Rice is one flexible little grain. It’s found in cereal (hot and cold), baby food, rice cakes, crackers, pasta, vinegar, syrup, flour and beverages. But a new Consumer Reports study of 60 rice products found varying levels of no one’s favorite ingredient: Arsenic. [More]
Quality & Safety
September Recall Roundup: The Care Bears Will Choke Your Baby
By 9.18.12
In this month’s Recall Roundup, light fixtures plummet from the sky, bikes fall apart while you ride them, coffee makers explode from steam pressure, and the Care Bears try to comfort your baby, but could end up choking it instead. [More]
Whole Foods Recalls Riccotta Sold In 21 States Because People Shouldn't Be Paying A Premium For Listeria
By 9.13.12
While Whole Foods might have prices that prevent some people from buying their groceries there, it’s not immune to the wee pathogens that wreak havoc on the digestive tract’s of both the rich and the poor. Thus, Whole Foods has had to issue a recall on Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese sold in 21 states and Washington, D.C., because it may be contaminated with Listeria. [More]
Sears Dishwasher Includes Free Live Snake, Customer Is Unhappy For Some Reason
By 9.13.12
I’ve shopped in enough pet stores to know that people will pay good money for snakes. One Sears customer in California got all upset yesterday when Sears came by her house to deliver a new Kenmore dishwasher from SearsOutlet.com. It was missing a few parts, which annoyed her. Oh, and there was a live snake taped to it. [More]
KFC Franchise Exec On Rotten Chicken Allegations: We Had Some Expired Meat But I'm Not Saying We Cooked It
By 9.12.12
Back in April we reported on a lawsuit brought by a KFC manager in Oregon alleging that he was fired by a franchisee for refusing to serve rotten chicken, and instead throwing it out past its expiration date. In another case involving former employees crying foul fowl, Texas health officials found no evidence that chicken past its “kill date” was served to customers, even if the franchise’s owner says such expired meat has been on the premises. [More]
Kids Worldwide Still Snarfing Detergent Pods Like Candy
By 9.6.12 — Updated: 4.3.13
In hindsight, maybe brightly-colored, individually wrapped dollops of laundry detergent weren’t such a great idea from a safety point of view. Sure, they’re popular: pre-measured soap is handy, and they keep people who use laundromats or apartment building machines from hauling giant bottles around. The disadvantage is that even with warnings to keep the products on a high shelf and promises to change the packaging to make it more childproof, kids everywhere seem to find the pods irresistible. [More]
KFC Serves Up Nasty Pot Pie, Doesn't Even Send Me Coupons
By 9.6.12
Derek didn’t expect all that much from KFC. He picked up a chicken pot pie for a lunch treat, and brought it back to work. He found that it had what he calls “an extremely strong chemical smell and taste,” and wasn’t about to eat the pie. He’s not upset about the foul-tasting pot pie: he got on with his life. What he finds disappointing is that he reported it to KFC using the form on their web site, then called them on the phone, and received no response. Why bother having a form at all? Why bother having a customer service number if all the representatives are authorized to do is shrug? [More]
Third Time Is Far From The Charm For The Once Again Recalled 2013 Ford Escape
By 9.5.12
Another day, another 2013 Ford Escape recall: After issuing recalls for scary fires and gas pedals that wouldn’t quit in July, Ford is issuing a third recall for its sport utility vehicles, this time citing a fire hazard in the engine compartment. On the bright side? There were no Escape recalls in the entire month of August. [More]
Kotex Was Totally Going To Get Around To Destroying Tainted Tampons But Someone Stole Them First
By 9.5.12
Kotex’s parent company Kimberly-Clark is totally willing to own up when one of its products is less than perfect. That’s why the company said it had intended to destroy a batch of tainted Kotex Natural Balance Tampons, which could contain unhealthy levels of bacteria and “metallic particles” that aren’t so good for you. But some odd villian thwarted that plan by swiping the tainted tampons and selling them to the public despite their unworthiness. [More]
Mr. Coffee Single-Cup Brewers Recalled Because No One Likes A Face Full Of Burning Steam
By 8.31.12
If there’s a Mrs. Coffee out there, she might be a bit displeased with her husband right about now. Numerous reports of consumers getting hit in the face with steam and scorching coffee grounds have prompted a recall of over 600,000 Mr. Coffee single-cup brewers. She’s never going to let this one drop. [More]
California Slaughterhouse Gets The Okay To Reopen After Cattle Controversy
By 8.27.12
The California slaughterhouse accused of abusing cows has apparently gotten the go-ahead to resume operations, after a temporary shutdown last week by the United States Department of Agriculture. When a controversial video reportedly showing ill treatment of cows hit the media, including footage of some cows that seemed unable to walk, big customers like the USDA itself, McDonald’s and In-N-Out Burger announced they weren’t using beef from that plant any longer. [More]
Red Vines Black Licorice Twists Recalled For All That Unsavory Lead
By 8.23.12
You might love it, you might hate it, or you might think it’s redundant to call it black licorice because really, as my dad says “red licorice” is just red chewy stuff and black licorice is just licorice. In any case, if you’re not in the mood to ingest lead, you shouldn’t eat Red Vines Black Licorice Twists. The company that makes it issued a voluntary recall yesterday for its 1-pound bags, after an investigation found high levels of lead. [More]
A Rancid Dairy Queen Hot Dog In A Moldy Bun Is As Disgusting As One Might Imagine
By 8.23.12
A mom in Canada isn’t too pleased with a Dairy Queen meal she bought for her daughter recently. See, she ordered a regular hot dog on a normal bun, and instead claims the fast food joint gave her kid a rancid, shriveled hot dog in a moldy bun. Quite a stomach-turning difference. As her daughter put it, “Mommy, this doesn’t smell good.” [More]
McDonald's & USDA Stop Buying Beef From Controversial California Meat Company
By 8.23.12
The fallout from undercover video footage that reportedly shows inhumane treatment of cattle at a California meat company continues. Yesterday we reported that popular California chain In-N-Out had stopped buying beef from the company, and now McDonald’s and the USDA are also temporarily suspending business with the plant. The government says it hasn’t seen any evidence yet that meat from potentially sick cows has made it into our food supply [More]
BP's Bad Gas Made It Into 200 Stations In Chicago Area, Affecting At Least 7,000 Customers
By 8.23.12
Since the news hit this week that tainted gas from a BP fuel storage facility in northwest Indiana could be causing drivers to have problems with their vehicles, it seems BP had to scramble a bit to get a gauge on how bad the situation is. The company has churned out a few press releases in the last few days, and has now alerted customers and the media that about 200 retail gas outlets in Indiana and the Chicago area had a case of bad gas. [More]
Dole Recalls More "Italian Blend" Bagged Salads Because Listeria Is Not Terribly Appetizing
By 8.23.12
If you bought some Dole Italian Blend bagged salad recently in any of the following states — Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Mississippi and Virginia — you should probably take a look at this story to make sure you don’t have a salad that could possibly be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. [More]
August Recall Roundup – Bye Baby Strangulation Bunting
By 8.22.12
Welcome to the Recall Roundup! This month, we have lead-contaminated licorice, overly snappy snap bracelets, flaming dryers and dishwashers, and machetes endorsed by Bear Grylls that can turn around and cut you instead. [More]
Beef Plant Accused Of Abusing Cows Supplied Meat For In-N-Out, U.S. School Lunch Program
By 8.22.12
A California meat plant that was temporarily shut down this week had some pretty big name clients, including In-N-Out (if you aren’t familiar, just ask any one who has ever been to California and will swear up and down that “oh, man, they have the best burgers in the whole entire universe”) and the U.S. school lunch program. From what an animal rights group is alleging, it sounds like cows were having an awful time at the plant. [More]
