FDA: Idaho Knew About Chobani Mold Issue Before Yogurts Started Exploding

Last year, fungal contamination in yogurt made in Chobani’s new plant in Idaho led to problems with their products distributed nationwide. These problems ranged from “this yogurt tastes funny” to in-fridge explosions to dozens of illnesses that consumers attributed to the yogurt. Now, the Idaho plant’s local newspaper has learned that the state government may have known about the mold contamination long before any yogurts were pulled from stores.

Reports of problematic yogurts began to surface across the country around the beginning of September 2013, but it turns out that the problem may have been caught back in July. The Twin Falls Times-News obtained a Food and Drug Administration report about plant inspections through a federal Freedom of Information Act request. In that report, the FDA reports that inspectors from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture discovered the mold, Mucor circinelloides, on equipment in the plant.

The report describes state inspectors’ discovery of “yeast-like growth” in samples taken from the plant.

In July the routine Grade A sampling and testing samples taken by the Idaho Department of Agriculture (ISDA) from the Chobani Idaho Inc. production were visually noted, by the laboratory technician, that surface defects were present and additional testing was conducted noting a yeast like growth developing in the yogurt samples. ISDA followed-up with Chobani Idaho Inc. and the firm reviewed their keeping quality samples and found some samples beginning to show signs of swelling.

The report is redacted in parts to protect certain information from reaching Chobani’s competitors in the yogurt industry, but the report goes on to describe a thorough cleaning of the plant. However, things get confusing from here: a spokesperson for the state says that state inspectors did not discover mold during a July inspection, and that the agency doesn’t know where that information came from. If the information in the FDA report is true, it would mean that state regulators and Chobani knew that there was mold growing in its products for months, and let yogurt from the plant be distributed anyway.

State Knew Chobani Yogurt was Tainted Months before Recall, FDA Says [Twin Falls Times-News] (via Food Safety News)

FDA Chobani Inspection [Twin Falls Times-News]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Comcast Customers Complain About E-Mails Pushing Modem Upgrades

(Mr.TinDC)

It’s nothing new for a cable company to send out e-mails urging customers to upgrade to the latest technology. It’s another for those e-mails to include links that automatically opt you in to that upgrade without warning.

Over on his personal site, consumer advocate Bob Sullivan writes about numerous complaints from Comcast customers who say they have received e-mails from the cable giant saying that company “records indicate that your cable modem needs to be upgraded” if they want to take full advantage of the Xfinity network.

Of course, this doesn’t mention that one of those benefits is that the new Comcast-supplied equipment could be used to provide public WiFi access that piggybacks on your home WiFi.

Regardless, what seems to be the real sticking point about these e-mails is the link under “How to get your replacement modem.” Customers complain that clicking on the link doesn’t take them to a page with more information or a form to fill out, but actually places the order for the new equipment… which will cost them $8/month and possibly twenty times that amount of money if it’s installed by a Comcast-contracted tech.

Sullivan, who uses his own modem for his Comcast service, received one of these e-mails and, clicking on that link, confirmed that it orders a new modem for you.

“Great news! You have already placed an order to upgrade your current modem,” read the message he received after clicking on the link. “Your order will be processed in approximately 24-72 hours and, if eligible, your easy to use self-install kit will be automatically shipped in approximately 2 to 4 weeks.”

While Comcast media reps have not yet responded to Sullivan (we’ve also reached out to Comcast and will update if we get a comment), he did find one note online that appears to be from a Comcast rep.

“We’ve tried to make the enrollment process to this program as easy as possible but we realize this may have created some confusion,” reads the message. “We are updating our sites on a regular basis and we will be making additional updates in the coming weeks to help customers with the upgrade process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Logger Finds Wedding Ring Lost 55 Years Ago In Plane Crash, Spends 17 Years In Quest To Return It

(Q13Fox.com)

It took 55 years to get there, but a wedding ring lost in a plane crash in the woods in Washington state has found its way back to the family of the woman who owned it. A logger found the ring in 1997, and just recently tracked down the daughter of a couple killed in a plane crash in 1959.

The New Jersey woman is happy to be reunited with her mother’s wedding ring, more than half a century after her parents were killed in an accident when her dad was flying them over western Washington in a small plane, reports the New York Daily News.

The ring wasn’t among the possessions of her parents recovered when the crash site was finally found in 1974, but instead sat waiting to be found until 1997, when a logger out for a walk found it lodged inside a tree near the site.

He did some research and found out the name of the owners, and kept the ring safe for 17 more years until he could bring it back to the family, if there were any.

“I never once though it belonged to me. I just was hoping there was a daughter or a family member I could turn it over to,” he said.

Recently his nephew helped him with his research, and found the couple’s daughter was living in New Jersey. The two got in touch, and the logger verified her identity before mailing the ring back.

“It was like my mother was reaching down from heaven,” the 78-year-old says of her luck.

New Jersey woman reunited with dead mother’s wedding ring 55 years after tragic plane death [New York Daily News]

Lost and found: An incredible reunion more than 55 years in the making [Q13Fox.com]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Wendy’s Worker Doing Funny Voices Shows (Again) How Easily We Are Amused At The Drive-Thru

(Marcus A.)

First of all, let me be clear: There is absolutely nothing wrong with a drive-thru worker, or any fast food employee, trying to lighten the mood and amuse customers. But I’ve got to wonder if perhaps the bar for personal interactions is set so low during those transactions that if a worker shows even the least effort in entertaining people, it’s like the most extremely hilarious moment of everyone’s lives, ever.

We’ve had the Singing McDonald’s Employee in Ohio, the Drive-Thru Guy Who Did Silly Voices in Louisiana and now the world is meeting the Wendy’s Drive-Thru Worker With Enthusiastic Accents (h/t Jezebel).

All are great examples of workers who, perhaps to break up what could be a pretty monotonous job into more of an enjoyable comedy experiment, go that extra bit to provide a unique fast food experience for customers.

Here’s a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, a little bit of everything and also Elvis:

If I happened upon this worker, I would most definitely tell everyone I know about it to the point where my friends and coworkers were like, “yeah, we heard that story, it was hilarious and awesome and he/she is the best drive-thru worker ever, got it.” But if I ran into this particular individual at a party and he ran through that vocal array? I’m not sure. Actually yeah, that would be pretty funny too, only I wouldn’t end up with chicken nuggets when all was said and done.

Let’s vote it out:

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

ID Thieves Use Domino’s Ordering App To Check Stolen Card Numbers

(picturebot)

Let’s say you’re a criminal who has just purchased a bunch of credit/debit card numbers stolen from one of the data breaches that occur every day. How do you check to see if the numbers you’ve purchased are any good? For ID thieves in Brooklyn, the Domino’s Pizza ordering app provided a quick and easy way to run through those numbers — and get pizza for people.

According to the NY Times, Brooklyn police officers were monitoring various usual suspects’ social media accounts when they noticed the question “Who wants pizza?” and the Domino’s logo repeatedly popping up in folks’ timelines on Facebook.

When they checked with Domino’s HQ, the pizza company acknowledged there had been a spike in sales in the area.

Additionally, some people were not only making way too many pizza orders for one household to eat, but their successful orders were coming after multiple rejected attempts. One user made 2,000 ordering attempts in a single month, according to the police.

Police were able to work with Domino’s to determine which orders were likely placed with stolen card numbers, which came from people all over the country. Some folks noticed that their accounts were being used to order lots of pizza in Brooklyn and had contested the charges.

In November, police rounded up 14 suspects — almost all male teenager — over the course of two days. Some claim that they were guilty of nothing more than receiving a pizza.

“I didn’t order the pizza,” one 17-year-old arrestee tells the Times. “Someone ordered the pizza for me. The address was at my house.”

He claims that a friend offered to send him some free Domino’s, which is hard to say no to. But when he went downstairs to get the pizza from the delivery driver, he was cuffed and arrested.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Mechanical Giraffe Escapes From Hell, Sold At Discount Toy Store

The box for this toy giraffe says that it “Walks Along, Moves Head, And Shriek.” Verb tenses aside, that description is alarmingly accurate. The toy does all of those things, including shrieking like a demonically possessed creature as it walks along. While that makes the box accurate, it’s not clear to us who the intended audience for this toy would be.

The original submitter to Reddit says that the item came from a “knockoff toy store,” and it was priced at half off because objects of demonic possession usually aren’t big sellers.

When I was a toddler, an elderly relative brought me a gift of a toy robo-cat that would walk a few steps and then meow. I found it completely terrifying and ran away. The incident became a family legend and not a cautionary tale, but my fear of these critters was apparently quite valid. Just a few decades early, and applying to the wrong species of toy animal.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

New Entrants For Santa’s “Naughty” List Emerge After Neighbor Catches Teens Stealing UPS Packages

(frankieleon.)

Tis the season: While American shoppers have been buying presents for loved ones in a quest to secure a spot on Santa Claus’ “Nice” list, there’s also the “Naughty” side of the population, set on snatching those gifts like the patron saint of holiday swiping, the Grinch himself.

Two more grinchy candidates for the bad side of Santa’s rolls have emerged after a neighbor caught some teens stealing UPS packages off the porches and doorsteps of homes that were not their own, reports The Smoking Gun.

Police in Michigan arrested two suspects, ages 18 and 19, for a bunch of thefts last week in a Detroit suburb.

The cops say the teens tailed a UPS truck until it dropped off its goods, and then grabbed packages that were left outside homes. But alas, an observant homeowner espied one of the teenagers running up to two houses, where he allegedly “stole packages that had been left there by a UPS driver,” reported the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office.

That vigilant neighbor snapped a few photos of that suspect as he ran off with a large Macy’s box, getting into a getaway car driven by the other suspect. The neighbor then called the police to report the thefts, just as another nearby resident called the cops to report “a theft from a porch on an adjacent street.”

(via The Smoking Gun)

Officers caught the teens inside the car in question, along with a bunch of stolen packages addressed to other people. There were a total of 26 separate stolen items, from clothing to computer speakers, as well as 30-pound bag of dog food.

The two men were arrested and charged with larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny.

Duo Of Dopey Package Thieves Caught In Act By Vigilant Michigan Homeowner [The Smoking Gun]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

McDonald’s Bringing Build-Your-Own Burger Option To 2,000 Locations

It’s been nearly 10 months since we told you about McDonald’s tiny test of a customizable burger option in a handful of its California restaurants. And in an attempt to turn around its sagging sales, the fast food megachain says it will be bringing the build-your-own concept to thousands more locations in the coming year.

USA Today reports that the plan is to expand the “Create Your Taste” program — though it’s apparently still considered a test — to McDonald’s stores in Illinois, Wisconsin, Georgia, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. The expansion will add around 2,000 locations that offer the option. McDonald’s currently has more than 14,000 restaurants in the U.S. alone.

In addition to allowing customers to customize their entire sandwich — from bun to protein (the expansion will add the option of chicken) to cheese to cheese to condiments — Create Your Taste involves the use of a separate tablet-style kiosk rather than going through the normal ordering routine.

After decades of streamlining the fast food production process to minimize customers’ wait times, McDonald’s says that Create Your Taste users are going to have to sacrifice speed if they want their sandwiches custom-made. The average wait time for a burger ordered this way is around seven minutes, significantly longer than most people expect to wait for a McDonald’s burger.

While that might be tolerable for in-store customers, who can wait at a table while their food is made, the extra time could bring the drive-thru line to a dead stop.

And don’t expect comparable menu prices for your bespoke burger. At one location visited by USA Today, a customized burger with medium fries and a drink cost $8.29, while the pre-made burger meal only comes in at $5 on the regular menu.

The company, which announced this morning that its drop in same-store sales was even worse than it had predicted, believes that people will be willing to pay more and wait longer, and is hoping that the customizable sandwich approach will appeal to younger consumers who view McDonald’s food as lacking compared to competitors who offer more options and higher-quality ingredients.

“This is a big deal,” says the senior vice president of U.S. menu innovation to USA Today. “We are all under some pressure that is coming from the business picture not being where we want it to be.”

One franchisee says that the use of the kiosks is important to attracting the younger consumers.

“Millennials would much rather order from a machine than face-to-face,” he explains, though he admits that the software for the ordering app has been less than perfect.

One of the common complaints from McDonald’s franchisees is that their corporate bosses have been forcing new and expensive menu options on them. If the company decides to keep rolling out the Create Your Taste option at more eateries, you can expect some push-back from franchisees with smaller stores who don’t have the space for the additional ingredients or room for ordering kiosks.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Norovirus Strikes At Least 200 Passengers On Princess Cruise Ship In New Zealand

Welcome to the halls of norovirus infamy, Dawn Princess.

Another cruise in the news, another batch of passengers clutched in the gross embrace of that scourge of all pleasure vessels on the high seas, norovirus. A Princess Cruises ship in New Zealand has had 200 passengers fall ill recently, struck with the nasty gastrointestinal illness.

Health authorities in the Land That Is Not The Land Down Under, You Know, It Was Featured Prominently In The Lord Of The Rings?, confirmed the illnesses today, reports the Associated Press.

The passengers were among the 1,500 aboard the Dawn Princess, which was supposed to leave today for Australia after finishing a 13-day trip. Princess Cruises is a division of Carnival Corp., which is no stranger to the havoc norovirus can wreak on a traveler’s insides (cough, ahem, Poop Cruise, cough). For those unfamiliar, there can be stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

A local doctor and medical officer of health for Canterbury, NZ, said officials had done tests that showed proof of norovirus among the travelers, an outbreak that appears to be slowing down now, he said.

Norovirus is often an unwelcome passenger on cruise ships, as it thrives in conditions with lots of people in an contained environment, where it can easily spread from person to person.

As such, Princess Cruises said in a statement that ill passengers were isolated in their cabins until they were deemed not contagious anymore, while others were told to wash their hands correctly and use hand sanitizers. The cruise line said crew members had been disinfecting surfaces like railings and door handles as well.

Norovirus sickens 200 people on New Zealand cruise [Associated Press]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

La colaboración y las nuevas maneras de buscar empleo (vídeo) #socialmedia #empleo

Hola:

Un vídeo sobre la mesa redonda “La colaboración y las nuevas maneras de buscar empleo”.

Un saludo

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