Remember when Conan O’Brien visited the test kitchen at Taco Bell HQ and got to taste something whose name sounded like “Case of Lupus”? Well, we correctly guessed that it’s actually called a Quesalupa, and that it involves cheese. More accurately, it’s something that looks a bit like a taco but which uses a shell stuffed with cheese. It’s about what you’d expect from the Bell, but if you want to try it, you’ll have to travel to Toledo. [More]
Food & Personal Care
Whole Foods Recalls Macadamia Nuts In 6 States For Possible Salmonella Contamination
By 2.4.15
Hey you — Did you buy raw macadamia nuts from Whole Foods? Did you buy them in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee? If so, then you might want to check the label to see if they belong to the batch of nuts being recalled for potential Salmonella contamination. [More]
Delta Air Lines Will Now Serve Starbucks Coffee On All Flights
By 2.4.15
Expanding on an earlier deal that had Starbucks name-brand coffee served on certain West Coast shuttle routes and flights from New York’s JFK to California, Delta Air Lines says it will now be serving Starbucks coffee on all its flights, which is about 5,000 flights daily. [More]
Starbucks Will Roll Out Coconut Milk Everywhere February 17
By 2.3.15
Last year, we learned that Starbucks was testing coconut milk as a non-dairy alternative other than soy milk.. The test expanded to more states, and now it’s a poorly kept secret that coconut milk will roll out nationwide two weeks from today. [More]
What Ended The Short-Lived Marriage Of McDonald’s & Chipotle?
By 2.3.15
Even today, nearly a decade after McDonald’s divested its 8-year-old investment in Chipotle, some people still think the fast food giant owns the chain of burrito eateries. McDonald’s made money off Chipotle, and Chipotle was able to grow because of McDonald’s, so why did the marriage end? A new oral history of Chipotle sheds a lot of light on this odd-couple relationship. [More]
NY Asks Stores To Halt Herbal Supplements After Tests Show Advertised Herbs Not Present
By 2.3.15
When you buy an herbal supplement that says “echinacea” or “ginko boloba” on the label, you may expect that it contains some additional ingredients beyond the advertised herbs, but you should be confident that those herbs are present. However, DNA tests commissioned by the New York state Attorney General found evidence that many herbal products may not contain what they advertise. [More]
Starbucks, Match.com Team Up To Create Awkward Blind Dates
By 2.2.15
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is in the air. Well, it is for Match.com and Starbucks, anyway. The two companies are sharing a meet-cute like no other by teaming up to make it easier for consumers to meet their perfect someone. [More]
S’Mores Could Be Oreo’s Next Exotic Flavor
By 2.2.15
Ready for another exotic Oreo flavor? It’s possible that the world was never really ready for watermelon or Oreo-flavored Oreos, and that didn’t stop Nabisco from inflicting them on the world. We are intrigued with this image of a S’More Oreo cookie, featuring two-colored chocolate and marshmallow “creme” sandwiched between graham-flavored cookies. [More]
CDC: Many Packaged Toddler Foods Contain Too Much Salt, Sugar
By 2.2.15
While the ease of pre-packaged meals for the wee set is surely tempting, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says parents should be aware that many contain worrisome amounts of salt and sugar. [More]
Super Bowl Weekend Is The Big Show For Pizza Box Manufacturers
By 1.30.15 — Updated: 1.31.17
Did you know that there’s a pizza season? Pizzerias say that their business picks up in October, and the bump lasts through the NCAA tournament in March. 12.5 million pizzas are ordered on Super Bowl Sunday alone. Supporting all of that delivery business in a very literal sense is a crucial American industry: the factories that make pizza boxes. [More]
Chipotle’s Non-Burrito Pizzeria Concept Expands Eastward
By 1.29.15
For the last couple of years, Chipotle has been playing around with pizza at the few Pizzeria Locale eateries it has in Colorado. But now the eatery is looking to the east and seeing there are hungry mouths to feed in the Kansas City area, where another Locale is set to open this summer. [More]
“Nacho Cheese” Is Whatever You Want It To Be
By 1.29.15
Those of us who grew up with orange-tinted fingers and salt-cured lips from spending too much time feeding at the Dorito trough know what “nacho” cheese is, or at least we know what it tastes like. But the fact is that, unlike most other well-known cheese varieties, there is no actual definition for what constitutes the cheese we call nacho. [More]
USDA Introduces New Maple Syrup Grading System To Clear Up Consumer Confusion
By 1.28.15
If you think people don’t take maple syrup seriously, clearly you have never been to Vermont. While that state already switched up its grading system for the sweet stuff, the rest of the country is set to change as well with new categories introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week. [More]
Pepsi’s Stevia-Sweetened Soda Will Hit Real-Life Stores In 3 Cities
By 1.27.15
Back in October, we told you about Pepsi’s plans to follow Coke into the mid-calorie, partly-stevia-sweetened soft drink market. Pepsi Life first went on sale in 7.5-ounce mini-cans in October, available only through Amazon. That was meant as a test before Pepsi tried putting the beverage in grocery stores. The test was apparently a success, since the green-labeled soda will be available in real-life stores. [More]
Words Of Neil Gaiman, Jeffrey Eugenides To Appear On Chipotle Cups You Will Discard Without Reading
By 1.27.15
Neil Gaiman is a bestselling author whose work spans multiple genres and formats, from children’s books to literary fiction to graphic novels to screenplays. Now he can add fast food packaging to that list, as he joins other notable writers like Jeffrey Eugenides, Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, Paulo Coelho, and comedian Aziz Ansari in slapping their work on Chipotle cups and bags. [More]
The Reality Of The KFC Double Down Hot Dog Is Depressing
By 1.26.15
Nearly five years ago, KFC tried to rejuvenate interest in its menu by going the extreme-food route with the Double Down, a bacon and cheese sandwich with two pieces of fried chicken for the bun. Now the fast foodery is trying to push a hot dog version of the Double Down on its customers in the Philippines, and the results leave a lot to be desired. [More]
Burger King Customer Gets Bag Filled With $2,631 Instead Of Chicken Sandwich, Returns It
By 1.26.15
When you’re hungry for a chicken sandwich, you’re hungry for a chicken sandwich. But while most people might settle for taking a bag filled with a few thousand bucks in cash, one Burger King drive-thru customer was nice enough to return free money and just take the food instead. [More]
Starbucks’ Delivery Service Might Bring Green-Aproned Baristas To Your House
By 1.23.15
Starting later this year you might not have to traipse into your local Starbucks to chat up your favorite barista. Instead, the coffee slinger might be coming to you as part of Starbucks’ upcoming delivery service. [More]
