A new lawsuit filed by New York state prosecutors accuses Domino’s Pizza and three Domino’s franchisees of underpaying workers at 10 stores by at least $565,000. Meanwhile, Domino’s HQ contends it should not be a defendant because franchisees are responsible for handling issues of pay. [More]
Food & Personal Care
Disappointing Milky Way Brownie Is Latest Entrant In Packaging Vs. Reality Hall Of Sadness
By 5.23.16
Here at Consumerist, we’re used to that moment when expectations come crashing into conflict with reality, that sigh of disappointment over a product that’s failed to live up to its packaging or marketing photos. It’s not that it’s all that surprising, it’s just that it makes us sad. [More]
CVS Will End Yard-Long Receipts (For Rewards Program Members)
By 5.23.16
Five years ago, a CVS representative explained that the reason why the pharmacy chain keeps printing such long receipts for customers is that customers like it. Maybe the public’s preferences have changed since 2011, since the chain officially announced today that it’s getting rid of the lengthy coupon-filled receipt streamers, and pre-loading coupons to customers’ rewards program cards instead. [More]
Nike’s Starbucks Sneaker Is The Latest In Food-Themed Footwear
By 5.23.16
They say some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, but more and more it seems consumers are wearing their appetites on their shirts, pants, and shoes, among other things. One company looking to fill the tasty clothing arena is Nike and its newfound taste for food-themed sneakers. [More]
The Big Chill: Cold Coffee Is The Cool Kid On The Block Now
By 5.23.16
When the temperature rises, the last thing many people want is a hot beverage. Iced coffee drinks aren’t a new thing , of course, but they certainly are the cool thing going on right now in that world. [More]
Massive Frozen Vegetable Recall May Not Be So Bad Because People Cook Vegetables
By 5.20.16
Have you gone through all of the frozen vegetables and packaged food in your house to ensure that they aren’t on the list of items potentially contaminated by Listeria in an outbreak dating back to 2013? Yeah, me either, and I don’t even have a lot of frozen vegetables. That’s what public health officials are worried about: that people won’t check their freezers and could get sick years from now, with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne illness that is especially dangerous. [More]
Those Updated Nutrition Labels On All Your Packaged Food Are Finally Happening
By 5.20.16
It’s something most of us learned to do decades ago: you see an inviting package on the supermarket shelf. You pick it up, have a look at the front to see if you might like that flavor, and then flip it over to stare intently at the familiar white nutrition label on the back. Well now, finally, after much hemming and hawing, those nutrition labels are getting an overdue upgrade. [More]
Lawsuit Accuses Cheez-It Of Falsely Advertising “Whole Grain” Crackers
By 5.19.16
What does it mean for a food to be labeled “whole grain”? Even if there is no official standard for that term, do you expect that a whole grain version of a product would be healthier than the original? [More]
Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs Could Kill Millions Every Year If Left Unchecked
By 5.19.16
Each year, some 700,000 people around the world die from antibiotic-resistant infections; that’s more than 1,900 deaths per day. If nothing is done to curb the overuse of antibiotics — in humans, and in livestock and agriculture — these superbugs could eventually kill 1,100 people every hour. [More]
An Oversupply Of Cheese & Meat Hurts Producers; Means Better Prices At The Store
By 5.17.16
Supply and demand: the push and pull of time, money, materials, and desire that influences the price and availability of all commodities. An overreaction to a shortage today can result in a glut a few years from now, and vice versa. So how did we end up with the current overabundance of cheese, meat, and grains in the U.S.? [More]
New Legislation Tries To Clear Up Confusion Over “Sell By,” “Best By” & Other Expiration Dates
By 5.17.16
Stroll around your favorite supermarket and you’ll see a cornucopia of deadlines stamped and printed on your food. That carton of milk says “Sell By,” the box of mac and cheese says “Best Before,” and the jar of horseradish has a “Use By,” none of which are official or necessarily an indicator of safety or quality, resulting in millions of pounds of food being wasted every year based on sometimes arbitrary dates. New legislation coming this week in both the House and Senate hopes to clear up the confusion over the many expiration date labels you find on food. [More]
Taco Bell Will No Longer Bolt Tables To The Floor At New “Upscale” Test Locations
By 5.17.16
Taco Bell is giving some of its restaurants a shiny new makeover, with a test of four different “upscale” design concepts. They might feature different decor but there are a few elements they’ll share, including larger tables that aren’t bolted to the floor so people can eat in bigger groups. [More]
Starbucks Brings Back Mini Frappuccino For Mini Summer Refreshment
By 5.16.16
For people who want a cool blast of summer refreshment without a massive blast of calories, Starbucks is bringing back its blended Frappuccino drinks in mini sizes, which are two ounces smaller than the company’s normal smallest drink size. The drinks are at most $0.30 cheaper than the “tall” size, and are available in all of the same flavors as normal-sized Frappuccinos. The promotion starts today, and Starbucks didn’t provide an end date for 2016 yet. [Starbucks] [More]
Sierra Mist Performs Another Sweetener Switcharoo, Angers Fans Again
By 5.16.16
A sweetener switcharoo happens when a soft drink company swaps out the sweetener that customers are used to and substitutes something else, usually a small amount of a non-caloric sweetener. We’ve previously shared customer outrage when this happened to Seagram’s ginger ale and Sierra Mist, when companies sneaked in small amounts of sucralose (Splenda) and of stevia respectively. Now Sierra Mist maker PepsiCo has changed things up again, rebranding Sierra Mist as Mist TWST, and switching the sweetener out for high fructose corn syrup. [More]
FDA: Keep Your Dogs Away From Gum, Nut Butters Containing Xylitol
By 5.13.16
The Food & Drug Administration is issuing a stricter warning for dog owners against xylitol, a common sweetener that’s found in many gum products as well as some nut butters, because it can “can have devastating effects on your pet.” [More]
Pepsi, Frito-Lay Quietly Adding GMO Ingredient Labels To Some Foods
By 5.11.16
Whether or not you agree with mandatory labeling for foods containing genetically modified or genetically engineered ingredients, the Vermont law requiring this information on food sold in that state will go into effect on the first of July. Some companies — including Mars, Campbell Soup, and General Mills — have announced decisions to implement these labels nationwide, while PepsiCo appears to be quietly putting labels on its products. [More]
New Rules Will Shed Dim Light On Antibiotics Overuse In Farm Animals
By 5.10.16
Even though three-quarters of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used on farm animals, there is very little information available about how much of which drugs are being fed to cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. Newly finalized rules hope to provide more details on how these drugs are being used, but critics say the new data is only a small part of the bigger picture. [More]
Chipotle Accused CDC Of Scaring Customers With Updates On E. Coli Outbreak
By 5.10.16
In the wake of outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus, Chipotle has made a relatively public display of its efforts to improve — giving away free food while implementing new safety standards. However, the burrito chain believes that one federal agency’s constant updates about these outbreaks ultimately resulted in customers fretting too much about food safety. [More]
