companies and Ikea can make money selling pre-owned products, why not McDonald's? Oh yeah... that would be disgusting. Just ask the Arkansas man who was sold a pre-owned, pre-bitten burger. More »
NY Times: Changing HFCS To 'Corn Sugar' Is A Good Idea
By Chris Morran on September 16, 2010 12:15 PM
173 Comments
As we reported earlier this week, The Corn Refiner's Association has filed a petition with the FDA to get permission to refer to High Fructose Corn Syrup simply as Corn Sugar on food labels. This morning, the editors of the New York Times penned an editorial about the name change — and they're all for it. More »
Demonic Dip Jar Causes Bloodbath
By Phil Villarreal on September 16, 2010 10:15 AM
25 Comments
Personal finance blogger Penny Frugalista spins a campfire tale of how she and her husband were mangled by a stubborn, stabby Tostitos Southwestern Ranch dip jar. More »
Meet The Gold-Dusted Cheese Sandwich You'll Never Pay $172 For
By Chris Morran on September 14, 2010 10:45 AM
37 Comments
Tired of slapping some Kraft singles on Wonder Bread? Have an extra $172 in your pocket? If so, then chef Martin Blunos has what your hankering for — The world's most expensive cheese sandwich. More »
FDA Warns Canada Dry, Lipton Against Making Health Claims On Green Tea Drinks
By Chris Morran on September 8, 2010 12:15 PM
23 Comments
Canada Dry and Lipton have been yellow-carded by referees at at Food and Drug Administration, who have warned the beverage makers of making unauthorized nutrient claims on their green tea drinks. More »
(W)
Truth In Advertising For Pork Rinds?
By Phil Villarreal on September 7, 2010 1:30 PM
37 Comments
W shot this photo at his local grocery store, leaving it a mystery as to exactly which crap-flavored snack the sign is labeling. You can see my guess from the headline, although I wouldn't be surprised at all if the sign is referring to Vienna sausages instead. More »
Organic Food Dominates Non-Organic In Every Way, Science Says
By Phil Villarreal on September 3, 2010 1:15 PM
120 Comments
Score one for the hippies. A study led by a Washington State University soil science professor finds that pesticides and weedkillers reduce nutrition, flavor, shelf life and overall attractiveness of fruits and veggies. More »
(Lynda)
There Are No Nuts In Honey Nut Chex Mix
By Phil Villarreal on September 1, 2010 2:30 PM
60 Comments
Sometimes you feel like a nut but Chex Mix don't. Lynda was annoyed to tear into this bag of Honey Nut Chex Mix to discover not a single nut was in the bag. More »
How Long To Wait Before Trashing Expired Yogurt, Eggs
By Phil Villarreal on September 1, 2010 9:45 AM
72 Comments
Expiration dates on refrigerated food aren't gospel — they're conservative estimates by food manufacturers to ensure you don't get sick from spoiled products. The trick to minimizing food waste is how to know just how long you have to wait to eat food that's past its prime. More »
FDA Finally Inspects Tainted Egg Farms, Discovers They're Unsanitary
By Chris Walters on August 31, 2010 9:12 AM
40 Comments
Conditions at the two salmonella egg farms in Iowa are so bad that you'd think they were Tylenol factories, according to recent FDA inspections. Wait, I mean the first and only inspections. More »
(Karim M)
8,500 Lbs. Of Ground Beef Recalled From BJ's Wholesale Clubs In 8 States
By Chris Morran on August 30, 2010 6:28 AM
17 Comments
A few tons of ground beef from a meat processor in Pennsylvania have been recalled over fear of possible E. coli contamination. As of early Monday morning, the only retail outlets identified as possibly having received the ground beef were BJ's Wholesale clubs in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. More »
Fried Beer... The Name Says It All
By Chris Morran on August 27, 2010 3:15 PM
60 Comments
As we've already seen with this summer's Meat Man Parfait, state fairs are a hotbed of culinary experimentation. The latest headline maker comes from the Texas State Fair, where one man plans to unleash the craziness that is Fried Beer upon the world. More »
5 Kids Meals With Adult-Size Calories, Fat
By Chris Morran on August 25, 2010 11:15 AM
117 Comments
Next time you're grabbing some breakfast with your children at McDonald's, Wendy's or Burger King, you might want to pay attention to the nutritional information for the kids meals you order. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine just released its list of the Five Worst Fast Food Meals to highlight those G-rated meals with R-rated calorie counts. More »
It Could Take 20 Bottles Of Tea To Get Health Benefits Of 1 Home-Brewed Cup
By Chris Morran on August 23, 2010 3:15 PM
68 Comments
Bottled tea has seen a substantial increase in recent years as more people turn to it as a purportedly healthier alternative to sodas and energy drinks, but a new study claims that if you're really out to get the health benefits of tea-drinking, you'd be better off brewing it yourself. More »
(s and j)
Should Chocolate Milk Be Served In Schools?
By Chris Morran on August 23, 2010 2:15 PM
210 Comments
Though there are many differing explanations for why it's happening, there's no arguing that childhood obesity is on the rise in the U.S. The latest battleground over our kids' waistlines is the school lunchroom, where nutritionists are attempting to make arguments for and against the continued sale of chocolate milk. More »
(Dario)
Fast Food Ads Are Often Opposite Of Reality
By Phil Villarreal on August 23, 2010 9:15 AM
60 Comments
Last week the overwhelming majority of readers told us that while fast food ads needn't match the actual product exactly, but the food should at least be recognizable. Dario submitted a project showing cases in which fast food companies most definitely didn't live up to this standard. More »
(Dyanna)
There Are Now 380 Million Recalled Eggs
By Meg Marco on August 21, 2010 2:15 PM
41 Comments
Although the 380 million recalled eggs represent a small fraction of the total eggs out there, it's still a staggering number of items that could be tainted with salmonella. The latest recall involves a second Iowa producer, Hillandale Farms. More »
13 Brands Of Eggs Recalled For Possible Salmonella Contamination
By Chris Morran on August 18, 2010 9:15 AM
38 Comments
Hey, before you crack that egg into your morning hair-of-the-dog, you might want to take a look at the brand on the carton. An egg producer in Iowa has issued a massive recall that affects 13 brands of chicken eggs sold nationwide for fear they might be tainted with salmonella. More »
Meet The Meat-Man Parfait & Its Layers Of Meaty Goodness
By Chris Morran on August 17, 2010 2:15 PM
39 Comments
Yesterday, we directed you to the intersection of dessert and dinner with the red velvet fried chicken. Today, we show you what happens when dinner fully invades the dessert realm with the savory layers of the Meat-Man Parfait. More »
Chef Fined For Licking Toads In The Kitchen
By Chris Walters on August 17, 2010 8:00 AM
21 Comments
The chef at a Japanese restaurant in Iowa was fined $335 after health department officials watched a video of him licking and kissing toads, then putting them in his mouth and then back on the prep table, in the restaurant's kitchen. His brother taped the stunt and posted it on Facebook. More »
Two Delicious Worlds Collide With Red Velvet Fried Chicken
By Chris Morran on August 16, 2010 11:15 AM
35 Comments
San Francisco continues to confound us... On one hand the city is trying to take all the happy out of Happy Meals; on the other hand, it's the same place you can now order up a plate of fried chicken coated in a red velvet cake batter. More »
Denny's Fried Cheese Melt Pushes Gooey Cheese Tolerance To New Levels
By Chris Morran on August 11, 2010 1:15 PM
80 Comments
Have you ever been eating mozzarella sticks and thought, "these would be soooo much better in a sandwich"? Or maybe you've been snacking on a grilled cheese sandwich and wondered how improved it would be if it also had fried cheese sticks between the bread? If so, then Denny's is about to roll out the perfect sandwich for you. More »
Taco Bell Manager Blames Salmonella Symptoms On You Not Eating Enough Taco Bell
By Chris Morran on August 10, 2010 11:15 AM
29 Comments
A little while back, Jason came down with food poisoning after chowing down at his local Taco Bell. And when he later tried to give the fast food eatery a heads-up that others might get sick — and this was before anyone knew of the multi-state salmonella outbreak tied to Taco Bell — he was told that maybe he just hadn't eaten enough Taco Bell to toughen up his stomach. More »
Outbreak Of Rare Salmonella Strains Linked To Taco Bell
By Chris Morran on August 6, 2010 11:15 AM
54 Comments
In the last few months, at least 155 people in several states have become ill from a pair of rare strains of salmonella. And according to authorities, the source of the salmonella is food served at Taco Bell. More »
This Is What You Eat
By Marc Perton on July 30, 2010 6:29 PM
115 Comments
If you are what you eat, this graphic from Visual Economics may not make for the best inspirational reading. Then again, is there really anything so bad about drinking 53 gallons of soda or eating 85 pounds of fat and oil each year? (No, you don't have to answer that.) More »
Haggis Ice Cream & 9 Other Questionable Frozen Treats
By Chris Morran on July 30, 2010 3:00 PM
25 Comments
As today is the last weekday of National Ice Cream Month, it might be the right time to look at some ice cream flavors that aren't exactly mouth-watering. Luckily, the editors over at TheGloss.com have compiled a list of 10 bizarre flavors for your freezer. More »
High Alcohol Content Beer War Continues With 60% ABV Brew
By Chris Morran on July 30, 2010 11:00 AM
38 Comments
Hot on the heels of last week's news about the 55% alcohol content beer (which also happened to come packed in roadkill), a Dutch brewer has upped the ante with a brew purported to contain 60% alcohol by volume. More »
Top 10 Disgusting Stadium Food Vendor Health Violations
By Meg Marco on July 26, 2010 2:45 PM
84 Comments
ESPN has put together a report on stadium food vendor health violations. Some of the violations are pretty damn gross. We've picked 10 of our "favorites." More »
Which Discontinued Foods Do You Miss Most?
By Chris Morran on July 26, 2010 12:00 PM
522 Comments
The food business is a merciless mistress, leaving countless brands dead at her feet, some before they ever had the chance to find a foothold in the market. But as long as there are those of us who remember these deceased foodstuffs, they will always live on... even if we can't eat them. More »
Combine Your Loves For Alcohol & Taxidermy With Beer Packed In Rodent Carcass
By Chris Morran on July 23, 2010 1:00 PM
42 Comments
When I wrote about PR-happy Scottish microbrewers BrewDog back in April, I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time. But this time, the company has truly outdone itself, not only creating a "beer" containing 55% alcohol by volume, but which also comes packed inside the carcass of a dead rodent. More »
Get Your Kid Enough Calories For Whole Day With Obscene Friendly's Meal
By Phil Villarreal on July 22, 2010 9:45 AM
78 Comments
Friendly's must have a gang of chefs who conspire to top one another with the most ludicrously hyper-caloric foods they can dream up. The latest innovation is the Mac & Cheese Quesadilla meal from the kid's menu. More »
From Baby Food To Sardines To Possum: 10 Very Specific Food Festivals To Visit This Summer
By Chris Morran on July 21, 2010 12:15 PM
36 Comments
There's a food for everyone and apparently, judging by this list of interesting food festivals put together by the Chicago Tribune, there's a festival for everyone's particular favorite food. More »
Perdue Recalls 90,000 Pounds Of Chicken Nuggets From Walmart Stores
By Chris Morran on July 20, 2010 12:43 PM
38 Comments
The USDA and Perdue have issued a recall for more than 90,000 pounds of Great Value frozen chicken nuggets — all of it shipped to Walmart stores — because there is a possibility that the food could contain "foreign materials." More »
Applebee's Gives Customer Steak Tartare Burger To Go
By Chris Morran on July 15, 2010 4:20 PM
113 Comments
At most chain restaurants, you take a risk when you ask for a burger cooked anything other than well-done. Not necessarily because of bacteria — though there is that — but because there's a huge chance you'll end up with a pile of raw hamburger like Andrew did. More »
Do You Follow The 5-Second Rule?
By Chris Morran on July 14, 2010 2:15 PM
145 Comments
We've all dropped that freshly buttered piece of golden brown toast on the floor, yes? And many of us have contemplated whether or not to just pick it up and eat it. That's why there's the 5-Second Rule, the completely unscientific belief that food left on the floor for less than five seconds is sufficiently ick-free. But scientists at Clemson are trying to call BS on one of western society's core beliefs. More »
We Gained Five Pounds Just Looking At This Lasagna Sandwich
By Chris Morran on July 14, 2010 11:15 AM
51 Comments
In case lasagna, with its layers of pasta and cheese, isn't fattening enough for you, a grocery store chain in the UK has introduced something that might be right up your carbo-loading alley — a pre-made lasagna sandwich. More »
Increased Number Of Foodborne Illnesses Coming From Salsa & Guacamole
By Chris Morran on July 12, 2010 4:20 PM
79 Comments
In the last two decades, the number of Americans noshing on salsa and guacamole at restaurants has soared. Unfortunately, so has the number of Americans getting sick from salsa and guacamole they eat at restaurants. More »
Senator Says Caffeinated Malt Liquor Drinks Target Teens
By Chris Morran on July 12, 2010 1:15 PM
80 Comments
For years, young folks have been getting their buzz on with the help of fruit-flavored malt liquor concoctions like Sparks, Joose and Four Loko. This is a fact that has apparently just come across the desk of Senator Chuck Schumer of NY, who is now asking for federal help in getting these beverages out of the mouths of babes. More »
KFC Hates Vuvuzelas Too; Will Give You A Free Doublicious For Yours
By Chris Morran on July 10, 2010 9:45 AM
25 Comments
Were you one of the few people on this continent to get caught up in the World Cup hullaballoo? Did you get drunk enough to think that buying a vuvuzela — the obnoxiously loud plastic horn that has been the bane of many Cup watchers — would be a good idea? If so, the fried chicken-loving folks at KFC might be willing to exchange your noisemakers for one of their bellyachers. More »
US Is A Dumping Ground For Crappy, Dangerous Olive Oil
By Meg Marco on July 7, 2010 3:45 PM
67 Comments
Demand for extra virgin olive oil is up — but we apparently don't have strict standards that prevent companies from adulterating "extra virgin" olive oil with cheaper stuff such canola, safflower or peanut oils, says the LA Times. New standards from the US Department of Agriculture aim to change that this fall, however. More »
(strobist)
Only 12% Of Americans Know How Many Calories They Should Eat Each Day
By Chris Morran on July 7, 2010 1:30 PM
84 Comments
While calorie information is available for most of the food we eat, that data doesn't really do the eater any good if you don't know how many calories you should be consuming each day. Unfortunately, a new survey shows that an overwhelming number of Americans are either mistaken or clueless when it comes to that information. More »
CSPI Calls For Ban On Red 40, Yellows 5 and 6
By Chris Morran on July 1, 2010 1:45 PM
87 Comments
One week after threatening to take the happy out of Happy Meals, the Center for Science in the Public Interest now wants to remove a few colors from the food dye rainbow, calling for the FDA to issue a ban on three colors it believes are bad for your health. More »
McDonald's Puts Mac Snack Wraps Out Of Their Misery
By Chris Morran on July 1, 2010 11:45 AM
89 Comments
If you haven't had the chance to feast on a Mac Snack Wrap or a Big N' Tasty at McDonald's, you don't have much time left. The Golden Arches has decided to put a bullet in these two low-selling items, along with others. The fast food Goliath is also planning to go wide with its currently testing oatmeal breakfast. More »
Fruit Roll-Ups Sued For Allegedly Not Actually Being Healthy
By Meg Marco on June 30, 2010 2:45 PM
69 Comments
A Brooklyn, NY woman is suing General Mills for allegedly misleading consumers about Fruit Roll-Ups. She claims they are not quite as healthful as the packaging would like you to believe because they contain partially hydrogenated oil. More »
(Health)
A Fatty Dish To Clog Your Arteries Whatever State You Live In
By Phil Villarreal on June 30, 2010 9:15 AM
81 Comments
Health.com tracked down an obscenely fatty restaurant meal in each of the 50 states. Some of the choices are eclectic and inspired, such as the pictured Quadruple Bypass Burger at the aptly named Heart Attack Grill near Phoenix. More »
Are You Ready For Smoked Salmon Vodka?
By Chris Morran on June 29, 2010 2:40 PM
44 Comments
Because there is apparently a lack of meat-flavored vodkas in the world, a distillery in Alaska has recently unleashed a version of the distilled spirit infused with the unmistakable taste of smoked salmon. More »
6-Time Coney Island Hot Dog Champ Kobayashi May Bail On July 4 Eat-Off
By Chris Morran on June 29, 2010 11:15 AM
33 Comments
Since July 4, 2001, when Takeru Kobayashi first wowed the crowd at Coney Island by devouring a then-world record 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes, the pint-sized stomach-stuffer has been a dependable fixture at the annual eat-off, winning the competition six times in a row. But after three consecutive losses in subsequent years, a report claims Kobayashi may not choose to compete next weekend. More »
FDA To Farmers: Enough Already With All The Antibiotics
By Chris Morran on June 29, 2010 4:53 AM
54 Comments
After coming to the conclusion that farmers have gone a little hog-wild with their use of antimicrobials — not to cure animals of disease, but to spur animal growth — the FDA has kindly asked them to cut it out because it's just going to make the rest of us sicker. More »
Airline Food Might Not Only Taste Bad, It Might Make You Sick
By Chris Morran on June 28, 2010 12:15 PM
38 Comments
Maybe it's a good thing that more and more airlines are charging to chow down on their mediocre meals. FDA reports uncovered by USA Today reveals the unappetizing conditions at some of the kitchens that prepare the overpriced grub. More »
Why Does The UK Get Healthier McNuggets Than We Do?
By Chris Morran on June 28, 2010 11:15 AM
57 Comments
When one thinks of British cuisine — bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd's pie — one doesn't necessarily think of health food. But, at least when it comes to McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, our funny-speaking friends across the Atlantic are getting the less-caloric end of the deal. More »
Kellogg's Recalls 28 Million Boxes Of Cereal Over Stinky Box Liners
By Chris Morran on June 25, 2010 4:42 PM
17 Comments
A few weeks after getting slapped on the wrist by the FTC for the second time in a year, the Kellogg Company's cereal division has another embarrassment on its hands — a recall of 28 million boxes of Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks due to "an uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell coming from the liner in the package." More »
(wlodi)
CDC: 90% Of Americans Eating Unhealthy Amounts Of Salt
By Chris Morran on June 25, 2010 1:15 PM
106 Comments
Salt tastes good. It makes bland things taste less bland. But apparently, we the people of these United States of America have been salting our bland food a little too heavily. A new report says that almost every single one of us is consuming too much salt. More »
KFC Doesn't Realize That Lack Of Bun Is Whole Point To Double Down
By Chris Morran on June 24, 2010 3:49 PM
58 Comments
When KFC announced the Double Down a few months back, the only real reason anyone took notice of the sandwich was because they'd made the audacious — not to mention greasy — decision to replace the bun with two slabs of fried chicken. Now, in a move to make the Double Down significantly less interesting, KFC has turned the sandwich into... well, just another sandwich. More »
Man Biking From Florida To NYC To Promote Pizza As Health Food
By Chris Morran on June 24, 2010 3:20 PM
109 Comments
I've always wondered why pizza gets such a bad rap as a junk food, even though one could eat a sandwich with tomato, cheese, pepperoni and basil and not raise an eyebrow. Perhaps it's the fact that people tend to consume massive amounts of it, usually accompanied by massive amounts of high-calorie beverages. But now a man is out to change pizza's junky public image with a one-man bike tour from Florida to New York. More »
More Freaky Fried Foods From San Diego
By Phil Villarreal on June 24, 2010 2:40 PM
57 Comments
Your eyes do not deceive you. Wade shot this photo at the San Diego County Fair, proving that deep fried butter and chocolate covered bacon are out there somewhere, just waiting to invade your arteries in a combo that can be yours for a down payment of $9.20 followed by countless dollars in future hospital bills. More »
(SCHMEGGA)
Would You Like Fries With Your Lion Burger?
By Chris Morran on June 24, 2010 2:15 PM
123 Comments
By now, you've probably heard about the small Mesa, Arizona, restaurant that caused an up-roar this week by making a limited-time addition to its menu — Lion Burgers. If you hadn't heard about it, well now you have. But putting any judgment aside for the moment, one has to ask — Where in the world do you get lion meat from? More »
14 People Foods That Will Poison Your Puppy
By Chris Morran on June 24, 2010 10:15 AM
112 Comments
Any good dog owner knows it's a bad idea to feed your dog chocolate. And you know at Christmas to keep the pooch out of the poinsettias. But the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center handled more than 17,000 cases of poisoned pets in 2009 — and not all of them were because Snarf got into your Cadbury's stash. More »
(Glenn)
This Fair Will Fry Anything And Everything For You
By Phil Villarreal on June 23, 2010 4:30 PM
78 Comments
Glenn writes to us after surviving a San Diego fair that's gone a little wild with the fry vat. As if a sandwich with Krispy Kremes as the bread wasn't deadly enough on its own, the carnie folk have gone and fried it good. More »
(jgodsey)
Flavored Cigarettes Banned As Of Today
By Meg Marco on June 23, 2010 3:45 PM
121 Comments
New rules about tobacco marketing that targets young people go into effect this week as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act. Among the rules: No candy- or fruit-flavored cigarettes. More »
The DOT Wants Your Opinion On Proposed In-Flight Peanut Ban
By Chris Morran on June 23, 2010 11:45 AM
131 Comments
A couple weeks back we wrote about how the Dept. of Transportation was considering a possible ban on peanuts on airplanes and what resulted was easily one of the site's more divisive debates. Now, as the DOT and FAA continue to mull over this plan — and consider other options — the regulators say they want to hear from you, the citizens of these United States of America. More »
CSPI Wants To Make Your McDonald's Happy Meal Sad
By Chris Morran on June 23, 2010 9:15 AM
142 Comments
Perennial buzzkills at the Center for Science in the Public Interest have decided to set their sights on McDonald's, issuing the fast food giant an ultimatum: Stop putting toys in their Happy Meals in the next 30 days or face a lawsuit. More »
(Karim M)
38,700 Lbs. Of Ground Beef Recalled For Possible E. Coli Contamination
By Chris Morran on June 23, 2010 2:11 AM
20 Comments
Yesterday, the Dept. of Agriculture's Food Safety & Inspection Service announced two separate recalls — one in California and one in New York — totaling nearly 40,000 pounds of ground beef after learning that the batches of meat could have been contaminated with the E. coli bacteria. More »
National Pork Board Attempting To Halt Sales Of Canned Unicorn Meat
By Chris Morran on June 22, 2010 10:15 AM
52 Comments
The ever-vigilant folks at the National Pork Board are out to put an end to the sale of Radiant Farms' canned unicorn meat. But it's not because they want to stop the slaughter of the one-horned flying horses, it's because they say the product infringes on their "other white meat" trademark. More »
Salmonella Recall Notices No Match For Hungry, Oblivious Consumers
By Carey Alexander on June 19, 2010 10:00 AM
45 Comments
Look, when the Centers for Disease Control recalls your frozen pot pie because it's contaminated with salmonella, don't eat it. Sure, it sounds easy, but hundreds of consumers apparently fell ill in 2007 even after ConAgra yanked millions of contaminated Banquet pies from store shelves. So just who were these sickened frozen pot pie devotees? More »
Uh-Oh: 15 Million Pounds Of SpaghettiOs Recalled By Campbell's
By Chris Morran on June 18, 2010 11:24 AM
44 Comments
I never got the whole SpaghettiOs thing. It always kinda tasted like noodles in ketchup to me. And now I'm quite thankful I'm not a fan, because Campbell Soup Co. has issued a recall for 15 million pounds worth of SpaghettiOs products do to the presence of undercooked meat in the canned pastas. More »
Kroger Issues Recall Of Unintentionally Nutty Ice Cream
By Chris Morran on June 15, 2010 3:26 PM
20 Comments
If you bought some Kroger Deluxe Chocolate Paradise Ice Cream recently and have a nut allergy, you might want to read this before chowing down. The grocery store chain has recalled this particular ice cream in 17 states because it may contain tree nuts not listed on the label. More »
Get Your Rock & Roll Buzz On With Whitesnake Wine
By Chris Morran on June 14, 2010 9:14 PM
25 Comments
Tired of the same old stuffy wines? Are they missing that special something that would blow your hair out to epic proportions and make Tawny Kitaen writhe half-naked on the hood of your car? Thankfully, come July 1, that hole in your life will be filled... at $24.95/bottle. More »
McDonald's Blows Off My Food Poisoning Concerns, Loses A Customer
By Phil Villarreal on June 14, 2010 9:27 AM
134 Comments
Personal finance blogger Carrie on the Cheap believes her McDonald's breakfast knocked her off her feet with possible food poisoning. She didn't check her sickness out with a doctor but didn't need medical advice to decide that the meal made her feel so bad she'll never eat there again. She brought her complaint to the restaurant's management but feels she wasn't taken seriously and has yet to even get her money back. More »
Study: Overwhelming Number Of Kids' Drinks & Snacks Contain Lead
By Chris Morran on June 11, 2010 4:25 PM
70 Comments
In a newly released report from the Environmental Law Foundation, nearly 150 varieties of beverages and fruit snacks marketed to children were tested for lead levels — and the results were not exactly good. More »
(afagen)
What Should Restaurants Offer You After Serving Unacceptable Food?
By Laura Northrup on June 11, 2010 1:15 PM
112 Comments
What is a restaurant's responsibility to its customers when something goes wrong? Does that change when a customer chooses takeout or delivery? Matt wrote in to ask what we think is the best course of action for a restaurant to take—especially when the problem is non-food objects in your takeout or delivery pizza. More »
UK Mom Charging $22 For 4 Oz. Bottle Of Breast Milk
By Chris Morran on June 11, 2010 12:45 PM
51 Comments
Several months ago, I wrote about an episode of Fox medical dramedy House where a cancer patient asked for a prescription for breast milk because he thought he could get the insurance company to pay for it. And as some commenters pointed out, there is indeed a black market for the liquid. Now one woman in England is happily telling the world about her burgeoning breast milk business. More »
The Frankenburger: What Happens When Burger King, Wendy's and McDonald's Collide
By Chris Morran on June 11, 2010 11:00 AM
56 Comments
Forget the Double Down or the McGangBang, the ultimate fast food burger has been found — the Frankenburger. And when I say "ultimate," I literally mean this could be the final thing you ever eat. More »
(dc5dugg)
Meet The McGangBang: The Chicken Sandwich Between Two Burgers
By Chris Morran on June 10, 2010 4:50 PM
98 Comments
Though it's just come to our attention, long before anyone had ever gotten their hands slick with a KFC Double Down, some folks out there were loosening their belts because of the McGangBang — an entire McDonald's McChicken sandwich that is then sandwiched between the halves of a double cheeseburger. More »
The Last Days Of ESPN Zone
By Chris Morran on June 9, 2010 1:18 PM
29 Comments
It looks like Times Square will be losing one of its most venerated eateries with the news today that the Walt Disney Co. has decided to close almost all of their ESPN Zone restaurants. More »
Papa John's Now The Official Crappy Pizza Of The NFL
By Chris Morran on June 8, 2010 2:45 PM
80 Comments
We sure hope you football fans love Papa John's commercials, because you're going to see a lot more of them in the upcoming season. The pizza chain has just signed a three-year deal with the NFL to become the official pizza sponsor of both the league and the Super Bowl. More »
New USDA Rules Seek To End Olive Oil Confusion
By Chris Morran on June 4, 2010 4:03 PM
56 Comments
While the rest of the federal government seems to be wrapped up in cleaning up the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dept. of Agriculture has had its laser beams set on oil from a different source — olives. More »
Kellogg's Ordered To Stop Saying Its Cereals Make You Healthier
By Chris Morran on June 3, 2010 6:06 PM
45 Comments
For the second time in a year, Kellogg Company has been called to the principal's office at the Federal Trade Commission and slapped on the wrist for misleading customers into thinking its cereal products offer unproven health benefits. More »
UPDATE: McDonald's Calls McRibble A "Hoax"!
By Chris Morran on June 3, 2010 5:06 PM
36 Comments
Anyone whose mouth was watering after hearing the rumor that McDonald's was going to release the McRibble, a bite-sized version of their sorta-meat product the McRib, prepare to be disappointed. We checked with the folks in Oak Brook and they tell us this is all just wishful thinking. More »
Is The McRib About To Return As "McRibbles"?
By Chris Morran on June 3, 2010 3:46 PM
31 Comments
UPDATE: We checked with McDonald's and... things aren't what they appear to be. More »
Which Food Brands Are You Most Loyal To?
By Chris Morran on June 3, 2010 2:00 PM
294 Comments
I don't know about you, but when I go to a diner and the ketchup on the table isn't my brand — it rhymes with "Heinz" — or if it's something calling itself "catsup," I know I won't be ordering anything that requires that particular condiment. The same goes true for mayonnaise: Nothing with the word "miracle" in the title is getting anywhere near my taste buds. More »
(mjar81)
NYC School Kids Drank Antifreeze-Laced Water Because It Tasted Sweet
By Chris Morran on June 2, 2010 3:13 PM
68 Comments
Almost 75 elementary school students in Queens had to be hospitalized earlier this week after they got sick by drinking contaminated water from a school water fountain, even after they noticed that the water had a decidedly pink color. More »
Don't Worry About Oil Spill. Remember: Oysters Love Crude Oil!
By Chris Morran on May 31, 2010 8:40 PM
14 Comments
The growing oil slick that once was the Gulf of Mexico doesn't appear to be anywhere near resolution, with all attempts to staunch the flow of petroleum thus far having failed and the only solution that experts are sure will work — drilling relief wells — several months away. But as the fishermen in the area fret about what will happen to their livelihoods in both the short and long term, we found some video evidence that should quell the concerns of those in the oyster biz. More »
Eat More Salt Or Your Food Will Taste Like Damp Dog Hair
By Marc Perton on May 30, 2010 11:10 AM
101 Comments
With everyone from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to First Lady Michelle Obama pushing foodmakers to cut the salt in their products, the salt industry is fighting back. And they warn that without enough salt, processed meats start to taste like cardboard or "damp dog hair." Yum! More »
Creepiest Children's Cereals Of All Time
By Meg Marco on May 29, 2010 3:19 PM
29 Comments
The Huffington Post has a gallery of the creepiest children's cereals of all time — most of them we agree with, though we feel that Fruit Brute is getting a bum rap. More »
2,010 Calorie Cold Stone Shake Named Worst Drink In America
By Chris Morran on May 27, 2010 3:00 PM
62 Comments
Only days after the Center for Science in the Public Interest ruined everyone's dinner plans with their list of the worst meals available at U.S. restaurants, the muscle-bound dudes over at Men's Health Magazine have released their own list of the worst drinks in America. More »
Now You Can Have Your NBA Logo... And Eat It Too
By Chris Morran on May 26, 2010 5:07 PM
18 Comments
Despite the NBA postseason being in its 13th month, basketball fans are still hungry to see their favorite teams. And now they can feed that hunger, literally, as the NBA has licensed the use of team logos on everything from pizzas to toast. More »
Someone Paid $250 Million For Some PBR
By Chris Morran on May 26, 2010 1:22 PM
27 Comments
After nearly a decade on the market, someone has finally gotten beer-goggled enough to plunk down the cash to purchase Pabst Brewing Co. According to reports, the deal went down for an ice-cold $250 million, though for only a dollar more they could have gotten a shot of Jameson to go along with it. More »
The 8 Worst Meals (And 1 Dessert) In America For 2010
By Chris Morran on May 25, 2010 5:09 PM
111 Comments
Every year, the Center for Science In the Public Interest releases their Xtreme Eating Awards list, where they single out the most carb-heavy, fat-saturated, salt-laden calorie bombs available on the market. This year's round-up of gut-busters covers everything from breakfast through dessert and contains some items that may surprise you. More »
(uspto.gov)
Redesigned Hot Dog Breaks Apart When Eaten
By Marc Perton on May 25, 2010 4:39 PM
103 Comments
Just three months after the American Academy of Pediatrics put out a call for a redesigned hot dog that would be safer for small children to eat, Eugene D. Gagliardi, Jr. — the food designer who invented Steak-umms and popcorn chicken — has come forward with a solution. His patented hot dog has eight slits that open during cooking, which cause it to break up into smaller pieces, potentially reducing the likelihood that a child could choke on it. More »
(genebob)
16 Items They Only Sell At Chinese Walmart
By Meg Marco on May 20, 2010 8:25 PM
100 Comments
BuzzFeed has compiled 16 photographs of things they only sell at Chinese Walmart. We have chosen three of our favorites. More »
Hide The Children: The KFC Double Down Is Here To Stay
By Chris Morran on May 20, 2010 3:03 PM
59 Comments
This Sunday, May 23, was to have been the final day for grease and salt lovers everywhere to get their hands on the KFC Double Down, which for the two of you just waking from comas is a bacon and cheese sandwich that uses fried chicken as the bread. But before you go and unclog your arteries, KFC has just announced that the Double Down ain't going anywhere anytime soon. More »
(Shippam's)
Recession Driving Brits To Cheap, Inedible Foods
By Marc Perton on May 13, 2010 2:46 PM
123 Comments
Shoppers in the U.K. are apparently cutting corners by swapping fancy foods for "wartime" comestibles like powdered milk, fish paste and powdered custard. One beneficiary is Shippam's, which has been making fine products such as the pictured "bloater paste" since 1750. And, no, we really don't want to know what this is. More »
The FDA Would Like You To Stop Drinking Your Benadryl Lotion
By Laura Northrup on May 13, 2010 10:00 AM
82 Comments
The word "topical" has a very distinct meaning. That is: "Put this on your skin." The American people seem to be a bit confused on this point, however, because the FDA has politely reminded us FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP DRINKING BENADRYL LOTION. More »
(Torani)
Are You Ready For Your Bacon Latte?
By Marc Perton on May 7, 2010 9:25 AM
36 Comments
Bacon donuts. Bacon and egg burgers. Bacon cooked in a machine gun. Have we left anything out that might make your breakfast extra-super-bacony? Of course: bacon-flavored coffee! Thanks to the syrup sprites at Torani, this frontier has at last been breached, and bacon lattes are just a stirrer away. More »
Health Supplement Guru Nearly Dies After Ingesting Own Product
By Chris Walters on May 4, 2010 11:53 AM
68 Comments
Gary Null sells something called Ultimate Power Meal, which he says you're supposed to eat twice a day every day. He did that for a month and nearly died, so now he's suing the company that manufactured the product. More »
(Carl's Jr)
Carl’s Jr Breakfast Burger Tops List Of 11 Scariest Fast Food Breakfasts
By Marc Perton on April 30, 2010 9:47 AM
52 Comments
Activist site Care2 has come up with a list of what it calls "11 Scary Fast Food Breakfasts," based largely on sodium and saturated fat content. Leading the list is the Carl’s Jr Breakfast Burger. "How do you turn a regular burger into a breakfast burger?" Asks Care2. "By adding not only an egg-but an egg, bacon, American cheese and hash brown nuggets too!" Yes, it's a hamburger, with eggs, bacon and hash browns, all cohabiting happily on a bun. More »
Mysterious Object In Chef Boyardee Can Not A Rat, Just Another Giant Clump Of Mold
By Laura Northrup on April 28, 2010 12:00 PM
35 Comments
Good news: the large, fuzzy creature that an Ohio woman found nestled on the top of her can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs was not a rodent hoping to star in a "Ratatouille" sequel. It was just a fluffy, cuddly clump of mold. More »
(afagen)
Study: Depressed People Eat 50% More Chocolate
By Chris Morran on April 27, 2010 3:37 PM
40 Comments
Having a bit of chocolate when you're down is something just about everyone has done at some point in their life. But a new study shows that those people who demonstrate signs of depression tend to eat 50% more chocolate than those who don't. More »
lord almighty
IHOP Wants To Make You Fat With Cheesecake-Stuffed Pancakes
By Chris Morran on April 27, 2010 2:41 PM
75 Comments
Apparently jealous of the attention KFC was getting with the Double Down, IHOP (or International House of Pancakes if you're not into the whole brevity thing) has rolled out Pancake Stackers — a five-layer calorie bomb that dares to sandwich cheesecake between two pancakes. More »
Krispy Kreme + KFC Double Down = You Don't Wanna Know
By Chris Morran on April 24, 2010 10:40 AM
59 Comments
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were to take a KFC Double Down — the bacon sandwich that uses two pieces of fried chicken as the "bread" — and you were to sandwich it in between two halves of a Krispy Kreme donut? Of course you haven't. Luckily, someone has. More »
Is The Vegan Double Down Worse For You Than The Real Thing?
By Chris Morran on April 23, 2010 12:20 PM
78 Comments
A few weeks back, before KFC had even unleashed their bacon, fried chicken and salt concoction known as the Double Down, vegan website Vegansaurus had already come up with their own animal-friendly version. But while it might not harm any of your furry, feathered, scaly or insecty friends, the vegan Double Down certainly isn't a diet item. More »
Store Sells Food Old Enough To Drive, Still Not Breaking Any Laws
By Laura Northrup on April 23, 2010 10:05 AM
47 Comments
Sure, eating expired food isn't going to kill you, but eating food that's been on the shelves since the George H.W. Bush administration isn't a delectable culinary experience either. A liquor store near Sacramento, Calif. was caught selling food that wasn't, strictly speaking, expired, but wasn't exactly fresh either. More »
10 Fast Food Items Worse For You Than The KFC Double Down
By Chris Morran on April 20, 2010 1:42 PM
91 Comments
KFC's Double Down — the bacon sandwich where two pieces of fried chicken replace the bread — has been catching a lot of flack lately; much of it deserved. But a quick comparison of the nutritional (for want of a better word) info between the Double Down and some items on the menus at other fast food joints shows that the "warped creation of a syphilitic brain" might not be as bad for you as a salad at Wendy's. More »
(Harvard School of Public Health)
Tic Tacs Or Tobacco? Study Says Camel Orbs Look Too Sweet
By Marc Perton on April 19, 2010 4:37 PM
113 Comments
When is a tiny, mint-flavored tablet that dissolves in the mouth not a breath mint? When it's a Camel Orb "dissolvable tobacco" pellet, that's when. And that has health advocates — who worry that children may mistake the nicotine pills for candy — smoking mad. More »
Have A Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich On A Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel
By Chris Morran on April 19, 2010 11:01 AM
33 Comments
Every morning, scores of people greet the day with a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel. But a shop in Brooklyn has asked — Why not double up and bake those ingredients right into the bagel? Thus, we bring you the bacon, egg & cheese bagel. More »
VIDEO: Woman Says She Found Something Gross In Chef Boyardee Can
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 18, 2010 2:19 PM
64 Comments
When surprises are involved with your food, it usually doesn’t end well: An Ohio woman is claiming she found some sort of gross thing that wasn’t supposed to be in a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs. More »
(mjar81)
Tainted Fruits, Veggies End Up In The Hood Rather Than Burbs
By Phil Villarreal on April 16, 2010 8:00 AM
84 Comments
Researchers found nasty, poison-tainted produce was more likely to end up in poor areas of town. The Drexel University study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, highlighted on Journalism Center, says: More »
Ask Heinz If It Makes Non-HFCS Ketchup, Get Health And Diet Lecture
By Phil Villarreal on April 15, 2010 8:45 AM
160 Comments
Drew wrote into Heinz asking if they company makes any ketchup that isn't infested by oh-so-bad-for-you high-fructose corn syrup. Instead of a simple "no," he got a lecture on diet and exercise. More »
Are You Ready For Beer With 32% Alcohol Content?
By Chris Morran on April 14, 2010 1:14 PM
98 Comments
It could be the biggest thing from the UK to hit American shores since the British Invasion — or at the very least it could do more harm to a teenager than a Beatles song. A Scottish brewery is slowly unleashing a beer on the former colonies that contains an astounding 32% alcohol by volume. More »
Behold Claim Jumper's 4,301 Calorie Entree
By Phil Villarreal on April 14, 2010 8:45 AM
90 Comments
We all know that calories are a quantification of just how tasty food is, so it stands to reason that the most awesome chain restaurant ever, Claim Jumper, would have some of the highest-cal dishes fathomable. Snippets paints the picture with numbers, revealing that the beef back ribs pack 4,301 calories, the black tie chicken pasta weighs in at 3,773 calories and the diet-food porterhouse steak is a svelte 2,363 calories. More »
(elle emm)
Report: Lack Of Limits, Oversight, Lets Tainted Meat Out Into Market
By Chris Morran on April 13, 2010 3:28 PM
27 Comments
A new report issued by the Dept. of Agriculture's Office of the Inspector General says that tainted meat is making its way to your dinner plate because of a combination of inter-departmental squabbling and a lack of general oversight by the regulatory agencies involved. More »
Are Oysters A Vegan-Friendly Food?
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 11, 2010 4:24 PM
164 Comments
Start your engines, ethicists: Can oysters feel pain? If they can’t, does that mean vegans can go ahead and chow down on the slippery bivalves? Since they have no central nervous system, like other animals vegans don’t eat, Slate writer Christopher Cox, a self-proclaimed vegan who eats oysters, says its open season on the tasty delights. More »
(mrbill)
Reader Not Impressed With Reality Of KFC Double Down
By Chris Morran on April 11, 2010 2:24 PM
83 Comments
Consumerist reader Bill popped into his local KFC in Houston today and found that they were selling the already infamous Double Down — better known as bacon and cheese wedged between slabs of fried chicken. And, as often happens when confronted with fast food that looks good in ads, Bill was a little let down by what he found inside. More »
Pepsi Plant Leaks Stinky Green Fluid That Isn't Mountain Dew
By Chris Morran on April 6, 2010 11:14 AM
54 Comments
According to reports out of the region, there was a "bright green, foul-smelling" liquid leaking out of a Pepsi bottling plant in Maryland on Sunday — and no, it wasn't Mountain Dew. More »
Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Considered A Natural Ingredient?
By Chris Morran on April 5, 2010 12:25 PM
74 Comments
We get a lot of readers writing in to ask us whether or not a product containing High Fructose Corn Syrup can be labeled as "natural" or "all natural." The latest was from Kirby, who questioned whether HFCS-containing "All Natural" sodas are indeed "all natural." And, at least according to the FDA, the answer is "yes." More »
Kraft To Cadbury Workers: Leave Pension Plan Or Take Pay Freeze
Separately, Kraft announced that CEO Irene Rosenfeld was getting a 40% pay hike this year, due in part to her "exceptional" management of the Cadbury deal. Rosenfeld's 2009 take will be about $26 million. More »
By Marc Perton on April 4, 2010 9:07 AM
118 Comments
Mac-n-cheese king Kraft Foods, which acquired British chocolate maker Cadbury earlier this year, isn't wasting any time when it comes to flexing some American-style corporate muscle. According to the Financial Times, Kraft has warned 3,600 Cadbury employees that they'll face a three-year pay freeze if they don't agree to "voluntarily" opt out of the company's pension plan.Separately, Kraft announced that CEO Irene Rosenfeld was getting a 40% pay hike this year, due in part to her "exceptional" management of the Cadbury deal. Rosenfeld's 2009 take will be about $26 million. More »
This Cheese Is Not Exactly Deli Fresh
By Laura Northrup on April 3, 2010 11:00 AM
53 Comments
Nick writes that he found this cheese at Kroger. Sure, mold isn't going to hurt you, but how far marked down would it need to be for you to buy it? More »
KFC's Bacon Sandwich On Fried Chicken "Bread" Starts Killing People Nationwide April 12
By Chris Morran on April 2, 2010 12:26 PM
138 Comments
Last August, we wrote about the "Double Down," a mysteriously tempting (and potentialy lethal) new food item being tested by KFC. For those coming late to the story, it's bacon and cheese sandwiched between two pieces of fried chicken. And now, many months later, I'll finally be able to get my hands on one. More »
Introducing My Downfall: The Bacon Donut
By Chris Morran on March 30, 2010 3:09 PM
63 Comments
Perhaps taking advantage of the whole bacon = cocaine thing, a restaurant in New York has unleashed what may simultaneously be the worst and best idea in the history of food: bacon donuts. More »
Whataburger And The "Cheeseburger Josh" Incident
By Meg Marco on March 29, 2010 7:04 PM
85 Comments
We have seen some fast food fights in our day, but never before have we seen anything like "Cheeseburger Josh." More »
Couple Arrested For Replacing Jell-O Mix With Sand, Returning It
By Meg Marco on March 29, 2010 4:20 PM
82 Comments
In what may be the lamest reenactment of an Indiana Jones scene ever, a Long Island couple has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of petit larceny and tampering with a consumer product. Police say they are suspected of buying boxes of Jell-O pudding mix and replacing the mix with "aquarium sand" before returning the boxes. More »
This Isn't A Frozen Green Bean, It's A Chunk Of Garter Snake
By Laura Northrup on March 27, 2010 9:00 AM
61 Comments
Remember the animal head that a Houston family found inside a bag of frozen Pictsweet green beans? The family was convinced that the animal was a snake, though experts thought that it was a frog. Maybe they were right after all, and the animal was a snake...because a different part of a snake was found inside another bag of Pictsweet green beans in Wisconsin. What part? Well, it's not the head, and it's not the end, but it was conveniently cut to the same length as the green beans. More »
Burger King Employee Tells Facebook Friends He Spits On Food
By Chris Morran on March 26, 2010 9:30 AM
97 Comments
While it may not be as egregious as the Domino's Pizza employees who videotaped themselves desecrating their work kitchen, a Burger King employee in Michigan is in hot water after blabbing on Facebook about spitting in the food. More »
Dear Coke: Your Stupid New 2 Liter Design Doesn't Fit In My Fridge
By Meg Marco on March 22, 2010 7:26 PM
135 Comments
Reader Eric wants to comment about the new design for the 2 liter Coke bottle. It's a little thinner and taller and doesn't fit in his fridge. More »
(AComment)
Kosher Coke Is Once Again Here For Passover
By Chris Morran on March 22, 2010 12:43 PM
118 Comments
Passover might not be starting until next week, but Coca Cola has already begun distributing 2-liter bottles of its kosher formula, which replaces high fructose corn syrup with sugar, to stores around the country. I know because I've got some chilling in the fridge. More »
Acme Sells Me Edy's Ice Cream, 8 Months Past Expiration
By Chris Morran on March 18, 2010 4:06 PM
81 Comments
Last week, Consumerist reader Aaron went to his local Acme supermarket outside of Philadelphia to pick up some yummy, delicious, Edy's ice cream. Except what he brought home was neither yummy nor delicious because it was 8 months past its sell-by date. More »
Chicago-Area Subway Now Being Blamed For 78 Illnesses
By Chris Morran on March 18, 2010 11:05 AM
31 Comments
Yesterday, we wrote about a Chicago-area Subway that was the target of lawsuits after being tied to 21 separate cases of Shigellosis, an infectious disease caused by the food-borne Shigella bacteria. Well, that number has increased, just a little bit, to 78 confirmed cases. More »
Kraft Cutting Salt From Oscar Mayer Bologna, Other Products
By Chris Morran on March 17, 2010 5:14 PM
43 Comments
Perhaps feeling a bit bloated, Kraft Foods Inc. announced earlier today that they're cutting down on the amount of salt used in a number of its most popular products. More »
Pepsi Pulling Their Sodas From Schools Worldwide By 2012
By Chris Morran on March 17, 2010 9:51 AM
68 Comments
This is a bit of bittersweet news for those of us who remember sneaking down to our high school music room to score a can of Pepsi from the machine between classes — PepsiCo has announced that they've volunteered to pull all their beverage products out of schools around the world by 2012. More »
NYC Health Dept. To Post Letter Grades On All Restaurants
By Chris Morran on March 16, 2010 4:06 PM
85 Comments
In a move toward greater transparency, the New York City Board of Health has decided that all restaurants in the five boroughs will now be required to post large letter grades reflecting the results of their most recent health inspection. More »
Researchers Urge Government To Levy Tax On Pizza
By Chris Morran on March 16, 2010 2:38 PM
151 Comments
While the current Soda Tax trend looks doomed to fail in New York state and Philadelphia, researchers are already making a suggestion for the target of the next sin tax — pizza. More »
McSpaghetti & 14 Other Fast Food Failures
By Chris Morran on March 16, 2010 11:47 AM
174 Comments
Have you ever had McSpaghetti? How about a basket of piping hot, deep-fried chicken livers from your local KFC? These are just a few of the not-so-popular menu items that made ChicagoNow's list of the 15 Worst Fast Food Fails. More »
Sushi Restaurant Really Sorry For Serving Whale Meat
By Chris Morran on March 16, 2010 11:20 AM
63 Comments
Remember The Hump — that trendy L.A. sushi joint that got busted for serving whale meat? Well, they've issued an apology — of sorts — saying they were just trying to give its customers the same kind of cuisine they could enjoy in Japan. More »
(SA_Steve)
Soda Tax Failing In NY, Big Joke In Philadelphia
By Chris Morran on March 16, 2010 9:16 AM
59 Comments
Several states and cities around the country consider taking part in the latest trend of levying a "soda tax" on high-calorie beverages. But in New York state, the measure looks certain to die a quiet death in the state house, while the folks in Philadelphia are looking at a loophole that could render the whole "combatting obesity" thing nonexistent. More »
Continental "Improves" Coach Meals By Making You Pay For Them
By Chris Morran on March 15, 2010 1:41 PM
88 Comments
Hungry Continental frequent fliers take note: The airline announced today that it's going to stop serving free meals for coach passengers on all domestic flights. More »
Will This Food Kill Me? Ask The Internet
By Laura Northrup on March 14, 2010 5:00 PM
48 Comments
Last month, we posted about a Slate article encouraging people to depend on their senses and instincts when deciding whether food is safe to eat, rather than going solely by printed expiration or "sell by" dates. "Is the food slimy and smelly?" that post proclaimed. "Don't eat it." But if you doubt your own judgment and are unsure of the exact level of smelliness and sliminess that is acceptable for you and your family, the Livejournal community Can I Eat This? is here to help you navigate the scary world of your own refrigerator. More »
Sushi Restaurant Busted For Serving Whale Meat
By Chris Morran on March 11, 2010 4:33 PM
64 Comments
A sushi chef in California faces a year in prison and up to $100,000 in fines after being charged with serving endangered whale meat at his restaurant. More »
Tropicana Hit By Grocery Shrink Ray, Introduces Half-ish Gallon Of OJ
By Chris Morran on March 10, 2010 5:47 PM
58 Comments
The same crappy weather that has Wendy's declaring a only-if-you-ask-for-them tomato policy has made Tropicana pull out ye olde Grocery Shrink Ray, reducing their half-gallon Pure Premium OJ jugs by 5 oz. to 59 oz. More »
Food & Entertainment Industries Get Failing Grade For Pushing Unhealthy Snacks On Kids
By Chris Morran on March 10, 2010 2:33 PM
65 Comments
The folks over at the Center for Science in the Public Interest recently took a look at how 128 different food and entertainment companies market food to kids. And, perhaps not surprisingly, they gave failing marks to 95 of them for having either weak policies for marketing food products to children or having none at all. More »
Domino's Gross-Out Video Star Gets 24 Months Probation
By Laura Northrup on March 10, 2010 11:00 AM
28 Comments
Last spring, two morons videotaped themselves doing unspeakable things to the food they were about to serve at an unidentified Domino's restaurant. The video was posted to YouTube, and the situation didn't end well for anyone.
Based on a few clues, Consumerist commenters tracked the specific location down. The employees behind the video lost their jobs, that location closed a few months later, and no one could eat products from Domino's without imagining that parts of their meal had been crammed up someone's nose. While camerawoman Kristy Hammonds is still waiting for her trial, star Michael Setzer has been sentenced to 24 months of supervised probation. More »
Somebody On The Set Hates Sandra Lee
By Meg Marco on March 9, 2010 1:11 PM
53 Comments
Here is a video of the Food Network's Sandra Lee telling people to mix cream, lemonade and vodka to make a "delicious, sweet treat." From the look on her face, we suspect this is a lie. Also, when you put accidentally put cream in tea that has lemon — it curdles (sigh). This leads us to further suspect that someone hates Sandra Lee. More »
Salmonella In Common Food Additive Leads To Recall Of Pretty Much Every Food Ever
By Laura Northrup on March 7, 2010 10:00 AM
80 Comments
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a flavor enhancer, similar in composition and tastiness to the much-maligned monosodium glutamate, that is seemingly unavoidable. Thanks to salmonella contamination in the HVP paste at Basic Food Flavors, Inc. in Las Vegas, the FDA has recalled every food containing the product, ranging from salty snacks to salad dressings to soup and gravy mixes. The list of recalled foods containing the product is still growing, and encompasses familiar brand names ranging from Walmart's Great Value brand to McCormick to Trader Joe's. Now we now get to find out exactly how complex our food supply is and how widely used an additive HVP is. More »
(orphum)
Foodborne Illness Costs U.S. $152 Billion Annually, Still Good Excuse To Skip Work
By Laura Northrup on March 3, 2010 2:13 PM
29 Comments
It may seem like a minor inconvenience when you're home sick with some kind of foodborne illness, but the overall cost of these illnesses to our economy is huge—and staggering when you consider how many foodborne illnesses are preventable. A new study from the Produce Safety Project, a Pew Charitable Trusts initiative, shows that foodborne illness costs $152 billion nationwide each year in medical care and quality of life. More »
(genebob)
Walmart: Just Take This Chicken For Free, We Don't Actually Sell It
By Meg Marco on March 1, 2010 1:47 PM
70 Comments
Reader DW sent us a gross picture of some nasty gray ham from Walmart (see below) and also let us know that there is mysterious non-Walmart chicken showing up in the store. The people who work at Walmart don't know where the chicken is from, but they will give it to you for free. More »
Robbers Would Rather Steal Domino's Chicken Wings Than Pizza
By Chris Morran on March 1, 2010 11:18 AM
23 Comments
It wasn't exactly the crime of the century, but several folks' nights were ruined last week when a pair of armed robbers attacked a Domino's delivery driver and made off with $36 worth of chicken wings. More »
Will The Soda Tax Do Anything To Curb Obesity?
By Chris Morran on March 1, 2010 10:55 AM
148 Comments
There's a movement in New York to have the state pass a so-called "soda tax" that impose taxes on soft drinks containing more than 10 calories per 8 ounces. Among the beverages included would be just about all non-diet sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened coffees and teas (only in bottles), and fruit and vegetable juices containing less than 70% natural juice. According to the ads being run by the supporters of the tax, the goal is to curb childhood obesity. But will it really work? More »
(Nestle)
Wonka To Launch Premium Chocolate With Golden Tickets
By Marc Perton on March 1, 2010 9:57 AM
42 Comments
The Willy Wonka name has been used to market candy for almost 40 years, and in all that time the Wonka company has yet to introduce anything as interesting as Fizzy Lifting Drinks or Invisible Chocolate Bars, instead subjecting consumers to Laffy Taffy and not-very-everlasting Gobstoppers. Now the Nestle-owned brand is going upscale, with its new Wonka Exceptionals line, which will launch with a Golden Ticket promotion. Winners will get a trip around the world, but won't be handed the keys to Wonka's factory or dominion over the Oompa Loompas. More »
Study Finds Consumers Want Their Food Labeled As Inspected For Safety
By Phil Villarreal on March 1, 2010 9:00 AM
24 Comments
A Michigan State University study found the majority of consumers look for labels that signify products they're buying were inspected for safety, and that about a third are willing to pay more for such labeling. More »
(Chili's)
Chili’s Texas Cheese Fries Named Worst In America
By Marc Perton on February 28, 2010 7:48 PM
51 Comments
The killjoys at Men's Health are out with their list of the worst French fries in America — based on how toxic they are, rather than on relative yumminess — and have crowned Chili's Texas Chese Fries the deadliest. We suppose it has something to do with the cheese, ranch dressing and bacon that accompany the fries. More »
Weird-Tasting Girl Scout Cookies Recalled
By Laura Northrup on February 25, 2010 4:40 PM
52 Comments
Some Girl Scout cookies have been recalled because they "contain oils that may be breaking down which can result in an off taste and smell." Fortunately, only the lemon creme sandwich cookies were affected, and nobody likes those anyway. More »
Lactose Intolerant? Drink Milk!
By Chris Morran on February 25, 2010 3:24 PM
90 Comments
If you think you're lactose intolerant, the National Institutes of Health says, well... maybe you're not. In a statement released yesterday, the NIH claims that lactose intolerance is nowhere near as prevalent as it's believed and that a general misunderstanding of lactose is causing people to not get the Vitamin D and calcium they need. More »
Street Vendors Protest Because They Would Rather Not Wet Themselves
By Chris Morran on February 25, 2010 5:15 AM
56 Comments
Following the news earlier this week that a street food vendor in New York City had lost his permit because he left his hot nut cart unattended while he used a nearby restroom, several vendors gathered outside the City's Dept. of Health offices yesterday in protest. More »
Oh Look, There's A Severed Frog Head In My Green Beans
By Laura Northrup on February 24, 2010 11:05 AM
44 Comments
There's some disagreement about the identity of the creature whose head ended up in a Texas family's frozen green beans. Is it a frog? Is it a snake? The family and the vegetable manufacturer disagree, but we do know that it is quite obviously not a bean. (Warning: picture and video inside.) More »
(WALB TV)
Dear Pizza Hut, Thanks For The Racist Receipt
By Chris Morran on February 23, 2010 9:00 AM
220 Comments
An African-American man in Missouri is considering legal action against Pizza Hut after having his name replaced on a receipt with the words "BIGBLACK." More »
Would You Buy This Meat?
By Meg Marco on February 22, 2010 12:37 PM
94 Comments
Reader Michael sent us this breakfast-ruining photo of some seriously off-putting meat offered at a discount at Walmart. A quick glance at this meat spoilage guide suggests "Oxidative Rancidity" which is what happens when you don't wrap meat properly. More »
Salami Recall Expanded To Include 1.3 Million Pounds Of Potentially Deadly Meat
By Chris Morran on February 17, 2010 3:29 PM
23 Comments
Less than two months after announcing a huge recall of salami and other cured meats that are behind a recent salmonella outbreak, it was announced today that the recall has been expanded even further. More »
Morning Sickness Remedy Found To Contain Lead And Arsenic
By Chris Morran on February 16, 2010 6:54 PM
50 Comments
Morning sickness sucks. And if you want to make it even worse, pick up some calabash chalk. The FDA is now saying the traditional morning sickness remedy — also called nzu, poto, calabar stone, mabele, argile or la craie — has been found to contain lead and arsenic. More »
Trader Joe's Recalls Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars
By Chris Morran on February 11, 2010 12:10 PM
9 Comments
Apparently not content to let Toyota and Honda hog all the recall headlines this week, the good folks at grocery store chain Trader Joe's have announced a "my bad" of their own, recalling a few batches of their Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars — no, not for having a ridiculously long name — but because you might get sick from eating them. More »
Bottle Of Sprite Includes Free Inch-Long Cockroach
By Laura Northrup on February 7, 2010 11:00 AM
39 Comments
Coca-Cola in China has been fined 2.05 yuan (30 cents) after a customer found a cockroach just over an inch long inside a bottle of Sprite. At least it wasn't Coke or another cola, because then the customer wouldn't have noticed until the bug was in his mouth. More »
(Jsome1)
Our Top 13 Grossest Food Stories Of All Time
By Laura Northrup on February 6, 2010 9:00 AM
32 Comments
Tales of unacceptable food don't just appeal to our more prurient interests. They do hit the "eww, can't look away!" center of the brain quite squarely, but these stories do more than that. They give us an uncomfortable insight into the complexity of the Western food supply, how industrialized and automated food processing really is, and how underpaid restaurant staff can be really obnoxious sometimes. Fast-food employees in particular.
In that spirit of public education and outreach, here are 13 of the grossest food-related stories from the last four years and change of The Consumerist. Enjoy. Learn. Try not to vomit.
This post does contain pictures, but they're tiny and it's difficult to determine what's in them. Well, mostly. More »
When Should You Freak Out About Critters In Your Food?
By Laura Northrup on February 4, 2010 11:34 AM
91 Comments
One frequent comment on posts such as Saturday's ""This Weight Watchers Meal Includes A Free Frozen Frog" is that Americans are too far removed from where our food really comes from, and it's unreasonable to expect that our food be 100% critter-free. Is it? More »
This Weight Watchers Meal Includes A Free Frozen Frog
By Laura Northrup on January 30, 2010 12:00 PM
92 Comments
Noreen tells Consumerist that she made an exciting discovery yesterday. Her Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen meal, a fettucine alfredo dish that is supposed to be meatless, included a free protein-rich side dish. A tiny frog! More »
Boar's Head, Dietz & Watson, Daniele Salami Recalled For Salmonella
By Laura Northrup on January 26, 2010 6:30 PM
21 Comments
Last week, 1.2 million pounds of various cured meats made by Rhode Island's Daniele International but sold under different names were recalled due to possible salmonella poisoning. Labels the affected meats were sold under include Daniele, Dietz & Watson, Black Bear of the Black Forest, and Boar's Head. More »
Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine Meals Have More Calories Than Advertised
By Meg Marco on January 8, 2010 11:42 AM
63 Comments
If you're a fan of using frozen Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and South Beach Living meals to control your caloric intake — you might be interested to know that a news study says the dinners have eight per cent more calories than the labels said. More »
Giant Mold Universe Found Inside Chef Boyardee Can
By Ben Popken on December 29, 2009 9:27 AM
138 Comments
Larry says that he opened a can of chef boyardee recently only to find a horrible giant mold world growing inside. When he contacted the store he bought it from, Walmart, a low-level employee was openly hostile to them and said the manager "wouldn't believe them." Yes, that's the new scam: steal a can of food, open it up, grow a massive mold culture inside it for several weeks, then try to return it for a buck oh nine. More »
(Photo: wfyurasko)
Sonic Manager Arrested For Cooking Meth At Work
By Chris Walters on December 15, 2009 10:24 AM
47 Comments
Last week, police arrested a shift manager at a Sonic in Cape Girardeau, MO—it's about halfway between St. Louis and Memphis, TN—after they found him with a big pile of meth supplies in the restaurant. According to Slashfood, he'd come back after the place was closed and tripped the burglar alarm. When police showed up at 1:57 AM they found the man in his Sonic uniform "allegedly attempting to whip up a batch of meth." More »
(Photo: emuphoto)
E. Coli Vaccine Could Make It Safer To Be A Meatatarian
By Phil Villarreal on December 11, 2009 9:30 AM
109 Comments
E. coli, your future is looking as bleak as the Pittsburgh Steelers' playoff chances because a vaccine has overcome some governmental hurdles to enter testing. If approved, the vaccine could stop e. coli from finding its way into 65 to 75 percent of animals, the New York Times reports: More »
(Photo:wolfclash)
Check Your Math When Accepting Substitutions
By Phil Villarreal on December 7, 2009 9:00 AM
124 Comments
Brooke says she stopped Pizza Hut from short-changing her on soda on a late night pizza run. Her plight demonstrates that it's handy to keep your algebra skills sharp. More »
Don't Forget The Tofurky Soda
More »
By Marc Perton on November 26, 2009 9:51 AM
13 Comments
Just thought we'd remind you about this in case you thought it was a gag — or a bad dream. More »
Customer Claims McDonald's Gave Her Mucus-Filled Iced Tea
By Meg Marco on September 30, 2009 4:38 PM
97 Comments
—>Say you're driving along sipping your iced tea when you suddenly realize that your mouth is full of something slimy. You would probably freak out. One McDonald's customer says this happened to her and she is definitely freaking out. More »
Surprise! Frappuccinos And Coolatas Are Not Health Food
By consumerist.com on September 23, 2009 7:38 PM
76 Comments
—>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have just released the findings of a 2007 study on "blended coffee beverages" served by Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks. The conclusion: "Calories in blended coffee beverages are high ... modifying standard formulations of blended coffee beverages, such as using low-fat milk or smaller serving sizes, would also reduce calorie content." Um, yeah. More »
Maker of Yummy Vat-Grown Fungus Sued Over "Dangerous Reactions"
By consumerist.com on September 17, 2009 6:22 PM
190 Comments
—>The food-safety watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest report that an Arizona woman is suing the makers of Quorn, a meat substitute made from vat-grown fungus. According to the CPSI, the company does not disclose "the fact that some people have serious allergic reactions to the main ingredient in its Quorn line of meat substitutes." The lead plaintiff in the class-action suit, Kathy Cardinale, says that she became violently ill when eating Quorn's Chik'n Patties. "I felt like the soles of my feet were going to come out of my mouth, I was vomiting so hard," she said. More »
Good News,That Dead Mouse In Your Diet Pepsi Was Actually A Toad
By Laura Northrup on September 3, 2009 1:14 PM
69 Comments
—>Remember the purported mouse that a man in Florida purportedly found in his can of Pepsi? Lab tests are back, and it turns out that it wasn't actually a mouse. More »
Iowa Woman Claims Rodent Of Unusual Sauce Served As A Hot Wing
By Laura Northrup on August 29, 2009 2:27 PM
59 Comments
—>I'm no connoisseur of chicken wings, but I've heard that they aren't supposed to contain fur. However, that was what a woman in Des Moines allegedly found in her hot wings. She's stashing the unacceptable food item in her freezer until further notice. Is it an Iowa Fried Mouse, or something else that doesn't belong in a meal? More »
McDonald's Now Serving Free Take-Out Scorpion With Breakfast
By Laura Northrup on August 22, 2009 11:30 AM
72 Comments
—>Science teacher Jeff Tallman in Arizona ordered an egg McMuffin yesterday morning, and it apparently included a side he didn't order. Not hash browns: a baby scorpion. More »
Steak WIth A Side Of Used Tampon Allegedly Served To Tourist At Waldorf-Astoria
By Laura Northrup on July 30, 2009 5:30 PM
71 Comments
—>The image at left has been redacted for the protection of our more sensitive readers. The events of this story, if true, simply boggle the mind. A German tourist visiting New York City alleges that his delicious steak was somehow served with a used tampon on it. Warning: blissfully grainy photo and video inside. More »
Pardon Me, But There Is A Mouse In This Can Of Diet Pepsi
By Meg Marco on July 29, 2009 4:05 PM
113 Comments
—>(Ed. note— Ok, let me just tell you that reading this story made my stomach flip, which is something that almost never happens to me, so if you're eating lunch or (heaven forbid) drinking a Pepsi — just go to Cute Overload and forget this ever happened.) A Florida man says he was drinking a can of Diet Pepsi when he noted that it tasted funny. (Warning: "Not Safe For Lunch" graphic picture inside.) More »
Man Claims To Have Found Condom In Soup
By Chris Walters on July 23, 2009 5:12 PM
107 Comments
—>A man in Mission Viejo, California, says when he began eating his french onion soup over Easter brunch at the restaurant Claim Jumper, he bit into something rubbery. He "spit out the piece of cheese only to discover he had been chewing on what his wife claimed was a condom." More »
Walmart Frozen Green Beans Come With Free Frog
By Meg Marco on July 22, 2009 2:42 PM
50 Comments
—>Mmm, delicious green beans! Oh wait, what's that? Kermit, nooooooo! More »
Hey, Who Took A Bite Out Of My Cheeseburger?
By Laura Northrup on June 16, 2009 12:51 AM
101 Comments
—>Jesus and his family stopped at the drive-thru window of a newly opened Sonic in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. on their way home from a shopping trip. When they got home and opened their bags, Jesus noticed something weird about his bacon cheeseburger. Part of it was missing. More »
Loaf Of Bread Comes With Baked-In Rodent Goodness
By Laura Northrup on June 11, 2009 3:29 PM
85 Comments
—>Back in 2007, a man in Northern Ireland opened up a loaf of bread and found a whole, mercifully dead, rat. (The BBC is reporting that it's a mouse, but it's either a giant mutant mouse or a rat.) A judge heard the case this week, and fined the bakery �1,000 ($1,653) "plus costs." More »
Wendy's Employee Gets Prison Time For Putting Hair In Burger
By Chris Walters on June 2, 2009 5:26 PM
212 Comments
—>Remember Thomas Bender? He was the Wendy's employee in West Virginia who garnished a police officer's sandwich with a ball of pubic hair earlier this year. He's just been sentenced to 6 months in prison and 2 years probation. More »
Food Advertising Reality Check: Pizza And Burger Edition
By Laura Northrup on May 27, 2009 1:48 PM
99 Comments
—>This doesn't quite qualify as "unacceptable food." More like "food that doesn't look quite like depicted in the ads." We bring disappointing photographs of a frozen pizza from fancy-pants grocer Whole Foods, and a humble cheeseburger from Jack in the Box. More »
The Extra Fiber In Quaker Natural Granola: Chunks Of Wood
By Carey Alexander on May 23, 2009 12:00 PM
54 Comments
—>James' seven-year-old daughter was happily noshing on her Quaker Natural Granola when she came across this chunk of wood. Quaker was quick to send James a coupon so he could buy more woody granola from Costco, but then offered a refund when reminded that the bulk warehouse doesn't accept manufacturer's coupons. More »
KFC's Mashed Potato Bowl: Picture Vs Reality
By Chris Walters on March 27, 2009 7:01 PM
127 Comments
—>Jay sent us this picture of a KFC Mashed Potato Bowl he purchased. It's probably blurry in real life, too. Click through for larger, even less appetizing pics, plus a special YouTube tribute. More »
Cops Find "Ball Of Pubic Hair" In Wendy's Sandwich, Act Surprised
By Carey Alexander on March 21, 2009 1:45 PM
96 Comments
—>A pair of West Virginia Wendy's employees are facing misdemeanor charges after dropping a "ball of pubic hair" into a police officer's sandwich. 32-year-old Thomas Bender admitted to garnishing the sandwich, and 20-year-old Joshua Monroe "admitted he encouraged Bender to do it." The officer, though, saw this coming... More »
This Bag Of Clancys Ripple Potato Chips Needs More Nokia Phones
By Carey Alexander on February 28, 2009 10:00 PM
198 Comments
—>A Nokia phone found its way into a bag of Clancy's Ripple Potato Chips, where it surprised Wisconsin nosher Emma Schweiger. The phone, which didn't work, was slathered with "greasy potato-chip film" and looked like it once lived on a belt clip. The chip's distributor, Aldi, pulled all other Clancy's chips with the same batch and expiration date and, by way of apology, offered Schweiger a free bag of chips. She isn't biting... More »
Wendy's Gourmet Mushroom Swissburger Menu Picture V. Reality
By Carey Alexander on February 7, 2009 3:20 PM
107 Comments
—>Hey kids, let's play a game. The first person to find the "gourmet" in this photo wins. And no, identifying the word "gourmet" does not count. Ready? Go! (Thanks to JohnOB1!) More »
Woman Sues McDonald's For Serving Cleaning Liquid Instead Of Iced Tea
By Meg Marco on February 5, 2009 5:17 PM
151 Comments
—>A Baltimore woman is suing McDonald's for negligence, after she says they served her a cup of kitchen equipment sanitizer instead of iced tea. More »
Mini-CornDog Box Picture Vs Reality
By Meg Marco on January 8, 2009 10:23 PM
83 Comments
—>Reader Chris was excited about his recent purchase of 60 Mini-CornDogs — until he opened the package. Inside he found.. weird spherical hotdog bits. More »
Man Finds Mouse Baked Into His Hot Dog Buns
By Meg Marco on October 31, 2008 9:17 PM
59 Comments
—>A North Carolina man bought some hot dog buns that came with a little surprise inside. No, it wasn't a prize. "I see the little ears. Clearly that's a tail. I don't know what that is, part of his leg or something," the man told NBC. More »
Tiny Faces On Broccoli To Be Heartlessly Discontinued, As Will These Decapitated Heads On Jam Jars
By Meg Marco on October 29, 2008 3:15 PM
56 Comments
—>The bloggers that noticed the "tiny faces on broccoli" and shared their discovery with the world (click here to catch up with the horror), have decided to do a little investigative journalism. They contacted the company that photoshopped the little faces onto their broccoli package and got a response. It seems that the tiny faces are a tradition that is now on the chopping block... More »
Tell Kraft Their New Ranch Dressing Recipe Is Gross, Get Coupon For More Gross Dressing
By Meg Marco on October 20, 2008 7:39 PM
117 Comments
—>Kraft has apparently changed their recipe for Ranch dressing and reader Bobby thinks the new stuff is "bad," so he emailed to let Kraft know. More »
McDonald's Forgets The Burger Part Of Your Cheeseburger
By Meg Marco on October 20, 2008 6:59 PM
155 Comments
—>We know everyone makes mistakes, but this is just sad. Reader Jarrett lives out in the country, so it was pretty disappointing for him when he took a bite into his cheeseburger... only to find that there was no "burger" part of the sandwich. More »
Maybe Quiznos Should Find A Better Place For This Cleaning Rag
By Carey Alexander on September 14, 2008 4:30 PM
46 Comments
—>This is the view when you order a toasted whatever from the Quiznos in Warren, New Jersey: a cleaning rag and a bug zapping racket. Mmmm...toasty! More »
Is This The Worst "Professional" Wedding Cake Ever?
By Meg Marco on September 9, 2008 4:12 PM
99 Comments
—>There's a heated debate going on over at a blog called "Cake Wrecks" about whether or not this cake can possibly be "real." We're feeling extremely skeptical ourselves, but the blog's author swears up and down that the pictures came from a real (outraged) bride who really hired a member of the family who was supposed to be a "professional with tons of experience" to make her wedding cake. More »
TombStone Pizza Vending Machine Seen As Harbinger Of Apocalypse
By Meg Marco on September 8, 2008 6:20 PM
121 Comments
—>The existence of a TombStone pizza vending machine is being interpreted by some as a sign that the end is near. More »
Applebee's Food Comes With Delicious "Use By" Sticker
By Meg Marco on August 27, 2008 1:50 PM
146 Comments
—>Reader Jamie's Applebee's dinner came with an interesting ingredient: an expiration date sticker. Understandably grossed out, Jamie asked Applebee's for some new food. They agreed, fished out the sticker and brought the old food back. Ick.
More »
Sorry About The Rocks In Your Raisin Bread. Here's $5.
By Meg Marco on August 13, 2008 3:50 PM
36 Comments
—>We've never really stopped to wonder what sort of compensation we would require if we found small rocks in our raisin bread, but we're pretty sure that it's more than $5. Maybe we're being unrealistic, because when Michael Snyder found rocks in the raisin bread he bought from a bakery in Somerville, Massachusetts, he asked for 5 loaves of bread in compensation and settled for $5 instead. More »
We Review Drank, The "Anti-Energy" Drank
By Alex Chasick on July 29, 2008 8:12 PM
88 Comments
—>As soon as we heard about Drank, the anti-energy drink that promises to "slow your roll," we knew we had to try it. After searching around New Orleans for a while, we were directed to a gas station in Trem. We brought a few cans home, put on some Three 6 Mafia, and drank some Drank. More »
Del Taco Chicken Soft Taco Menu Picture Vs Reality
By Meg Marco on July 28, 2008 6:46 PM
61 Comments
—> More »
McDonald's Takes Baking Metal Screws Into Their Apple Pies "Very Seriously"
By Meg Marco on July 25, 2008 7:59 PM
50 Comments
THE QUOTE: "Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of my employees and customers," [McDonald's franchise holder Michael Giunta] said. "We take these matters very seriously." More »
Pizza Hut Is Sorry It Baked A Cockroach Into Your Pizza, Got Fined $35,000
By Meg Marco on July 7, 2008 9:42 PM
60 Comments
—>Here's a lovely little story from our friends down in Bellbowrie, Australia. It seems that they have a Pizza Hut in Bellbowrie, and that Pizza Hut has cockroaches. Lots of cockroaches. So many cockroaches, in fact, that it baked one alive into a meatlovers pizza. More »
This Partially Filled Half-Gallon Of Milk Is Reasonably Priced
By Carey Alexander on July 6, 2008 10:35 PM
55 Comments
—>Pretend you're a manager at Ralph's and you notice two-inches of milk missing from one of your half-gallon milk containers. What do you do? More »
McDonald's Refuses To Give You Sausage With Your McGriddle Happy Meal
By Meg Marco on June 10, 2008 2:05 PM
134 Comments
—>Apparently, if you want a Sausage McGriddle Happy Meal, you're not necessary going to get it from McDonald's. Reader Alex says his girlfriend ordered the sausage and pancake treat for her 3 year old son, but when they got the sandwich it wasn't actually a sandwich at all — just two small pancake-bun-things and no meat. When they went inside to ask for the meat, the manager wouldn't budge. No sausage on the McGriddle Happy Meal! Is this normal? More »
The World's 5 Worst Ways To Get Drunk
By Jay Slatkin on June 10, 2008 1:00 PM
89 Comments
—>We had a sense that some readers may have been put off by The Most Expensive Spirits In The World. We realize now that there are many people who are only willing to spend a few pennies to get drunk, even if it means massive organ damage or death. For those people, Cracked has assembled a list of The World's 5 Worst Ways To Get Drunk. The list, inside... More »
Meet Drank, The Anti-Energy Drink
By Jay Slatkin on June 5, 2008 1:12 PM
108 Comments
—>There is a new beverage gaining popularity in the South, especially Houston, called Drank. Not content with following the herd of energy drinks, Drank is the antithesis of such products, claiming to be "the anti-energy drink" whose slogan is "slow your roll." This purple carbonated beverage is infused with melatonin, valerian root and rose hips which give it a sedating effect. Details, inside... More »
America's Most Unhealthy Drinks Exposed
By Jay Slatkin on June 3, 2008 2:46 PM
119 Comments
—>Whether you are on a hardcore diet trying to lose major pounds or just someone trying to stay in good shape, you should be aware that there are a lot of so-called "healthy" drinks out there that will do you more harm than good. To help you steer clear of these devilish drinks, Men's Health has compiled a small list of 5 of some of the most unhealthy drinks. The drinks, inside... More »
Searing Sword Of Schmutz Taints Aunt Millie's Bread Loaf
By Carey Alexander on June 1, 2008 5:02 PM
52 Comments
—>UPDATE: Aunt Millie's Searing Sword Of Schmutz Is Really Just "Food Grade Oil" More »
"Waiter, There's An Industrial Bolt In My Outback Steakhouse Potato Soup"
By Alex Chasick on May 27, 2008 9:18 PM
81 Comments
—>A Florida man dining at Outback Steakhouse found a delicious treat in his potato soup: a two-inch industrial bolt that chipped his tooth. More »
Applebees Hot Fudge Sundae Menu Picture Vs. Reality
By Carey Alexander on May 25, 2008 12:55 PM
98 Comments
—>Reader Jose wants to know what happened to all the hot fudge that was supposed to grace this excuse for an Applebees sundae... More »
This Earthbound Farm Organic Salad Comes With A Free Dirty Glove
By Alex Chasick on April 16, 2008 2:00 PM
99 Comments
—>Reader Justin claims he discovered this gray glove in a package of Earthbound Farm organic salad. Salads, organic or otherwise, do not typically contain prizes, and Justin's reaction ("I was mortified") is understandable. The experience has scarred Justin's psyche and he is left wondering, "How many times was I one package away from eating glove?" Additional picture inside. More »
This Rodent Skull Does Not Belong In Nutty Cranberry Maple Granola
By Bargaineering.com on April 13, 2008 2:45 PM
69 Comments
—>Sabrina bit into a rodent skull and cut her gums while eating a bowl of cereal. The 100% natural, premium gourmet nutty cranberry maple granola she was trying to enjoy was purchased at a Hannaford in Maine and manufactured by Bakery on Main. Aside from selling the rodent skull, both Hannaford and Bakery on Main are handling the situation well. More »
Learn The Secrets Of Food Photography
By Chris Walters on March 25, 2008 7:21 PM
45 Comments
—> The blogosphere is circulating a link to an awesome German food photography site today, which compares package photos of food with what's inside for around 100 products. Sure, it's all in German, but the Industrial Food Revolution is the same pretty much everywhere. We looked around for a good "secrets of food photography" and found this article at Photocritic which lists some of the staples any good food photographer has at every shoot, including motor oil, cotton balls, and brown shoe polish. Mmm! More »
IHOP Agrees That Workers Shouldn't Scrub Ceiling Tiles Directly Over Your Food
By Meg Marco on March 12, 2008 12:32 PM
72 Comments
—>We get fewer gross food stories than you might imagine here at Consumerist, and this one made us cringe. Reader Richard saw a maintenance person scrubbing down some ceiling tiles while standing on a food prep counter... that was in use. Yeah. Ew. More »
This Giant Steel Clamp Makes An Excellent Frozen Entree
By Carey Alexander on March 8, 2008 4:47 PM
83 Comments
—>Aldi is recalling three flavors of its Fit and Active frozen dinners after an Omaha family found a steel clamp sealed in a sesame chicken frozen entree.
"If' it's from a machine. If it's a practical joke. Well, it's not really funny just because if there's small pieces," explained mom Karen Kader More »
This Two-Inch Metal Spear Does Not Belong In A Dancing Deer All-Natural, Organic Blondie
By Carey Alexander on February 16, 2008 5:10 AM
74 Comments
—>Update: Dancing Deer apologized. More »
Woman Finds Thumbtack In Snack Wrap, McDonald's "Takes It Very Seriously"
By Meg Marco on January 30, 2008 3:45 PM
32 Comments
THE QUOTE: "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers," said Paul Van Sickle, director of operations for McDonald's Florida Region. "This was an isolated incident which we take very seriously. We always strive to give our customers an enjoyable and pleasant restaurant experience in a clean and safe environment." More »
This Frozen Publix Chicken Was "Never Frozen"
By Meg Marco on January 7, 2008 5:30 PM
19 Comments
Reader Richard writes to tell us that he found the "never frozen" label hilarious... More »
This Bag Of Chopped Spinach Needs More Bird Feathers
By Bargaineering.com on December 27, 2007 5:25 PM
64 Comments
—>Zach's wife found a bird feather in a bag of 365 Chopped Spinach. When she called Whole Foods to complain, a bird-brained employee quipped "You'd be surprised at how much stuff people find in their food!" More »
New Parkay, Now With More Air and Less Margarine
By Meg Marco on November 14, 2007 5:55 PM
60 Comments
I've been a fan and loyal devotee of Parkay Margarine since I was a kid. Imagine the letdown and disappointment when I picked up a new tub of the margarine and felt it was remarkably lighter in weight. It looks like whipping a bunch of air into a pound of margarine makes it 20% lighter and the same cost to the consumer. After searching all over for a tub of "original" to compare it to, I found that the "new" Parkay is now 13 ounces instead of 16 ounces. Not only that, but it comes in the same sized tub and costs the same too. More »
McDonald's Forgets The "Angus Burger" Part Of Mushroom And Swiss Angus Burger
By Meg Marco on October 29, 2007 6:16 PM
50 Comments
—>Not that we'd ever spent very much time thinking about it, but we were sort of under the impression that when making cheeseburgers, the cheese-type toppings are placed on the burger to melt while still on the grill, right before it is done. More »
Applebee's Bruschetta Burger Menu Picture Vs Reality
By Meg Marco on September 18, 2007 3:57 PM
94 Comments
I went to dinner at the Applebee's in Woodland, CA a couple nights ago and ordered their bruschetta burger. As soon as I saw my order, I immediately took a picture and thought Consumerist needed to see it because it fits so well in the ad v. reality posts. The burger itself was a bit sloppy, but still looked similar to the menu picture. The fries, however, were a different story. In the menu photo, "garlic parmesan fries" are served in a ramekin and look quite tasty. Instead, I was served a cylinder of slimy, greasy fries with a couple pieces of parmesan cheese on top. More »
Chili's Awesome Blossom Menu Picture Vs Reality
By Carey Alexander on August 5, 2007 7:32 PM
147 Comments
—>The Chili's in Tuscaloosa, AL served Mike an "Awesome Blossom" that looks like it was run over by a truck. Mike didn't complain to his waiter or the manager, but he did write to us: More »
These Red Baron Frozen Pizzas Could Be Rounder
By Carey Alexander on July 14, 2007 3:09 PM
38 Comments
They were on-sale —- three for $9.99. My roommates and I (tricked by the xxx for xxx sale) grabbed three. More »
Cardboard A Main Ingredient In One Chinese Food
By Meg Marco on July 12, 2007 2:42 PM
44 Comments
—>The AP reports that Chinese State TV has uncovered a "steamed bun" making operation in one Beijing neighborhood that uses pieces of cardboard collected from the street and softened with caustic soda as the main ingredient. From the AP:
The hidden camera follows the man, whose face is not shown, into a ramshackle building where steamers are filled with the fluffy white buns, traditionally stuffed with minced pork. More »
This Walmart Fried Chicken Could Use A Few More Feathers
By Meg Marco on July 12, 2007 2:16 PM
75 Comments
—>Reader Sean is the most recent reader to purchase food at a major "big box" store, find it unacceptable, and send us a picture. More »
Cereal Straws? What? Are They Kidding?
By Meg Marco on June 28, 2007 6:59 PM
40 Comments
—>We thought Kellogg was going to stop marketing unhealthy crap to kids? Oh well, the big bright picture of Toucan Sam on the front of Kellogg's new "Cereal Straws" must mean that they are super healthy! Wow! More »
This Walmart Birthday Cake Shows Excellent Craftmanship
By Meg Marco on June 18, 2007 2:27 PM
143 Comments
Hey consumerist just thought I'd let you and every other customer out there know that Wal-mart sucks at making cakes! It was my daughter's 3rd birthday yesterday (06.17.07) and my wife ordered a cake a week ago to be made for this date. When we picked it up with a little less than an hour until the party started, we were extremely disappointed to say the least. We complained and they gave us 20% off but that wasn't enough as far as we were concerned. I told customer service "We shouldn't have to pay more than half for a half-assed cake" (I just couldn't resist making a pun haha). All they said was "twenty percent is the most we can give you". We didn't have time to get another cake and just went ahead and bought it but we will never buy another cake from Wal-Mart again that's for damn sure. I mean look at at it, it looks hardly anything like the advertisement! That strip with black lines on it, yeah that's supposed to look like a film strip. Oh and to boot my wife ordered butter cream filling and they put strawberry instead. Is it really that hard to follow directions and deliver a worthy product? Apparently.Indeed, that cake is pretty weak. They should probably get rid of the picture if they can't actually make that cake. More »
This Kmart Bacon Is Excellent, But Could Use Some More Fat
By Meg Marco on May 7, 2007 5:36 PM
85 Comments
—>In the continuing saga of people who buy their food from big box stores, find it to be sub-par and then send us a picture, meet Simon. Simon is displeased with his bacon, purchased at Kmart and manufactured by the Smithfield corporation of the Commonwealth of Virginia, because it contains too much fat. More »
