Norco is a brand name for a prescription opioid painkiller that combines acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Unscrupulous jerks are also selling fake Norco that contains the powerful opioid fentanyl, resulting in dozens of hospitalizations and and least 13 deaths from overdoses in California, and that’s only in the last few weeks. [More]
Food & Personal Care
At Least 52 People Hospitalized, 13 Dead In California After Overdosing On Counterfeit Painkiller
By 4.27.16
Pilgrim’s Pride Recall: 4.5M Pounds Of Chicken Products May Contain Plastic, Wood, Rubber, Metal
By 4.27.16
In yet another example of unexpectedly crunchy, contaminated food, Pilgrim’s Pride is busy getting the news out about a recall of more than four million pounds of pre-cooked poultry products that could contain unwanted additions like plastic, wood, rubber, or metal bits. [More]
Hi-C Ecto Cooler Will Return To Store Shelves On May 30
By 4.25.16
A few months ago, news and early samples of a new and exciting beverage hit Twitter and eBay. Hi-C’s Ecto Cooler was a green citrus-flavored beverage and a tie-in for the Ghostbusters franchise. The beverage was so popular that it outlasted the TV cartoon series it was originally meant to promote by ten years. With a new live-action Ghostbusters movie due out this summer and levels of ’90s nostalgia peaking, Ecto Cooler is returning to store shelves. [More]
Chipotle Lures Customers Back With Free Burritos That Don’t Make Them Sick
By 4.25.16
What’s the best way to prove to the American public that your food won’t make them sick? Convince them to try your food again, and don’t make them sick. That’s been Chipotle’s recovery plan, and it’s working pretty well. In addition to serving up raincheck burritos (in exchange for capturing your phone number) the company also sent out coupons offering free entrées, free sides, and free beverages to lure customers back. According to one firm’s research, this plan worked. [More]
Burger King Will Sell Chicken Fries In Ring Form
By 4.25.16
Have you ordered Burger King’s chicken fries and wished that they could be rounder? No, neither has anyone else, but the fast food chain is putting Chicken Fries Rings on the menu anyway as a limited-time item and a new variation on their Chicken Fries franchise. There have been flavor variations, including Fiery, Jalapeno, and Buffalo fries, but this marks the chain’s first variation on shape in the Chicken Fries line. [More]
15 Types Of Frozen Vegetables Sold At Costco, Meijer Recalled Over Listeria Concerns
By 4.25.16
For the second time this month packages of frozen vegetables sold at national retailers has been recalled for possible listeria contamination. CRF Frozen Foods issued a recall of 15 frozen vegetable products sold at Costco and Meijer stores over the weekend. [More]
Starbucks Isn’t Seeing “Any Of The Noise” Expected Over Rewards Program Overhaul
By 4.22.16
Despite the backlash from some customers over the recent changes in Starbucks’ My Rewards loyalty program, the company says the overhaul is going quite well, and that it hasn’t heard anything particularly worrisome. Well, not yet, at least. [More]
Papa John’s Eliminating High Fructose Corn Syrup From The Menu
By 4.21.16
The next time you eat a Papa John’s pizza, something will be missing, not that you’ll necessarily taste it. The chain says it has eliminated high-fructose corn syrup from its entire menu, as part of its “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” iniatitive. [More]
Walgreens, Duane Reade To Pay $500,000 For Overcharging, Misleading Customers
By 4.21.16
When you see a “sale” price on a store shelf, you expect to pay that price at the register. When you see something marked as a “Great Buy,” you might believe that it’s been discounted. And when a store advertises a “Last Chance” or “Clearance” sale, you probably have reason to think that those items won’t be in stock much longer. But Walgreens — and its subsidiary Duane Reade — have different ways of thinking about the above scenarios, and it’s gotten them into trouble with the state of New York. [More]
CVS Health Launching Free Curbside Pick-Up Service Nationwide
By 4.19.16
When you’ve got a ferocious cold or a clanging headache that won’t go away, sometimes the thought of facing other people is horrible enough to keep you from procuring cough syrup, aspirin, and other comforts at the drug store. If you can handle a car ride, CVS Health will now deliver customers’ orders to them with a new free curbside pick-up service launching nationwide. [More]
How Does JetBlue’s New Employee College Tuition Program Compare To Others?
By 4.18.16
Just like a 401k, health insurance, and other benefits, more and more companies are offering to pay for employees’ college education — or at least part of it — as a way to keep them on the payroll. Joining the increasingly growing list that includes Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Anthem Insurance, and Fiat Chrysler, JetBlue announced today that it would offer crewmembers a program to obtain a college degree. [More]
More Walgreens “Nice!” Brand Sliced Fruit Recalled For Possible Glass Shards
By 4.18.16
Only a few months after recalling Walgreens Nice! store-brand orange slices because shards of glass might have found their way into the jars, the company is recalling jars of Nice! peach slices and mixed fruit for the same reason. [More]
Reminder: You Should Opt Out Of Starbucks Card Mandatory Arbitration Now. Here’s How
By 4.15.16
This week, the new terms and conditions for Starbucks cards — the gift and stored-value cards that you can use to rack up rewards in their newly revamped reward program — went into effect. That means existing users have until May 12 to opt out of the chain’s normal requirement that card users waive their right to sue the company. [More]
Starbucks Gives Up Quest For San Francisco Liquor License (For Now)
By 4.14.16
For a few years now, Starbucks has been rolling out a plan to make some of its stores a more festive place to gather in the evening, which serve beer and wine. In San Francisco, the company applied for three licenses, and the city didn’t want to approve them, citing how many businesses with liquor license the city already has, and not wanting to set a precedent for approving booze in chain eateries. [More]
Burger King’s Mascot Is Actually Fluent In Sign Language, Seeks ‘Whopper’ Sign
By 4.13.16
All this time that Burger King has had commercials featuring their silent, plastic-headed King mascot, have you ever wondered what the King might have to say if he did more than stare at people with his mouth frozen open? The King, it turns out, is fluent in American Sign Language, and just hasn’t had anyone to talk to in his previous ad appearances. Maybe. Friday, however, is National ASL Day, and the King wants to have a new sign for “Whopper” ready for the occasion. [More]
Starbucks’ New Rewards Program Starts Today
By 4.12.16
Today is the day. The day that Starbucks rolls out its new rewards program which bases loyalty points on how much customers spend, not on the frequency of purchases. [More]
Starbucks Apologizes For “Diabetes Here I Come” Message On Customer’s Cup
By 4.11.16
It’s one thing when Starbucks staffers mess up your name — hello, I’m “Marky Beth” — but getting a rude message is an entirely other matter. The Seattle coffee chain has apologized for one such incident, in which a customer received his grande white mocha with the words “Diabetes here I come” written on the cup. [More]
