Eating Special K to lose weight? Splurging on the chocolate version? You might want to read the label. Our sisters at ShopSmart (also published by Consumer Reports) took a look at a variety of “junk” health foods for the June issue and discovered that “Special K Chocolatey Delight” isn’t that different from Cocoa Puffs. [More]
Quality & Safety
Can A Restaurant Meal Be So Bad You Shouldn't Pay The Bill?
By 5.14.12
I have a friend who likes to reward horrible restaurant service and food by leaving two pennies as a tip, but I’ve never known him to not pay the bill. However, one Colorado couple is telling their local Outback Steakhouse that the meal was so bad, the eatery should not be expecting a payment anytime soon. [More]
Class Action Lawsuit Seeks Recall Of Whirlpool Dishwashers For Alleged Fire Hazard
By 5.10.12
Doing the dishes is no fun (for most of us, at least), which is why having a dishwasher is super great. But if that appliance starts to smoke and burn inside while it’s running, well, that’s not so fun. Just such a fiery experience is what one man claims happened with his Whirlpool dishwasher, prompting him to seek a recall from the company. [More]
Recall Roundup – Banzai Inflatable Slides, Kolkraft Bassinets, And More
By 5.10.12
There are some particularly scary recalls this week, including a massive pet food recall for dog foods manufactured by Diamond, some bassinets that might collapse and hurtle babies, and those Banzai water slides are finally being recalled after allegedly killing one person and paralyzing another. [More]
FDA One Step Closer To Approving First Drug For HIV Prevention
By 5.9.12
The battle against AIDS continues, with a favorable review by the Food and Drug Administration of a pill that has been used to treat HIV. The hope is that the pill could be used to prevent people from contracting the virus that causes AIDS. [More]
Are Heavier Airline Passengers At Greater Risk For Harm?
By 5.8.12
Usually when we bring up the topic of weight and air travel it involves either passenger comfort or controversial airline policies regarding “customers of size.” But some worry that outdated safety standards are actually putting people at risk while flying. [More]
10 Signs Your Used Car Is Really A Rebuilt Wreck
By 5.3.12
We often hear from readers horrified to discover that their perfectly lovely used car was once another owner’s total loss. They only find out much later, once something goes horribly wrong due to the previous damage. But once the vehicle is all fixed up and shiny, how is the average car buyer to know the difference? It turns out that there are distinctive signs that a car was previously in a crash or flood. Some you might notice yourself, and others require a mechanic’s eye. [More]
Your 401(k) May Actually Be Worth Something Again
By 5.1.12
We know a lot of people simply stopped looking at their quarterly 401(k) account statements a few years ago, hoping and praying the market would eventually recover and they would someday see all that money lost when the economy went SPLLLAATTT!!. Well, it may be time to take a peek at your next statement, as the latest numbers show very positive signs of recovery. [More]
A Few More Recalls: Bunny Sippy Cups, Plastic Rattles, And Instant Knives
By 4.27.12
The Consumer Products Safety Commission announced these three recalls were announced too late to make yesterday’s Recall Roundup, but we wanted to share them as soon as possible since two of them could affect small children. We don’t want to see anyone get hurt, ever, but a little kid getting poked in the eye by an Easter-themed sippy cup shaped like a smiling bunny? That’s particularly undignified. [More]
April Recall Roundup: Flaming Monster Truck Edition
By 4.26.12
The boys’ t-shirts at Kohl’s feature a monster truck jumping over a row of vintage convertibles and tall orange flames, and come with a free toy monster truck to match. This design turned out to be oddly prescient when customers inserted batteries in the trucks and they smoldered or caught fire. Yes, it’s time for the Consumerist Recall Roundup, with a diverse assortment of products lurking in your home, waiting to kill or maim you and your children. [More]
USDA: "No Cause For Alarm" In California Mad Cow Case
By 4.24.12
You may have heard that officials have confirmed one case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known by its headline-friendly nickname “mad cow disease,” in California; the first such incident since 2006. And even though BSE can be fatal to humans that eat tainted meat, the USDA says they have found no cause for mass concern. [More]
When To Toss Your Old Ketchup And Mayo
By 4.24.12
I recently got a new refrigerator, and everyone knows what that means: the biennial excavating of the ancient condiments. How old is this salsa? How did I end up with three bottles of ketchup? And so on. Today, though, I learned that my standards have been woefully lax when deciding which condiments to keep around and which to toss. [More]
Consumer Groups Ask FDA To Stop This "Corn Sugar" Silliness Already
By 4.17.12
It’s been nearly two years since the Corn Refiners Association began running ads referring to High Fructose Corn Syrup as “corn sugar,” in spite of the fact that the Food & Drug Administration hadn’t yet approved this name change for food labels. The FDA still hasn’t gotten around to making a decision on the matter, and a number of consumer groups are tired of waiting for a decision. [More]
Dole Recalls Bags Of 'Seven Lettuces' For Possible Salmonella Contamination
By 4.16.12
Bags of salad distributed by Dole Fresh Vegetables are being recalled after a test by the state of New York found some packages of their Dole Seven Lettuces product could possibly be contaminated with salmonella. [More]
Your Car's Design Is Probably Why It's Hard To Install A Kid's Car Seat
By 4.12.12
You shouldn’t feel too bad after wrestling with your child’s car seat as you attempt to install it correctly. New research suggests that it’s the car’s design itself that’s to blame for your troubles — in fact, very few are easy to use with child restraints. [More]
FDA Decides Against Banning BPA In Food & Beverage Containers
By 3.30.12
Bisphenol A — better known as “BPA” — is a chemical used in the epoxy resin linings of a lot of food and beverage containers. Studies have linked BPA to everything from increased risks of certain cancers to diabetes, reproductive abnormalities, and heart disease. But the Food and Drug Administration says there is not enough evidence yet to ban its use in food packaging. [More]
Tobacco Companies Required To Report Levels Of Dozens Of Chemicals
By 3.30.12
The Food & Drug Administration says there are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco and tobacco smoke. And now the FDA says consumers have a right to know about the levels of 93 harmful or potentially harmful chemicals that are in the products they smoke and/or chew. [More]
Don’t Worry, That’s Just Bread Mold On Your Tampon
By 3.28.12 — Updated: 1.28.13
Normally, Danielle wouldn’t have pulled her Kotex tampon out of the applicator for inspection before using it. I mean, who does that? One happened to fall out of the applicator, though, and that’s when she saw them. The splotches of blackish mold. “Makes you wonder how many times things like this happen to tampons and we don’t have a clue,” she wrote. Um, yes. [More]
