What do you think of when you hear the words, “dollar menu”? McDonald’s probably. How about “value menu”? Nothing? Yeah, that’s a problem, admits Burger King, confessing the company needs to start working on reminding people it’s got low-priced food items just like the other guys. [More]
Food & Personal Care
Horsemeat Found In UK School Meals But Kids Likely Didn’t Eat Much Of It
By 2.15.13
Someone over there in Europe, please, can you just make it stop? Reading about the ever spiraling horsemeat scandal hurts our horse-loving hearts so, but it doesn’t sound like the scandal is going away any time soon. UK officials say horse DNA was found in cottage pies sent to 47 schools in Lancashire, but the kids probably didn’t eat much of it. Whew. [More]
“Let’s Read” And 8 Other Retired Sayings Your Sweetheart Candies Won’t Say Today
By 2.14.13 — Updated: 2.14.17
While we’re unsure if anyone has secured a promise of love or even a date by way of candy heart in the 147 years since Sweetheart candies have been around, we are pretty darn certain that such a thing has never been accomplished via fax. Which is why the makers of the iconic heart candies, Necco, has retired plenty of sayings in the past. Somehow “FAX ME,” “LET’S READ” and “YOU ARE GAY” failed to inspire romantic ardor, it seems. [More]
Trader Joe’s Fans Ask Store To Stop Selling Drugged-Up Meat
By 2.14.13
Trader Joe’s has a lot of fans who evangelize on behalf of the food and service at the grocery store chain, but some of those same superfans are asking their favorite food fix to please stop selling meat full of antibiotics. [More]
Group Calls For Limits On Sugar In Soft Drinks
By 2.13.13
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which loves to ruin everyone’s day by reminding people of all the calories and fat in the foods we enjoy, are calling on the FDA to set a safe level of added sugars in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. [More]
It’s Finally Happening: Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Will Arrive At Taco Bell On March 7
By 2.13.13
Ever since nacho cheese flavor of Doritos Locos Tacos became a part of our lives last year, we’ve been tracking the inevitable progress toward the day when a Cool Ranch version would arrive. That day has come, everyone. Or rather, it will be coming on March 7, as the company announced today. [More]
What’s That Smell? Eau de Pizza Hut Finally (Sort Of) Available Stateside
By 2.12.13
We know that many of you were glaring jealously toward our neighbors to the north when Pizza Hut Canada announced its Eau de Pizza Hut scent last December. [More]
Horsemeat Scandal Widens To 16 Countries & Everyone’s Busy Pointing Fingers
By 2.11.13
Over the course of the last few weeks, Europe has been rocked by the revelation that horsemeat has been found in various “beef” products, from lasagna to burgers. At first it seemed the scandal was contained to the U.K., Ireland and France, but now things are spiraling outward to include as many as 16 countries. Finding out who to blame is still very much up in the air, however. [More]
Some Lean Cuisine Ravioli Recalled Because “Fragments Of Broken Glass” Wasn’t Listed As An Ingredient
By 2.11.13
Some people like crunchy food, but most of us don’t enjoy the sensation of chewing on glass. This is why Nestlé has recalled some of its Lean Cuisine Culinary Collection Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli. [More]
Mountain Dew… Now For Breakfast
By 2.11.13
For people who think Taco Bell’s “Mtn Dew A.M.” blend of Mountain Dew and orange juice is just a little bit too natural for a breakfast drink, the folks at PepsiCo have heard your pleas and are rolling out an actual breakfast-drink version of Mountain Dew called “Kickstart.” [More]
Walgreens Fuzzy Math Means This ‘Smart Buy’ Is Less Smart Than It Appears
By 2.11.13
Just in case you thought that the phrase “smart buy” actually had any meaning at Walgreens, here’s proof that employees might just be slapping that label on everything, then calling it a day. Reader Ben found these two different packages of gauze pads, both labeled “smart buys.” [More]
U.K. Health Officials Find “Beef” Lasagna Meals Containing 60%-100% Horse Meat
By 2.8.13
Our neighbors across the pond are caught in an equine-lover’s nightmare: First, beef hamburgers on shelves were found to contain horse DNA and recalled, after authorities traced the contamination back to a couple processing plants. Burger King got caught up in it as well, although no burgers with horse in them made it to stores. And now the scandal has spread to frozen “beef” lasagna meals. [More]
This Safeway Select Shepherd’s Pie Tastes As Good As It Looks
By 2.7.13
We know that packaged food doesn’t always come out the way it’s supposed to look on the box, but this Beef Shepherd’s Pie that Consumerist reader PR bought from Safeway looks more like a pie that’s already passed through the shepherd. [More]
Here’s Why It Never Hurts To Give Your Soda Can A Rinse
By 2.6.13
If you’re the type to drink from a soda can straight out of a store cooler or right from a vending machine, you might want to consider giving it a rinse or a wipe down with a wet napkin first. [More]
Police Say Man Made Up Family Sob Story In Thwarted Papa John’s Robbery
By 2.4.13
Our hearts were warmed to a toasty temperature recently after hearing about a Montana man who cops said was intent on robbing a Papa John’s pizza joint, but left with a free meal after he broke down and tearfully admitted he needed cash to support his family. The compassionate clerk instead convinced him to leave with just a pizza and some chicken wings. Now cops say that whole sob story was all a lie. [More]
Pepsi To Replace Coke In Costco’s Beloved $1.50 Soda & Hot Dog Deal
By 2.4.13
For many Costco shoppers, a trip to the warehouse store isn’t complete without stopping by the lunch counter and plunking down $1.50 for a hot dog and a Coca-Cola beverage. It’s the same price and pairing the company has had since 1985. But that’s about to change, with Costco making the decision to switch all its stores over to Pepsi. [More]
When Should Your Super Bowl Pizza Arrive? How About Four Hours Late?
By 2.4.13
We get it: Super Bowl Sunday is to pizza delivery places what Valentine’s Day is to florists and April 15th is to tax cats. It’s the crunchiest of crunch times, and that’s when things can go wrong. What reader P. wonders, though, is whether it’s reasonable to expect your pizza within four hours of the time you requested it for, especially when you called in the order seven hours in advance. [More]
If You’re Unhappy With Your Onion Rings, Don’t Slam Your Tray Into Burger King Employee’s Face
By 2.4.13
Of all the things in the world that might be worth getting into a physical altercation over, Burger King onion rings are pretty far down the list for most people. Apparently that’s not the case for one couple in South Carolina. [More]
