Embodying yet again that just because a company says words over and over, that doesn’t guarantee they actually mean anything, Papa John’s slogan of “Better pizza. Better ingredients” is lacking in a pretty significant way. Because when it comes down to figuring out what those so-called “better” ingredients are, it’s pretty darn tough to nail’em down. [More]
in.gredients
If Papa John’s Uses “Better Ingredients,” Why Is It So Hard To Find Out What They Actually Are?
By 8.14.13
Cooking Ingredients To Substitute When You're Missing Stuff
By 12.27.11
If you’re cooking and missing an ingredient, you don’t necessarily need to run off to the store to get it. You might have enough stuff laying around to concoct a suitable replacement, saving you the hassle of having to stop or scrap your meal. [More]
Packaging-Free Grocery Store To Open In Texas
By 6.27.11
While there are plenty of farmers’ markets or bulk spice shops you can go to buy fresh goods with zero packaging, some entrepreneurs in Austin, TX, are aiming to open what they say is the first 100% packaging-free grocery store in the country. [More]
Ben & Jerry's Dropping "All Natural" From Labels
By 9.28.10
After the Center for Science in the Public Interest complained last month that “all natural” doesn’t include things like alkalized cocoa and hydrogenated oil, Ben & Jerry’s announced yesterday that it will stop using the phrase on its ice cream cartons. [More]
FDA Wants Tobacco Companies To Submit Ingredients List By June
By 1.18.10
“Tobacco products today are really the only human-consumed product that we don’t know what’s in them,” the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products said to the Associated Press. To address that, the agency has told tobacco companies to provide a list of the ingredients in their cigarette brands by June 2010. The FDA says it won’t publicize a lot of the data in order to protect trade secrets, but that by June 2011 it will publish a list of “harmful and potentially harmful” ingredients, at which point tobacco companies will have to start listing the amounts of each one on their products. [More]
How Much Does That $12 Chain Restaurant Sandwich Really Cost?
By 7.4.09
Chain restaurants are trying to lure in recession-weary diners with deep discounts, but franchisers worry that if you suddenly start paying half-price for sandwiches, you won’t be willing to pay full price when the economy recovers. We’re all accustomed to chain restaurant sandwiches costing $8 and up, but how much do those sandwiches really cost restaurants to make?
Naked Juice Removes Supplements, Now Just Boring Juice
By 6.11.09
Bryan, a longtime Naked Juice customer, noticed that that Strawberry Kiwi Kick brand he always bought had a different colored cap. He writes, “Alas, the ‘Kick’ is no more. Gone are the supplements, including plain ol’ Vitamin C. Strawberry Kiwi Kick is just fruit juice.” When he contacted them to complain, they responded that their “devotees” preferred it that way, and they sent him a coupon and a temporary tattoo. Because if there’s anything that says “we take your input seriously,” it’s a temporary tattoo. (Or maybe they’re trying to tell him what they expect of real devotees.)
By 3.9.09
../../../..//2009/03/09/worried-about-toxic-makeup-the/
Worried about toxic makeup? The Environmental Working Group has a database with safety ratings on more than 25,000 personal-care products. [Skin Deep]
Our Egg Nog Is Made Exactly Like It Was In 1898! With HFCS!
By 12.12.08
Reader Sarah got a laugh from her egg nog this morning. The package says the ingredients are all natural, just “exactly” like when “Grandfather started our dairy business in 1898.”
Recession's Arrival Confirmed By Weird, Confusing "Canned Soup War"
By 10.16.08
Reader Michael noticed these weird, soup-bashing ads in some Detroit-area newspapers yesterday. It seems that Progresso and Campbell’s have launched some negative campaign ads — smearing each other for using MSG in their soup. Is the world ready for a canned soup war? If it is, should we be depressed about it?
Hershey Responds: Consumers Love Our New Fake Chocolate!
By 9.24.08
Since we wrote about Hershey’s reformulating some of their products into “mockolate” that can’t legally be called “milk chocolate,” the story has been getting some play in the media, prompting Hershey to respond to the controversy. So, why did they reformulate their candy? Because you like fake chocolate better!
Tropicana: Our 100% Juice Could Contain "Anything From Nature," Even Dairy
By 9.5.08
It’s apparently a whole lot of fun to try to get a straight answer out of Tropicana as to what “natural flavors” are in their 100% juice.
Almond Joy Is In Denial About Its Almond Usage
By 7.28.08
We’ll admit that it would look a little sad to advertise a single lonely almond on the wrapper of the .6 oz Almond Joy. But printing “Coconut & Almonds” on the front, including an illustration of two almonds next to the text, and then referencing “almonds” in the ingredients list, looks a little misleading when you open the package and see one lonely nut lump on your candy. (Thanks to James!)
KFC's "Vegetarian Sandwich" Isn't, Stop Kidding Yourself That Fast Food Restaurants Have Vegetarian Options
By 7.22.08
In an effort to appease PETA and other angry vegetarians, KFC recently began selling a vegan, “Unchicken” sandwich in its Canadian locations. Guess what? It’s not vegetarian.
Do You Know What Grade Of Beef Taco Bell Uses? Do They? Does Anyone?
By 5.8.08
A reader sent us the contents of a Better Business Bureau complaint filed against Taco Bell. It describes how a customer tried repeatedly to find out what grade beef Taco Bell uses in its food, and how nobody at the company was able or willing to provide an answer. Not surprisingly, the BBB complaint also went unanswered. Let’s just hope they’re not sourcing their beef from forklift cattle, which is like downer cattle but has odd prong-shaped bruises on the side.
Jamba Juice "Milk In The Non-Dairy" Mystery Solved
By 6.1.07
Now we know the real reason for the “Jamba Juice actually has milk in the non-dairy mix!” balderdash back in early April: bad typesetting.
Cool Whip Is Lube
By 4.29.07
Polysorbates are made by polymerizing ethylene oxide (a precursor to antifreeze) with a sugar alcohol derivative. The result can be a detergent, an emulsifier, or, in the case of polysorbate 60, a major ingredient in some sexual lubricants.
Shame we never got to hear Charlton Heston exclaim: “Cool Whip is Lube!” — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Jamba Juice Says It Doesn't Sell Milk-Filled "Non-Dairy Blend"
By 4.4.07
In response to our post, Jamba Juice PR today tells The Consumerist they don’t sell a “non-dairy blend,” and their non-dairy options don’t contain milk.
