Author: Meg Marco

Oil from the explosion of Deepwater Horizon is flooding the waters of some of the most productive coastal fishing areas in the world, says ABC News, so how will the FDA ensure that no oily fish make it into the food system? They’re gonna smell it. With their noses.

From ABC:

“The human nose is a powerful instrument,” said Steve Otwell, who leads the University of Florida’s professional seafood sensory school. Otwell will help train about 25 persons from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the federal Food and Drug Administration on the Gainesville campus beginning in a few days.

He went on to say that there will be naysayers, but human noses are quick, cheap and pretty reliable.

“You will have the purists, and the lawyers, and everyone else say we need to have a very sensitive chemical method to really determine what’s there,” he told ABC. “And that’s absolutely true. But the amount of time, the lack of such instrumentation, and the costs make it impractical to depend on that technology to scrutinize the variety of seafood and the variety of areas that’s involved with this particular spill.”

“It is a science and the human nose can indeed detect levels that can provide us with a safety level, but the nose has to be trained. And some noses are better than others,” he said.

Of course the pelicans don’t have the FDA watching out for them, so they’re out of luck.

Is Gulf Seafood Unsafe to Eat After Oil Spill? [ABC]

CNN is reporting that the FDA has referred the Tylenol recall case to their criminal division for investigation. At issue is a pattern of non-compliance with FDA warnings and failures by management of McNeil to investigate and provide a timely resolution to serious problems with the product. These problems include excess amounts of the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen.

At a House hearing today the Food and Drug Administration discussed “significant violations” of manufacturing regulations by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, says CNN.

During the hearing Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA, asked a FDA official whether there was criminal liability as a result of the recalls.

From CNN:

“Well, it has been referred to the FDA’s crime division,” said Deborah Autor, a director at the FDA’s compliance office.

“I’m going to take that as a yes, that there are potential criminal charges and indictments,” Issa responded.

The FDA is currently investigating 775 reports of serious side effects from recalled McNeil products.

Tylenol recalls referred to FDA crime division [CNNMoney]

A bit of advice to school teachers out there. If your husband likes schoolgirl-themed pornography, keep it away from the class’ video yearbook. Unfortunately, the internet was not able to administer this advice before one Florida teacher swapped a porn DVD for the yearbook and gave it to a second grader. The mother is understandably upset.

From WTSP:

Deputies filed a report, but didn’t press charges because – according to [the mother] – there’s just no proof the swap was intentional.

But [she] remains angry the school hasn’t disciplined the teacher yet, and is even more upset the teacher hasn’t called to apologize yet.

She says she’s also concerned about the schoolgirl-themed movies belonging to the teacher’s husband. [The mother] says he also never misses a school function.

Well, that’s creepy.

Pornography handed out to second-grader [WTSP via FARK]

Looking to make brownies that can be stored in a hot warehouse, dropped out of an airplane, dragged through the mud, left out with bugs and vermin and still be eaten 3 years later? Then you should check out this 26-page PDF from the Pentagon.

The instructions are intense. For example, consider the description of which shortening to use:

Shortening shall be a refined, hydrogenated vegetable oil or combination of refined vegetable oils which are in common use by the baking industry. Coconut and palm kernel oils may be used only in the coating. The shortening shall have a stability of not less than 100 hours as determined by the Active Oxygen Method (AOM) in Method Cd 12-57 of the Commercial Fats and Oils chapter in the Official and Tentative Methods of the American Oil Chemists Society. The shortening may contain alpha monoglycerides and an antioxidant or combination of antioxidants, as permitted by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder.

NPR had someone whip up a batch — and apparently they aren’t that good.

We asked Penny Karas, the founder of Hello Cupcake bakery in Washington, D.C., to whip up us a batch. And to be honest, they weren’t too good: dry, crumbly and dense. But they did taste as if they might last quite a while if boxed up and shipped to a war zone.

They also noted that the Pentagon recently updated the brownie specifications to cover things like poppy seed cake. The document is now 31 pages.

MILITARY SPECIFICATION COOKIES, OATMEAL; AND BROWNIES; COCOLATE COVERED (PDF)
A 26-Page Brownie Recipe? Only At The Pentagon [NPR]

The AP is reporting that the house made famous by the 1979 film “The Amityville Horror” is up for sale. It’s a 5 bedroom Dutch colonial built in 1927, according to the listing. It’s 3600 square feet, with 3.5 baths and a detached two car garage. The boat house is especially nice, in our opinion.

The downside is that six members of the DeFeo family were murdered in the house as they slept. The eldest son was eventually convicted of the murders. The movie was based on the alleged experiences of subsequent residents.

Complaints depicted in the book and the series of movies include: “walls oozing slime, moving furniture and a visit from a demonic pig named Jodie.”

No mention of any of that in the listing however, and more recent owners have not had similar problems.

Also of note: the iconic windows have been replaced, and the property looks much different these days. Anyone want to buy it and restore it to its original creepy glory?

‘Amityville Horror’ home for sale in NY for $1.15M [AP]
5 Bed, 3.5 Bath | 3,600 Sq Ft on 0.28 Acres [Realtor]

Bloomberg is reporting that the Federal Reserve will probably transfer record earnings exceeding $70 billion into the US Treasury. The income is coming from assets that include mortgage-backed securities, says the Congressional Budget Office.

The Federal Reserve’s actions to stabilize the financial markets are likely to significantly increase the amount of its remittances over the next few years,” the CBO said in a report released today. It was prepared at the request of Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.

Long story short — the various bailouts, including TARF (Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility,) opened the Federal Reserve to risk — but it seems likely that they investments will eventually be profitable.

The CBO’s assessment supports the assertion of Fed officials that the purchase of toxic assets from Bear Stearns Cos. and American International Group Inc. will eventually be profitable. The CBO estimates that the Fed will earn $2 billion each from the two programs it created to help AIG and $200 million from the Bear Stearns rescue.

The CBO report estimates the earnings will remain above $70 billion in 2011 and fall to $41 billion by 2013 before rising to $55 billion by 2020.

Fed May Send Record $70 Billion to Treasury, CBO Says [Businessweek]

The AP says that thousands of pieces of undelivered mail from the early ’90s were recently found in a shed in Michigan, and a ex-mail carrier is now charged with stealing mail — the punishment for which is up to 5 years in prison.

There were 544 pieces of first class mail and about 3,000 pieces of junk mail in the shed, says the AP.

Apparently the man became overwhelmed sometime in the early ’90s and started hiding the mail instead of delivering it, according to investigators.

Piles of undelivered mail found in Mich. shed [MSNBC]

Or not, if they enjoy being famous on the internet.

[via Reddit]

Here’s a sad story from Wichita, KS: A Walmart customer service manager noticed a man walking out of the store with a computer. She stopped him to ask for his receipt after the alarm went off and got punched and kicked for her trouble. After that, she got fired.

From Kansas.com:

The next day, about two hours before her shift was over, [the woman] says an assistant manager asked to speak with her. He then told her it’s against Wal-Mart policy for anyone but a manager or someone in asset protection to try and stop a customer from stealing.

“He said there’s really no gray area,” [the woman] says. “It just goes straight to termination.”

She was told to turn in her badges and keys.

“I was in shock at first,” [the woman] says. “I didn’t think anything like this would happen.”

Nor did she know about the policy, [the woman] says.

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Walmart says they’re sorry but policy is policy.

“While we appreciate her intentions, [the employee’s] actions put her safety — and perhaps the safety of our customers — in jeopardy and, in the process, violated company policy as it pertains to how we treat people in our stores. As an unfortunate result of these circumstances, [she] is no longer employed by our company.”

She told the Wichita Eagle that she would be filing for unemployment and looking for another job — hopefully not in retail.

Wal-Mart employee foils a shoplifter — and loses her job [Kansas]

So, Lost ended, as you may have heard, and you also may have heard your friends complaining about the number of commercials that were in the finale. EW says there were 107 of them in 2.5 hours — or more than 45 minutes worth.

From EW:

ABC packed roughly 107 spots — or more than 45 minutes of commercial and promotional time — into the two-and-a-half-hour Lost series finale, according to our (very unscientific but pretty reliable) count. Just when the finale would unveil a major plot point, a break would occur featuring anywhere from five to 11 ads and/or sneak peeks for fall shows on ABC. Granted, some of the spots were extremely clever (Target used images of the island’s smoke monster to peddle fire detectors) but numerous, nonetheless.

EW says the typical hour of show will have 18-20 commercials — whereas the first hour of Lost had 37!

Did you notice the difference? We sure did.

Lost series final carried more than 45 minutes of commercials [EW]

A recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts tallies up each US household’s share in the economic collapse. Your household’s share? $104,350. That includes lost income, government bailouts, and both reduced home values and reduced stock values.

Pew says:

• Income – The financial crisis cost the U.S. an estimated $648 billion due to slower economic growth, as measured by the difference between the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) economic forecast made in September 2008 and the actual performance of the economy from September 2008 through the end of 2009. That equates to an average of approximately $5,800 in lost income for each U.S. household.
• Government Response – Federal government spending to mitigate the financial crisis through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) will result in a net cost to taxpayers of $73 billion according to the CBO. This is approximately $2,050 per U.S. household on average.
• Home Values – The U.S. lost $3.4 trillion in real estate wealth from July 2008 to March 2009 according to the Federal Reserve. This is roughly $30,300 per U.S. household. Further, 500,000 additional foreclosures began during the acute phase of the financial crisis than were expected, based on the September 2008 CBO forecast.
• Stock Values – The U.S. lost $7.4 trillion in stock wealth from July 2008 to March 2009, according to the Federal Reserve. This is roughly $66,200 on average per U.S. household.
• Jobs – 5.5 million more American jobs were lost due to slower economic growth during the financial crisis than what was predicted by the September 2008 CBO forecast.

The Impact of the September 2008 Economic Collapse [Pew]

Reader Justin read our article about BK’s new pork ribs and decided to see if his local BK had them. It did, so he put together a full report from the front lines.

Take it away, Justin:

They offer a $5.99 6 piece meal and add 2 more for $1.00. You can also add 3 pieces to a value meal for $1.99.

As you can see with the pictures, they are small, bite sized ribs. They remind me of the riblets that Applebees has. They were fall off the bone like they described but the size they show on the ads in the drive through are quite a difference from what you actually get, not that is any different from any other food item.

Official Consumerist Follower rating…C+ to B-. Nice to have a fast food option not a burger but small….

Commenter Randomhookup would like to contribute to the problem of Consumerist posting too many of these.

Yes, I know it’s been done to death on Consumerist; yes, a bunch of commenters will be upset; yes, it’s lazy journalism — but I’m a rabble rouser.

I spotted this at a Boston-area Modell’s and did a doubletake. I give them credit, however, for accepting their mistake. The associate I pointed it out to took it down almost immediately since he is good at math.

Please direct your complaints to Randomhookup, thank you!

Here’s a moral dilemma. If you are undercharged for an item and you only notice later… are you under any obligation to go back and tell the store? Or should you just let it go. Reader M wants to know what you think:

M writes:

I recently visited an outdoor store chain to purchase a pair of high-end backpacking boots. The boots retail for around $200 and were sale for $150. When I went to pay for the boots, the cashier had trouble scanning the box; so, she went ahead and manually looked up the boots on her computer, which took awhile. I paid for the boots and the rest of my merchandise with a gift card that covered the entire purchase. I was on my cell phone during the transaction (rude I know), so I wasn’t paying too close of attention; I didn’t have to sign or verify the amount I had paid – I just handed over the gift card to the cashier for a swipe and was on my way.

That evening when I was taping the receipt to the gift card to track the remaining dollars on the card, I realized that I had not been charged the correct price for the boots. The price on the receipt was only $6.83; however, the description of the item appears to be accurate.

As a consumer, what is my obligation when I discover I have been undercharged for an item? Is it up to me to deal with the hassle of returning to the store across the city to correct their mistake, or do I go on with my life.

Well, it’s certainly nice of you to want to correct their mistake, especially since it was such a large error by the cashier.

We’ll leave it up to a poll.

Bad timing. A new international airport opens up in Panama City, Florida today — only 100 miles away from the notorious BP oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. Instead of celebrating, the area’s visitor’s bureau is trying to convince tourists that the water is still clean.

“We’ve been getting calls ever since the oil spill occurred,” said Dan Rowe of the Panama City Visitors’ Bureau. “You know, wondering about their vacation plans.”

Tourism, Rowe said, is the largest industry in Panama City. The $318-million Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is the first international airport to open in the country since 1997.

“It is really going to be an economic driver for all of northwest Florida’s economy for years to come,” he said.

The new airport is expected to generate approximately $80 million in new state revenues over the first 20 years of operation.

But the challenge, now, is to convince tourists that the water is clean.

“We’ll get through the oil spill,” Rowe said. “There’s no oil on Panama City Beach or any of the beaches in northwest Florida.”

Tarballs, (big globs of emulsified oil) have been seen washing up on the shores of Mississippi and Alabama, however.

Florida officials hope oil spill fears won’t keep tourists away [CNN]

Taco Bell has set up a website where you can print a coupon for a free Limeade Sparkler drink. The giveaway lasts until July 11, or until 500,000 drinks have been given away.

Behold the fine print:

Subject to availability; no substitutions. Not valid with any other offer. Limit one free online coupon per person.Valid at participating Taco Bell® locations in the U.S. Manager may refuse online coupon upon reasonable believe consumer has already received a free online coupon or has engaged in any fraudulent activity. Restaurant manager’s decision is final.

Free Limeade Sparkler [Taco Bell]

A we reported last year, BK has been testing real pork ribs in several markets and has now decided to go ahead with the nationwide roll out. Yes, this summer you will be able to get actual ribs on an actual bone at a Burger King.

From the press release:

“Fall-off-the-bone ribs and summer go hand-in-hand, and now we are excited to be the first national fast food hamburger restaurant to offer our guests an authentic bone-in rib menu offering,” said John Schaufelberger, senior vice president, global product marketing and innovation, Burger King Corp.

“Our guests’ initial reaction to this product has exceeded our expectations, further validating the BURGER KING(R) system’s investment in our new game-changing broiler. Because of this proprietary cooking technology, we’ve been able to up the ante in our product development across the board, and BK(TM) Fire-Grilled Ribs are just the beginning of the innovative product line we can offer with this new cooking platform.”

Honestly, this sounds like a bunch of horsesh*t, but we found a picture and they do look pretty tasty. Then again, it seems that the picture is from some sort of press event.

Anyone tried them? Edible?

Summer Will Sizzle with New Bone-in BK(TM) Fire-Grilled Ribs [MarketWatch]

The Chicago Tribune bought 50 creams used to lighten skin and fade age spots and had them sent to an outside lab for testing — and got troubling results. Six of the creams were found to contain amounts of mercury banned by federal law. Five of the creams had enough of the toxic metal to cause kidney damage over time, the Tribune reports.

Now the FDA has agreed to investigate the issue in response to the Tribune’s investigation.

“We didn’t know there was that kind of a risk, and we believe now there is a level of risk,” FDA spokesman Ira Allen said. “We are going to follow up.”

From the Tribune:

Mercury is banned in skin-bleaching or lightening creams. The metal blocks production of melanin, which gives skin its pigmentation. But mercury can be rapidly absorbed through the skin and cause severe health effects, including neurological and kidney damage.

Ellen Silbergeld, a professor of environmental health science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said she was troubled by the high amounts of mercury found by the Tribune. “It’s highly appropriate that (the FDA) take action,” she said.

FDA to investigate skin creams for mercury [Chicago Tribune]

Sprouts sold at Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Kings Super Market, Numero Uno Stores, Cárdenas Markets, Gonzalez Northgate Markets, Wal-Mart stores, Jons Markets, and Canton Foods have been recalled after an outbreak of salmonella sickened more than 20 people in 10 states.

There have been no deaths but 4 people have been hospitalized.

The recalled alfalfa sprouts are labeled and packaged as follows:

• Caldwell Fresh Foods – 4-ounce plastic cups and one pound plastic bags, and 2-pound and 5 pound plastic bags in cardboard boxes with sticker affixed with the printed words Caldwell Fresh Foods.
• Nature’s Choice – 4-ounce plastic cups
• California Exotics brands – 5-ounce plastic clamshell containers

If you’ve purchased these sprouts, return them to where you bought them or simply discard them. If you experience the symptoms of salmonella after consuming sprouts, seek medical attention.

Caldwell Fresh Foods Recalls Alfalfa Sprouts Because of Possible Health Risks [FDA]