The Daily Dish: Nigerian Court Rules That Coca-Cola Products Could Be Poisonous
Nigerian Court Rules That Coca-Cola Products Could Be Poisonous
A court in Nigeria recently ruled that certain Coca-Cola products could be "poisonous." A Lagos High Court judge said that Sprite and Fanta contain such high levels of benzoic acid and "sunset yellow" artificial coloring (known in the U.S. as FD&C Yellow 6) that — when combined with vitamin C — they could pose serious health risks to consumers. The judge ordered that labels be placed on bottles of Sprite and Fanta warning consumers against drinking the beverages along with high quantities of vitamin C and ordered a penalty of two million naira ($6,350) to be paid by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for failing to follow health procedures.
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Shaquille O'Neal Lets His Restaurant Servers Dictate Their Generous Tips
Shaquille O'Neal recently revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live his habit of allowing all restaurant servers to pick their tip. "When they come up to the table, I say, 'The quicker I get my order the bigger your tip will be,'" he told Kimmel. "When we're getting ready to leave, I'll ask them, 'What do you want?'" The biggest request he got was for $4,000, and he had no problem laying down the cash. "It was a young lady," he said. "She was like, 'Oh my God, you just paid my rent for two months.'"
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The Mexico Tourism Board Made a Cloud That Rains Tequila
When it rains, it pours, and at one art gallery in Berlin, Germany, it was raining tequila. As part of a new campaign, the Mexico Tourism Board teamed up with ad agency Lapiz to create an exhibit that aimed to promote Mexico as the next vacation hot spot. The tequila cloud was made using ultrasonic humidifiers to turn tequila into mist, which was condensed and turned into raindrops that guests could drink, AdWeek reported. In sync with Berlin's rainy season, the cloud was programmed to rain only when it actually rains in Berlin.
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Chipotle Commits to Eliminating All Added Colors, Flavors, and Preservatives
Chipotle is getting a fresh start with a clean menu makeover. The burrito chain — still trying to repair its image following several foodborne illness crises — has announced that it has entirely rid its restaurants of all added colors, flavors, and preservatives, and has whittled down the menu to just 51 ingredients in total. For example, their new tortillas are house-made and only contain flour, water, canola oil, salt, and yeast: That's it. "Because we prepare our fresh food using classic cooking techniques, we avoid using the industrial additives typically associated with fast food," said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer for Chipotle, in a statement.
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The Runners-Up of the World's 50 Best Restaurants Have Been Announced, and There Are Several Surprises
The World's 50 Best Restaurants — the coveted accolades that honor the most extraordinary culinary experiences around the world — has announced its runners-up list. This year, restaurants 51 through 100 have gone through a lot of changes: Estela in New York City dropped from an impressive 44 spot to No. 66 and The Test Kitchen in Cape Town plummeted from 22 to 63, while New York's Cosme and Daniel have disappeared from the list completely. These restaurants could still appear on the Top 50 list, but for Daniel Boulud — whose flagship restaurant, Daniel, has suffered multipole critical blows in recent years — it does not seem likely. Per Se has perhaps seen the most egregious fall from grace —Thomas Keller's New York restaurant received a coveted top 10 spot in 2013, while this year it stands at No. 87.
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