Last month, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would be delaying the implementation of a rule requiring calorie counts and other nutritional information on the menus of many restaurants for the third time. That decision didn’t sit well with some consumer advocates, including two groups that have filed a lawsuit challenging the delay. [More]
Food & Personal Care
Seattle City Council Passes Soda Tax That Doesn’t Include Diet Drinks
By 6.7.17
Taxes on sweetened beverages are a hot new trend among cities, sweeping progressive spots like Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, the Chicago area, Boulder, and now Seattle. Like other cities, Seattle will charge the tax at the distributor level, but it will not include “diet” drinks with non-nutritive sweeteners. [More]
Will New Cheetos Stunt Snack Make Parents Drag Kids To The ER For No Reason?
By 6.7.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Three years ago, parents needlessly rushed their children to local emergency rooms, panicked over the less-than-natural color of the kids’ bathroom output. The culprit, however, was not a medical problem but instead Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Now, it looks like we could be revisiting that trend with the launch of Flamin’ Hot Chipotle Ranch Cheetos, which uses the same pesky red food dye. [More]
The Honest Company Settles False Advertising Lawsuit For $1.5M
By 6.7.17
Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company has agreed to pay $1.55 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit that accused the brand of using sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in its products — an organic chemical derived from coconut oil and found in common items like laundry detergent and toothpaste — despite the fact that the company had pledged not to include that ingredient. [More]
Joe’s Crab Shack Owner Files For Bankruptcy, Preps For Sale Of Chain
By 6.7.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
A year after its failed no-tipping policy experiment and a month after rumors began swirling that Joe’s Crab Shack parent company Ignite Restaurants was prepping for bankruptcy, the company has done just that and revealed plans to sell itself to a private equity firm. [More]
Cashews Sold At Aldi Recalled Because Glass Isn’t A Tasty Snack
By 6.7.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
If your afternoon snack today includes cashews you bought at Aldi, you might want to step away from the can: The packages of nuts have been recalled, as they could contain pieces of glass. [More]
Popeyes Now Has Cookie-Crusted Chicken & It’s Getting Some Mixed Reviews
By 6.6.17
Popeyes is venturing into territory usually inhabited by adventurous home cooks or hipster food trucks with their newest offering: “Sweet & Crunchy Tenders” which combines fried chicken and cookies. [More]
Walmart Has A Giant Grocery Vending Machine For Online Order Pickup Now
By 6.6.17
Back in November, Walmart began testing a giant orange vending machine that allowed online customers to pick up their orders without having to wait in line or talk to other people. Now, the company is reportedly testing a similar system, but for online grocery orders. [More]
‘Pink Slime’ Defamation Trial Underway In South Dakota
By 6.6.17
Five years after Beef Products Inc. first filed a lawsuit against ABC News, blaming it for tying its name to the idea of “pink slime” — what the meat processor calls lean finely textured beef products — the defamation trial is underway in South Dakota. [More]
How To Load A Dishwasher
By 6.6.17
Think your dishwasher has it bad? To test this workhorse appliance, Consumer Reports slathers plates, cups, and silverware with an imposing mix of peanut butter, egg yolk, and other gooey stuff, then lets it all sit out overnight before running the wash cycle. Dishwashers that make our list of top dishwasher picks deliver sparkling results every time. [More]
Tuna Sold At Restaurants In Three States Recalled Over Potential Hepatitis A Contamination
By 6.6.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Update: The Food and Drug Administration has updated the list of restaurants affected by the recall after determining that they were shipped the frozen tuna. The below list has been updated.
If you’re a fan of yellowfin tuna, you might want to skip ordering it the next time you’re dining out, at least if you live in Texas, Oklahoma, or California, as the product may be contaminated with hepatitis A and has been linked to two recalls. [More]
Maine Gov. Vetoes Bill That Would’ve Required Deposit For Mini Alcohol Bottles
By 6.5.17
In an effort to cut down on roadside litter and give people a chance to make some spare change, Maine lawmakers approved a bill that would require retailers to collect a $0.05 bottle deposit on those mini bottles of booze known as “nips.” But the state’s governor has vetoed the measure, and has offered a few ideas of his own to deal with the litter the bottles create — alternatives that some in the alcohol industry objected to, even before he declined to sign the bill. [More]
How Panera Sped Up Ordering And Dispersed Its ‘Mosh Pit’
By 6.2.17
It’s not a good sign when you’re a fast-casual restaurant, and your company’s own chairman wonders whether he should just have just stayed home and had leftovers for lunch instead of driving there. Panera Bread Co.’s Ron Shaich realized that other people would ask themselves the same question, and made changes to the ordering process that are finally paying off. [More]
These 101 Words May Have Pushed Opioids Into Dangerous Popularity
By 6.2.17
As Americans around the country battle opioid addiction, and health officials and lawmakers try to find a way to stem the rising tide of painkiller overdose deaths, everyone is looking for answers as to how we got here. Now, a new report says five simple sentences made up of just 101 words on addiction to narcotic painkillers in a 1980 medical journal may have a lot to do with it. [More]
Burger King Drops Its Claim To Belgian Throne
By 6.1.17 — Updated: 6.2.17
Just days after Burger King drew the ire of an actual monarch while promoting its soon-to-open location in Belgium, the fast food chain has pulled ads that asked “Who is the king?” and declared that it is not, in fact, a king. [More]
How To Score Doughnut Deals On National Doughnut Day 2017
By 6.1.17
Do you like free things? And do you like doughnuts? You’re in luck, because June 2 is National Doughnut Day, which means many cafes and stores will be offering up complimentary or discounted treats. [More]
Here’s What To Buy On Sale In June
By 6.1.17
Although you might think June is a bad time to stock up on seasonal products you can use this summer, there are big discounts to be had this time of year. [More]
Literal Hamburglar On The Loose: Guy Accused Of Selling $20K Worth Of McDonald’s Food To A Bodega
By 6.1.17
A delivery driver tasked with trucking around food for McDonald’s is a real-life Hamburglar in the eyes of the law: Police say instead of dropping off his haul where it was supposed to go, he diverted $20,000 worth of the chain’s food to a local bodega to line his own pockets. [More]
