There will be another dairy-free alternative for Starbucks customers come September: alongside soy and coconut milk, the chain will be offering almond milk as part of its milk lineup. [More]
Food & Personal Care
This Is No Longer A Test: Burger King’s “Whopperito” Going National Later This Month
By 8.8.16
Burger King’s summer of wacky-sounding menu items continues with the news that the not-quite-a-burger-not-quite-a-burrito hybrid it had been testing in certain markets will be expanding nationwide next week. [More]
Did Burger King Rip Off Mac N’ Cheetos From The Vulgar Chef?
By 8.5.16
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but one online chef is calling foul when it comes to Burger King’s Mac n’ Cheetos. [More]
Probably Avoid These Skin Care Products If You Don’t Want Mercury Poisoning
By 8.5.16
Mercury poisoning doesn’t sound fun, but it also doesn’t necessarily sound like something the average consumer runs into a lot in modern cosmetic aisles, what with federal regulations banning dangerous levels of the stuff. However, there are a slew of illegal skin care products for sale out there that contain mercury, and the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t want folks slathering them on their bodies. [More]
Wendy’s Quietly Getting Rid Of Antibiotics In Chicken
By 8.5.16
The same week that McDonald’s publicly touted that its chicken menu items are now 100% free of antibiotics, Wendy’s quietly changed its policies to establish a timeline for ridding its birds of antibiotics that are deemed medically important to humans. [More]
Grassfields Farms Cheese Sold At Whole Foods Recalled For Possible E. Coli
By 8.4.16
Cheese is one of our favorite foods here at Consumerist, but its creamy deliciousness doesn’t make it immune to some very unappetizing foodborne pathogens. Grassfields Cheese, a small producer in Michigan, has announced a recall of all cheeses produced between December 2015 and August 2016 because they have been linked to E. coli infections. [More]
Taco Bell’s Portable “Walking Nachos” Spotted In The Wild
By 8.3.16
Have you ever tried eating nachos on the go? It can be a messy, cheesy endeavor. In an attempt to make chowing down on that meal a bit less chaotic, Taco Bell announced last week that it would test “Walking Nachos,” a portable bag of chips, cheese, and meat. Now, we’re getting our first look at the menu items. [More]
Starbucks Recalling 2.5M Stainless Steel Straws Because They’re Cutting Kids’ Mouths
By 8.2.16
While it might be refreshing to drink a refreshing cold beverage delivered by an equally cold metal straw, it’s much less enjoyable when that straw becomes a stabby thing that can cut your mouth. [More]
McDonald’s Removing Preservatives From Some Items; Nuggets Now 100% Antibiotics-Free
By 8.1.16
Two decades ago, McDonald’s only real competition was other fast food burger joints, and maybe the local greasy spoon diner. Now, it not only has to stave off the new generation of better burger joints, many of its longtime competitors have begun using fresher ingredients. Today, the nation’s largest non-Subway fast food chain announced revisions to its menu, and a positive update on its plan to phase out antibiotics in the chicken it serves. [More]
Lawmaker Calls For Overhaul Of Food Recall System
By 8.1.16
Nearly two months after a preliminary audit found the Food and Drug Administration’s food recall process lacked effective and efficient processes to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply, one lawmaker is calling for an overhaul of the agency’s systems. [More]
CDC Advising Pregnant Women Not To Travel To Miami Neighborhood Amid New Zika Cases
By 8.1.16
After health officials identified 10 more cases of Zika in Florida that may have been transmitted by local mosquitoes, federal health officials are advising women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant to avoid an area near downtown Miami where the virus is spreading. [More]
Jack In The Box Takes Garlic Fries Chain-Wide, Probably Not Copying McDonald’s
By 8.1.16
We’re a little bit fixated on the Gilroy Garlic Fries at McDonald’s, since developing fresh local specialties may be the way forward for the mass fast food retailer. Well, that, and we’re very fond of garlic, fries, and parmesan cheese. Yet while McDonald’s will probably never take the Gilroy fries national, another chain that covers most of the country is introducing its own garlic fries. [More]
Health Department Imposes $850K Fine On Blue Bell For Listeria Outbreak, Company Only Paying $175K For Now
By 8.1.16
The state health department in Texas has taken an unusual step in while punishing Blue Bell Creameries for manufacturing and distributing Listeria-laden ice cream: The state has imposed an $850,000 fine on the company for the Listeria contamination in ice cream that sent 12 customers to the hospital and is blamed for the deaths of three people who were served the ice cream while in the hospital for pre-existing conditions. [More]
Florida Officials Investigating 4 Cases Of Zika That May Have Been Transmitted By Mosquitoes
By 7.29.16
For the first time in the U.S., health officials believe local mosquitoes may have transmitted the Zika virus to humans. [More]
Walgreens Closing Beauty.com, Drugstore.com
By 7.29.16
With easy-to-remember names like drugstore.com and beauty.com, one might expect these Walgreens-owned websites to be doing gangbusters business. Yet the retailer says it will shutter both sites by the end of September. [More]
Chipotle Will Open Its First Burger Restaurant In Ohio This Fall
By 7.28.16
Chipotle is hoping its customers have gotten over that whole food-borne illness thing and will trust it to make tasty burgers, with its new venture dubbed “Tasty Made.” [More]
International Partnership Created To Speed Up Antibiotic Development
By 7.28.16
Drug-resistant superbugs are on the rise, increasingly rendering a number of drugs useless even for infections that were once easily treated. At the same time, it’s been more than three decades since medical science found a new class of antibiotics, meaning the bugs may be outpacing the drugs. Today, the U.S. government, along with private organizations in the United Kingdom and stateside, announced a partnership intended to accelerate the development of new antibiotics. [More]
Taco Bell Bringing Version Of Its Canadian Cheetos Crunchwrap Slider To The U.S.
By 7.28.16
Between Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos and Burger King’s Mac ’n Cheetos there is no lack of chips — or chip-like flavor — infiltrating fast food fare. Now, Taco Bell is upping its game, bringing a version of its Canadian Cheetos Crunchwrap Slider to the states. [More]
