The Daily Dish: Lean Cuisine Is Getting Sued For Its Allegedly False 'No Preservatives' Claim

Lean Cuisine is Getting Sued for its Allegedly False 'No Preservatives' Claim

Lean Cuisine's food philosophy is "cuisine with a purpose" — providing freshly made, simply frozen meals with no preservatives, according to the company website. Consumers are saying otherwise, with the recent filing of a class action lawsuit against Nestlé, the manufacturer of Lean Cuisine, TMZ reported. Courtney Ross, the individual who filed the claim, told TMZ that she purchased a Lean Cuisine Four Cheese Pizza, which is advertised as being free of preservatives. Upon reviewing the ingredients, Ross discovered the frozen meal contained citric acid, an ingredient commonly used as a preservative. "By deceptively marketing the products as having 'No Preservatives,' [Nestlé] wrongfully capitalized on, and reaped enormous profits from, consumers' strong preference for food products made free of preservatives," the lawsuit alleges. In response, a Nestlé representative told TMZ: "The allegations are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves. All Nestlé products and labels comply with FDA and USDA regulations."

Trump-Themed Seafood Restaurant Opens in Iraq

There are many things in the world bearing Donald Trump's name, and now someone has opened a Trump-themed seafood restaurant in Iraq. According to Reuters, the restaurant, called Trump Fish, opened 10 days ago in Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. Its logo is a cartoon of Donald Trump, his hair looking like a bright yellow lightning bolt. The owner of Trump Fish says he registered the restaurant's name months ago, with Kurdish authorities, and that he likes Trump's "strong personality" and thought naming the restaurant after him would attract business. He might be right about that one. The Washington Post reports that Trump is popular in Kurdistan after saying he was a "big fan" of Kurdish forces.

Fruit As a Meat Substitute and More Food Trends Predicted by Pinterest for 2017

If 2016 was the year of steel-cut oatmeal, avocado toast, and rainbow foods, then what does 2017 hold in store for home cooks and restaurant enthusiasts? Pinterest predicted the top 10 up-and-coming food trends, based on pinning user data. The number one trend, which has seen a 420 percent spike in popularity recently, is jackfruit as a meat substitute. Jackfruit, native to Southeast Asia, is a fleshy fruit related to the fig. Many vegans and vegetarians use it as a meat substitute in dishes like nachos, where the fruit's meaty flesh can somewhat imitate the consistency of traditional protein sources. Other predicted trends include sous-vide style of cooking, Buddha bowls, sour beer, and healthy vegetable chips.

This Craft Brewery Used the Wu-Tang Clan to Enhance the Flavor of its Beer

Derek Garman, the head brewer at Fortnight Brewing Company in Cary, North Carolina, and his team have taken to multi-platinum rap group Wu-Tang Clan and their 1993 Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) album to create "Bring da Ruckus," the brewery's new "hip-hops" beer. In the company's own brew study, the same beer was brewed twice: one with the brewery's typical fermentation process, and again with the sounds of the Wu-Tang Clan playing through the duration of fermentation. The brewery then had results tested by Avazyme, a lab testing sector for food and beverage producers, according to the company's website. "The vibrations of a sound wave stress out the yeast, which will cause it to ferment differently, which creates different aromatics, which then creates different flavor profiles," Colin Spark, co-owner of Fortnight Brewing, told MUNCHIES. "[Using music] really changed the flavor profile of this beer."

A Really Expensive Coffee Date With Ivanka Trump is Raising Money for Charity

An auction on Charity Buzz is accepting bids for a coffee date with Ivanka Trump through Dec. 20, and the highest bid has reached $60,000 to date. The winner and a guest will meet Ivanka, the executive vice president of The Trump Organization and president and CEO of the Ivanka Trump Brand, for 30-40 minutes at either the Trump Tower in New York City or the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., depending on Ivanka's schedule, according to the Charity Buzz website. Although the bidding is accepting donations for the coffee date, fine details on the website state: "The Trump Organization reserves the right to terminate this lunch at their discretion without refund, should winner violate any of the delineated terms." Donations raised will go to the Eric Trump Foundation for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.