Despite efforts from a restaurant trade group to stop a New York City rule requiring warning labels on foods high in sodium from going into effect, a state appeals court says the city can begin enforcing the rule as planned starting June 6. [More]
food
Some Postmates Users Cry Foul Over Inaccurate Price Estimates
By 5.26.16
When you use a delivery service like Postmates to pick up your dinner or groceries, you should expect some difference between the estimated price and the one you ultimately pay, but some Postmates users say they are paying upwards of 35% more than the estimate. [More]
Meatless Burger That Bleeds Pulverized Beet Juice Debuts At Colorado Whole Foods
By 5.24.16
Biting into a burger and having the juices drip out of it has, until recently, been an experience only enjoyed by meat eaters. Vegetarians might join them soon, with a new meatless burger for sale at Whole Foods that bleeds beet juice instead of beef juice.
[More]
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]
Maker Of Skippy Shops The Organic Aisle, Scoops Up Nut Butter Company Justin’s
By 5.18.16
Another day, another trendy organic food brand gobbled up by a large food conglomerate. This time it’s nut butter company Justin’s out of Boulder, CO, which was just bought by Hormel Foods– maker of Skippy peanut butter — for $286 million. [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]
McDonald’s Testing Fresh Ground Beef For Its Hamburger Patties
By 5.13.16
In yet another attempt to align with consumers’ shifting food preferences, McDonald’s is testing hamburgers made from fresh ground beef instead of frozen patties. [More]
Yes, That’s A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup With Reese’s Pieces In It
By 5.12.16
When someone writes from a public relations agency to alert us to a “leaked” product posted on some random person’s Facebook page a few weeks ago, it’s not hard to figure out the source and purpose of the leak. Reese’s wanted to get word out about a new creation: peanut butter cups with mini Reese’s Pieces mixed up in the filling. [More]
CRF Frozen Foods Recalls Everything Processed At WA Plant Since May 2014 Due To Possible Listeria
By 5.3.16
Last week, we learned that vegetables produced by CRF Frozen foods and sold under national and store brands had been recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous foodborne pathogen. The company expanded the recall to include all frozen fruits and vegetables processed at its plant in Pasco, WA since May of 2014. That includes 358 different varieties of frozen fruits and veggies sold under 42 brand names sold in all 50 states. It’s a lot of food. [More]
Wendy’s Customer Claims Daughter’s Soda Came With Slimy Razor Blade
By 5.3.16
There are many things one would not want to find in their beverage, but a slimy razor blade has got to be one of the least appetizing. That’s what a mom in New Hampshire said she found in the bottom of a Wendy’s soda her daughter was drinking. [More]
Foster Farms Recalls 220K Pounds Of Chicken Nuggets, Because Plastic And Rubber Are Not Tasty
By 5.3.16
Nearly three years after hundreds of people from all over the country got sick from eating Salmonella-tainted chicken from Foster Farms, the poultry producer is facing another issue with its products. The company announced that it would recall 220,000 pounds of chicken nuggets that may contain pieces of plastic. [More]
FBI Looking For Guy Seen Sprinkling Mystery Liquid On Food At Michigan Whole Foods
By 5.2.16
If you’ve been walking around at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor, MI and sprinkling some kind of liquid on the food, the Federal Bureau of Investigation would like a word. [More]
6 Things People Are Talking About When They Talk About Lab-Grown Meat
By 5.2.16
If you’ve tuned into the lab-grown meat discussion whatsoever in the past few years, it could seem like it’s only a matter of time before we’re all dining on hot dogs, bacon, and burgers produced in a lab by scientists. We’re not quite at the point of casually shopping for these products alongside meat derived from animals, as there are still things the scientific community has to hash out before lab meat hits the market. [More]
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]
McDonald’s Testing Preservative-Free Chicken McNuggets Recipe
By 4.27.16
In an effort to boosts its business in the U.S., McDonald’s is considering making some big changes to one of its go-to products: the chain says it’s testing a new Chicken McNuggets recipe that’s devoid of artificial preservatives. [More]
Mars Plastering Special Labels On Pasta Sauces That Are High In Salt, Fat, Or Sugar
By 4.15.16
The next time you reach for your favorite sauce in the grocery aisle, you could be greeted with a warning that you maybe shouldn’t over-indulge in the stuff. Mars Food, the maker of brands like Dolmio and Uncle Ben’s, is putting new labels on some of its pasta sauces suggesting they be an occasional treat due to high content of sugar, salt, or fat. [More]
