While Keurig is surely hoping there will come a day when its failed KOLD soda-making machine is but a misty, sparkling memory, it’s not the first company to reach for the stars, to fly too close to the sun, to try to capture lightning in a bottle… and fail utterly and completely, thereby forever securing a spot in the brand failure hall of fame, never to be forgotten. [More]
gerber
Gerber Recalls Two Baby Food Pouch Varieties Because You Shouldn’t Feed Your Kid Anything Spoiled
By 3.24.16
Giving your child a pouch of baby food can make for a convenient and less messy dinner. But you know what might make that dinner a little bit less delicious? Coming down with an upset stomach and then finding out what’s inside that pouch is spoiled. For that reason, Gerber announced the recall of select Organic pouch products. [More]
FTC Sues Gerber For False Advertising Over Claims Its Formula Can Prevent Allergies
By 10.30.14
Parents typically choose baby food based on the idea that it’s nutritious and good for their child. So it makes sense that consumers might look for formulas that can prevent illness or even allergies. But those claims aren’t always truthful according to the Federal Trade Commission, which is suing Gerber Products Co. for falsely advertising its Good Start Gentle. [More]
“Onesie” Is A Trademarked Term, Even Though No One Cares
By 11.15.13
What do you call a garment for infants and toddlers that’s a body suit with snaps at the crotch for easy diaper-changing? A “onesie”? No, no, gentle consumer, that’s not the case. Gerber (the baby stuff company, not the knife company) holds the trademark for the word “onesie.” [More]
Gerber Legendary Blades Is Quick On The Customer Service Draw
By 11.4.13
Usually, when we mention the blade company Gerber here, it’s in the context of a recall of one of their products. That makes sense, because really bad things can happen if a knife that you depend on to perform knife-y tasks breaks, shatters, fails, or cuts through its own sheath. Reader Lee wrote in to tell us how pleased he was with the action the company took when one of their knives broke. [More]
Toaster Bacon & 3 Other Failed Food Ideas You Couldn’t Pay Us To Try
By 2.26.13
Normally when anyone mentions the word bacon, our ears and tummies perk up like it’s meat Christmas. But cooking bacon in a toaster with some kind of foil and absorbent pad situation? No thank you, not for a kazillion dollars. Throughout food history there have inevitably been food flops, and Reddi-Bacon is just one of those destined to go down as a bona fide grody idea. [More]
Should Hospitals Stop Giving Out Free Samples Of Baby Formula To New Moms?
By 4.9.12
It can be hard to turn your nose up at anything that’s offered for free. But are hospitals doing more harm than good when they give out free samples of brand-name baby formula to mothers of newborn babies? [More]
CPSC Issues Warning For Carter's Tagless Babyclothes Causing Rashes
By 11.2.08
The CPSC has issued a warning about Carter’s “tagless” clothes causing rashes. The warning was made on Oct 24, Consumerist first told you about it on September 5th. Carter’s tagless clothes’ claim to fame is that instead of an irritating flappy label, they use a flat label embedded in these clothes. It’s this very label that’s causing the rashes. The warning only applies to the Carter’s Fall 2007 line which has a raised surface with a solid, instead of a stenciled, background.
Carter's Tagless Baby Clothes Causing Rashes?
By 9.5.08
Parents are complaining online that Carter’s line of “tagless” baby clothes could be responsible for causing rashes and sores on babies. Instead of a traditional tag on the inside back of the shirt, a “tagless” has a solid silk-screen flat label. Carter’s is said to be aware of the problem and that it’s limited to their Fall 2007 line of tagless infant clothing. One blogger described the effect the shirt had on her daughter, writing, “Her back will turn very red and start oozing right where the tag (stamp) is in the back, the rash will appear as the exact size and shape of the stamp. The redness will then spread out from there.” Googling “carters tagless” reveals a number of parents complaining about the same issue. I smell class action lawsuit.
Wannabe Supervillain Who Claimed He Poisoned Baby Food Is Arrested
By 8.1.08
Police have arrested Anton Dunn, a 42-year-old New Yorker who uploaded videos to YouTube and other sites in which he wears a black mask and calls himself “Trashman.” In the videos, Mr. Trashman announces that he’s managed to poison “millions of bottles of baby food” with cyanide. Gerber, the company he names in his threats, says it’s found no evidence that any food has been tampered with.
Choking Concerns Prompt Gerber To Recall Organic Rice And Oatmeal Cereals
By 7.15.07
475,000 affected 8 ounce cereal boxes were sold nationwide. Any organic rice with UPC codes 15000 and 12504, or organic oatmeal with the UPC codes 15000 and 12502 are part of the recall; the UPC codes are on the bottom right side of the boxes. Customers can return the cereals and receive a refund by calling Gerber at (800) 443-7237 or (231) 928-3000.
