10 American Companies That Will Disappear in 2011

[racer2c]

Saab USA
Office Depot
Dean Foods (makers of Land O'Lakes and Silk)
Frontier Airlines
Sara Lee
Borders
Gateway
DollarThrifty
Answers Corp.
E*Trade

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/investing/10-american-companies-that-will-disappear-in-2011/19798647/

I go to Borders often. Didn't realize they were in trouble. I wouldn't have guessed Sara Lee either based on my grocery stores selection of 90% Sara Lee products.

[STD]

Sara Lee sold off its bread making business to Grupo Bimbo for $959million. They want to concentrate on other business. :)

[TravelGal]

I also was surprised at Sara Lee when I read about it yesterday. Seems the parts are profitable but the sum of the parts isn't. Love dem Ball Park hot dogs. Maybe they will be folded into Hillshire Farm, a name I remember from somewhere....

I sure hope I don't lose my Land O'Lakes butter. I guess not enough of us are willing to pay a little more for it.

The Dollar/Thrifty saga has been going on for ages. :rolleyes:

[cameraman]

I'm surprised to see Office Depot on the list. We buy the majority of our supplies through them. Their bid for the University contract was better than either Staples or Office Max. Their service is better than either of the others and the invoicing system is far superior. But then we don't go to the stores we do it all online.

[cameraman]

I sure hope I don't lose my Land O'Lakes butter. I guess not enough of us are willing to pay a little more for it.

I actually started to make my own butter. Turns out it is simple and it tastes a whole lot better than anything in the grocery store, even Land O Lakes.

Dump heavy cream in a chilled food processor, churn for a minute or two and poof, butter appears. You drain off your fresh butter milk and make pancakes & muffins, wash the butter and pack it in a tub (stir in some salt if you want salted butter). You would not believe the difference in taste.

And the cream doesn't cost as much as butter + buttermilk so it is actually cheaper.

[KLang]

I sure hope I don't lose my Land O'Lakes butter. I guess not enough of us are willing to pay a little more for it.

We use their unsalted variety. I doubt the brand will disappear. Someone will buy it.

[Tifosi24]

Not too shocking. I believe Office Depot declared Chapter 11 during worst of the recession. If it wasn't Chapter 11, I do remember that they were literally a couple weeks away from going Chapter 7.


I'm surprised to see Office Depot on the list. We buy the majority of our supplies through them. Their bid for the University contract was better than either Staples or Office Max. Their service is better than either of the others and the invoicing system is far superior. But then we don't go to the stores we do it all online.

[gjc2]

When you say "Saab USA" do you mean Spyker will give up on the US market?

[Trevor Longman]

The only one on that list that I'm really broken up about is borders. I do most of my Christmas shopping there and its just a nice place to hang out and kill some time. Sad to see it go...

[TravelGal]

I actually started to make my own butter. Turns out it is simple and it tastes a whole lot better than anything in the grocery store, even Land O Lakes.

Dump heavy cream in a chilled food processor, churn for a minute or two and poof, butter appears. You drain off your fresh butter milk and make pancakes & muffins, wash the butter and pack it in a tub (stir in some salt if you want salted butter). You would not believe the difference in taste.

And the cream doesn't cost as much as butter + buttermilk so it is actually cheaper.

By heavy cream do you mean what we see called "whipping cream"? Remember, not very much is "natural" here in SoCal. I'm very intrigued at this. And, for the uninitiated (I tend to chop stuff by hand), what setting most approximates churning? Oh, and how much liquid turns into how much butter?
/digression

[dando]

By heavy cream do you mean what we see called "whipping cream"? Remember, not very much is "natural" here in SoCal. I'm very intrigued at this. And, for the uninitiated (I tend to chop stuff by hand), what setting most approximates churning? Oh, and how much liquid turns into how much butter?
/digression

No. There is heavy cream, whipping cream and half & half. Also, on a food processor there is only an on, off or pulse switch. Blenders and mixers have variable speed settings. So by churn, he means turn it on and let go for a minute or two. It'll be easy to tell the change in texture and when to turn it off.

-Kevin

[Methanolandbrats]

Save Land o Lakes, it is an ancient tradition learned very young and must be passed on http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Odd%20Pics3/LandOLakes.html

[SteveH]

If you're going DIY on butter, do it right. I can recall my grandfather sitting in the kitchen churning butter with one similar to this.

http://i.ebayimg.com/21/!Bc+HQcgBWk~$(KGrHqUH-DMEr!)CLKcNBK24!Wjnlw~~_3.JPG

ebay has several

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=butter+churn+&_fscr=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m19

[cameraman]

Finding an old 1 quart churn that still works well enough to actually make butter is harder than you might like. The 1 quart ones were usually worked to death.

1 quart of milk yields about 1 pound of butter. You need cheese cloth to strain it from the butter milk and you ABSOLUTELY must wash the butter with lots of cold water to get any trapped bits of milk out. You'll end up with nasty butter if you leave a puddle of it behind.

If you leave the cream out at room temp for half a day you'll get slightly more cultured butter but if you're starting out with ultra pasteurized cream the effect will be minimal. i don't like to leave it out longer than that because I don't want the wrong thing(s) growing. There's too much nasty stuff floating about the modern food chain.

One teaspoon of salt to a pound of butter and if you want to go all food network you can mess about trying different sea salts for effect.

The whole process tends to fry the minds of the kids who have no earthly clue where their food comes from.

[Andrew Longman]

Borders going would really suck. It is the only bookstore within a 45+ minute drive from me and perhaps the one tenuous toehold of the literates among my redneck, dumbfub neighbors.

LandOLakes will stick around. The brand is worth too much for someone not to buy it. They may change it to sucky butter though. See pet food lines (or Maytag, etc.) for an example. Most of the quality pet food lines were sold off in the last ten years and little but the name on the bag is the same. Even stuff that says it is domestically made actually comes from China in a round about way. But that's another thread.

Back butter, yes there is a whole world of butter. Americans think of butter as butter, but there are all sorts of butters for different purposes. And you can easily make many of them though some require special "aging" etc.

[G.]

I'll miss Office Depot if they go. I like it much better than Office Max. Staples, not so familiar with.

Borders is awesome, but I don't shop there much, just Holidays.

Circuit City is BACK, but I think they're just online-only. I get a lot of spam from them, started back in December.

Now I want to try to make butter, and not just euphemistically. :D

[TKGAngel]

Most of the quality pet food lines were sold off in the last ten years and little but the name on the bag is the same. Even stuff that says it is domestically made actually comes from China in a round about way. But that's another thread.

I had to do some research into the pet food market for work and I'm surprised by how many of the name pet food brands are owned by people food conglomerates.

Back to Borders, this Newsweek article (http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/20/the-borders-story-is-this-the-final-chapter.html) details how the company has just been one mistake after another on their downward spiral. All that said, the store closest to me is usually packed, but mainly with our friends from over the border.

[extramundane]

Circuit City is BACK, but I think they're just online-only. I get a lot of spam from them, started back in December.

Tiger Direct's parent company bought the rights to the Circuit City name. It's online only and nothing to do with the former retail chain.

[KLang]

Tiger Direct's parent company bought the rights to the Circuit City name. It's online only and nothing to do with the former retail chain.

Are you sure you're not thinking of CompUSA? Or did Tiger buy CC as well?

Edit: Yes, Systemax bought both.

[Cam]

Back to Borders, this Newsweek article (http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/20/the-borders-story-is-this-the-final-chapter.html) details how the company has just been one mistake after another on their downward spiral. All that said, the store closest to me is usually packed, but mainly with our friends from over the border.

Interesting... There is a Borders 5 minutes from me. Wonder if this problem is stateside only. The one here is always busy.

[cameraman]

Salt Lake City is Barnes and Noble territory although there is one Borders near one of the major midvalley malls. Never been there though. Actually Salt Lake has a couple very good independent bookstores, King's English & Sam Weller's. I usually shop at them as I want them to survive. King's English at least seems to be doing quite well. I tend to buy odd books that nobody stocks anyway so I just order the books from their web site then pick up the books at the store when they show up. It doesn't hurt that the bookstore is attached to one of the best restaurants in the state (and within 100 feet of two more) and there is a good local deli across the street.

[SteveH]

Barnes and Nobles is also shuttering stores. The one in Merrillville is closing, which is a surprise as it was always busy. A few years ago one opened here, hope its not next to go.

[racer2c]

The most noticeable business's closing doors in our area restaurants chains, usually fast food. All of our quiznos are gone, the last sonic just closed and all of the checkers drive through I read Wendy's is trying to sell off Arby's too saying it's an albatross.

[Indy]

Big, stupid, worthless chains closing.

Gee, I am not crying. :laugh:

[racer2c]

Big, stupid, worthless chains closing.

Gee, I am not crying. :laugh:

You would be if you worked at one. :shakehead

[Lux Interior]

I wish Indycar were on that list. :p

[dando]

I read Wendy's is trying to sell off Arby's too saying it's an albatross.

Actually this might set a record for corporate raider stupidity. Arby's bought Wendy's a couple of years ago after Dave Thomas passed away to appease Wendy's shareholders. Now Arby's wants to sell Arby's. WTF?!? :saywhat:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/01/21/arbyssalecouldbringwendyshome.html?sid=101

BTW, I saw an ad on the tube today for Office Depot. :confused:

-Kevin

[G.]

Last edited by racer2c; 01-22-11 at 08:22 PM. Reason: Fixed iPad auto spell It was more fun the other way.
:p

[Insomniac]

The most noticeable business's closing doors in our area restaurants chains, usually fast food. All of our quiznos are gone, the last sonic just closed and all of the checkers drive through I read Wendy's is trying to sell off Arby's too saying it's an albatross.

I just read a story about that happening yesterday:

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/american-fast-food-from-supersize-to-downsized-535838.html

Reading that, it seems China is the next frontier, and if your brand can't go overseas, troubles ahead.

[SteveH]

Private equity group submits Sara Lee bid: source (http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-sara-lee-takeover,0,2307769.story)

[TravelGal]

No. There is heavy cream, whipping cream and half & half. Also, on a food processor there is only an on, off or pulse switch. Blenders and mixers have variable speed settings. So by churn, he means turn it on and let go for a minute or two. It'll be easy to tell the change in texture and when to turn it off.

-Kevin

Sometimes feeling like my mother is not a good thing. This reminds me of a conversation I had with her this week. She was almost a contemporary of Gutenberg so understandably she uses "print out copies" or "make copies" interchangeably. As I sit at my computer, printing a copy and making a copy are two completely different things. To her credit, I only had to go through it twice for it to make sense to her. Not bad for 97 in six weeks.

What does this have to do with butter? I thought a Cuisinart or a blender (both of which I have along with a mixer) was the same thing as a food processor. I'm going to pretend it's a "regional thang" to make the distinction and not my ignorance of basic cooking aids.

[Napoleon]

For some reason I thought Land o Lakes was a coop or something like that.

[Andrew Longman]

Now Arby's wants to sell Arby's. WTF?!? :saywhatWell, if they didn't buy Wendy's they wouldn't have anything to sell Arby's would they? ;)

[Andrew Longman]

All of our quiznos are gone, the last sonic just closed ...

Quizno's is an interesting business lessen. They thought having a toasted roll would form a distinct competitive advantage for them. So other chain did that. OK, but it didn't take long for Subway, et al to install toasters, and offer toasted bread too. As a choice. Quizno's "production line" didn't give you a choice.

Early on they also spent a bunch on national media buys, including a bunch during the Super Bowl, when they had no stores in the Northeast.

Interesting to hear about Sonic. They are just moving into the Northeast. One in Nazareth and Flemington now. But I think it is odd to have an outdoor only restaurant in the Northeast when four months of the year people would actually like to get out of their car to eat. Stewarts is a similar older chain here known for hot dogs and rootbeer. They've always closed their stores during the winter.

But Sonics seem to do well, at least when it opened last Summer. Line of cars down the road to get in but that might just be the novelty.

[Napoleon]

All of our quiznos are gone

All or nearly all in Cleveland closed as well.

[Indy]

You would be if you worked at one. :shakehead

I know someone who worked for CompUSA when they went down. He threw a party.

[TKGAngel]

All or nearly all in Cleveland closed as well.

There's only 3 left in Buffalo, too. And Buffalo is supposedly the #1 market in the nation to test out fast food restaurants. If that's the case, there where is Sonic, Five Guys & Chick-Fil-A?


Actually this might set a record for corporate raider stupidity. Arby's bought Wendy's a couple of years ago after Dave Thomas passed away to appease Wendy's shareholders. Now Arby's wants to sell Arby's.

Don't forget that Wendy's was the same behemoth that sold Tim Hortons a couple of years ago because of the strength & profitability of the brand.

[dando]

There's only 3 left in Buffalo, too. And Buffalo is supposedly the #1 market in the nation to test out fast food restaurants. If that's the case, there where is Sonic, Five Guys & Chick-Fil-A?



Don't forget that Wendy's was the same behemoth that sold Tim Hortons a couple of years ago because of the strength & profitability of the brand.

1. Not sure about your first comment...Cbus is also a hotbed of fast food testing...like the recent Angus burger by McDs, as well as numerous Wendy's offerings.

2. Wendy's followed McDs in buying up brands to expand their markets, but lost focus (McDs bought Chipotle and Donato's, Wendy's bought Ho's and Baja Fresh). All failed and were sold off to increase shareholder value. Wendy's brought in a hatchet woman as CEO who cut, cut, cut and sold, sold, sold. Brilliant! :saywhat: :shakehead

-Kevin

[cameraman]

There are about 16 Quizno's scattered around the valley, I've never actually been to one.

[Tifosi24]

You are correct. I did some looking and the Land O' Lakes coop is based in a suburb of the Twin Cities. It looks like the coop owns the rights to the name and the quality and construction of the Land O' Lakes products. According to wikipedia, they have just licensed the name and products to Dean Foods. The coop also owns Purina, I did not know that.


For some reason I thought Land o Lakes was a coop or something like that.

[TKGAngel]

1. Not sure about your first comment...Cbus is also a hotbed of fast food testing...like the recent Angus burger by McDs, as well as numerous Wendy's offerings.

-Kevin

Here's the article (http://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/growth-40) that references the stat I mentioned about B-lo and FF restaurants.

[Ankf00]

1. Not sure about your first comment...Cbus is also a hotbed of fast food testing...like the recent Angus burger by McDs, as well as numerous Wendy's offerings.
-Kevin

that explains a lot :gomer:

[nrc]

All failed and were sold off to increase shareholder value. Wendy's brought in a hatchet woman as CEO who cut, cut, cut and sold, sold, sold. Brilliant!

"Increasing shareholder value" is the bane of good companies. Running a company to appease Wall Street investors has doomed more companies than I can count.

Some of those companies are just caught in the same trap as a lot of brick and mortar chains - unless there's some compelling reason to go see and touch the product before buying it's easier and cheaper to just order online.

Of course Borders got the triple wammy of internet commerce, music "sharing", and the dwindling market share for physical media in all of it's primary products. Barnes and Noble is fortunate to have established a viable online presence before it was too late.

[nrc]

that explains a lot :gomer:

Mmmm. Double Baconator with natural cut fries. 1300 calories of fatty bliss :gomer:

[nrc]

Quizno's is an interesting business lessen. They thought having a toasted roll would form a distinct competitive advantage for them. So other chain did that. OK, but it didn't take long for Subway, et al to install toasters, and offer toasted bread too. As a choice. Quizno's "production line" didn't give you a choice.

I think Quiznos underestimated America's willingness to pay a premium for a cold sandwich that they could make better at home. I'm not sure why anyone eats at Subway. Almost any decent sub joint makes a better sandwich.

Quizno's has some really good sandwiches. I love their Prime Rib and Peppercorn.

[Andrew Longman]

Almost any decent sub joint makes a better sandwich. Especially in the Philly-NYC area with plenty of genuine Italian pizza/sub joints. Having proper Italian bread is a start that the chains never get right. Though my Michigan raised Mom likes Subway because "their rolls are soft"

Bleh. Ask Trevor sometime about being forced to Subway by his Grandma. You'll get a "slowly I turn" reaction. Permanently scarred. :D

Also the sub joints somehow can make a better sub in half the time for less cost than the business school consultant design "process" the chains use to build their subs.:rolleyes:

[WickerBill]

Wendy's new fries are so awful they may doom the company.

[Insomniac]

I'm not sure why anyone eats at Subway. Almost any decent sub joint makes a better sandwich.

If you're a vegetarian, you aren't concerned about the quality of the cold cuts. ;) It's also nice when you can get a sub with the veggie patties for $5.

[racer2c]

Wendy's new fries are so awful they may doom the company.

:thumbup:

[grungex]

If you're a vegetarian, you aren't concerned about the quality of the cold cuts. ;) It's also nice when you can get a sub with the veggie patties for $5.

Speaking as a vegetarian (OK, cheese-atarian), Subway is the absolute worst place to buy a sub.

[Napoleon]

You are correct. I did some looking and the Land O' Lakes coop is based in a suburb of the Twin Cities.


That is what I thought. I recall when driving around the back roads around and/or driving to and from Road America passing farms with signs out front with the Land-o-Lakes logo that read something like "proud member of the Land-o-Lakes coop".

[extramundane]

Speaking as a vegetarian (OK, cheese-atarian), Subway is the absolute worst place to buy a sub.

What, you don't like the extruded HDPE #2 they pass off as "cheese"?

[chop456]

Subway = :yuck:

[WickerBill]

Subway = :yuck:

You know your work's cafeteria sucks (Aramark) when they bring in a Subway and it's the best food in the whole place...

[racer2c]

2491 post office's closing. Heck, I can't find one now!

[Ankf00]

What, you don't like the extruded HDPE #2

well played.

[nrc]

Wendy's new fries are so awful they may doom the company.

You gonna eat the rest of those fries? :gomer:

[Ankf00]

my fav part of their new "natural cut" with "sea salt" is the 50% bump in sodium content. Hey, sea sodium's different! :gomer:

[Methanolandbrats]

my fav part of their new "natural cut" with "sea salt" is the 50% bump in sodium content. Hey, sea sodium's different! :gomer:

Sodiums from the ocean are organic and have more salts becuse they are not pasterized like commercital, processed salts.

[pchall]

We use their unsalted variety. I doubt the brand will disappear. Someone will buy it.

I really like Land o Lakes unsalted "light" butter. I'd miss that.

If the brand disappears I'd also be worried future generations of pre-adolescent boys missing out on the chance to fold up the box art
in just the right way to turn the Indian maiden's knees into her boobies. That would certainly mar their sexual and emotional development. :D

As for the fast food chains, reliable mediocrity across the country and continents has its merits. Last summer I feel asleep on the S-bahn, missed the train change, and wound up on the wrong end of the line. It was past the evening commuter hours and I actually had to wait 20 minutes for a train to take me back. The sight of a Subway sign very near the station got me thinking about a 6" roast beef with my usual fixings (no "cheese" of course). Made it back with my sub and a bottle of beer and still had 5 minutes to wait. It certainly improved my mood on the longish trip to the northern station near my hotel just in time to meet a cousin for a long night sampling all the beers at a micro brewery.

[Insomniac]

Speaking as a vegetarian (OK, cheese-atarian), Subway is the absolute worst place to buy a sub.

How do you mess up vegetables and bread?

[KLang]

Who is responsible for bumping this thread a year from now to see which predictions panned out? :gomer:

[dando]

Who is responsible for bumping this thread a year from now to see which predictions panned out? :gomer:

Whatever R2C is calling himself then. :gomer:

-Kevin

[racer2c]

Whatever R2C is calling himself then. :gomer:

-Kevin

Ouch! :irked:

[cameraman]

I'm feeling soooo much better about having never eaten at a Taco Bell...


The lawsuit says they had Taco Bell's meat mixture tested and it contained less than 35 percent beef...

When customers bite into a crunchy beef taco, they are actually munching on water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch, the lawsuit claims.

Source (http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2011/01/25/lawsuit-claims-taco-bell-using-real-beef/#ixzz1C4jdiGw1)

:yuck:


And while were at it, just what exactly are "wheat oats"?

[Methanolandbrats]

I'm feeling soooo much better about having never eaten at a Taco Bell...



Source (http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2011/01/25/lawsuit-claims-taco-bell-using-real-beef/#ixzz1C4jdiGw1)

:yuck:


And while were at it, just what exactly are "wheat oats"?

Damn, I'm glad I only eat the bean burritos and chicken soft shell tacos :D

[cameraman]

Damn, I'm glad I only eat the bean burritos and chicken soft shell tacos :D

Lord only knows what the "chicken" is made of...

[KLang]

They do a pretty good job making that stuff taste like taco beef. :saywhat:

[SteveH]

Damn, I'm glad I only eat the bean burritos and chicken soft shell tacos :D

those aren't beans ;)

[Insomniac]

I'm feeling soooo much better about having never eaten at a Taco Bell...



Source (http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2011/01/25/lawsuit-claims-taco-bell-using-real-beef/#ixzz1C4jdiGw1)

:yuck:


And while were at it, just what exactly are "wheat oats"?

They may not disclose the %'s, but this isn't a secret:


SEASONED GROUND BEEF
Beef, Water, Seasoning [Isolated Oat Product, Salt, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Oats (Wheat), Soy Lecithin, Sugar, Spices, Maltodextrin, Soybean Oil (Anti-dusting Agent), Garlic Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Silicon Dioxide, Natural Flavors, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphates. CONTAINS SOYBEAN, WHEAT

http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredientstatement

[Insomniac]

those aren't beans ;)

You'll be surprised, they actually are:

Beans = Pinto Beans, Soy Oil (Trans Free Shortening with TBHQ and Citric Acid to protect flavor), Salt, Calcium Chloride.

[Methanolandbrats]

The bean burrito and chicken softshell are not that bad if you need emergency food on the road. Drive up, give em $2.41 and they throw it out the window. Easy, fast, cheap and tasty. :D

[cameraman]

You'll be surprised, they actually are:

Beans = Pinto Beans, Soy Oil (Trans Free Shortening with TBHQ and Citric Acid to protect flavor), Salt, Calcium Chloride.

With the yummy added value of that tert-Butylhydroquinone which you wouldn't get at home...

[datachicane]

They may not disclose the %'s, but this isn't a secret:



http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredientstatement

Gotta love how they combine groups of ingredients in subgroups to hide the actual percentages. Oats as a seasoning? Salt listed twice? When the smoke and mirrors version looks this bad, you can imagine what the non-obfuscated list would look like... :yuck:

If that's not bad enough, even the 'beef' ain't anything you'd recognize as beef. Do a quick google of 'pink slime' if you can stomach it.

[Methanolandbrats]

Can any of you muckrakers figure out what's wrong with the chicken?:D

[cameraman]

Well this is the only place the word chick appears on their web page.


SOUTHWEST CHICKEN
Chicken Breast Meat With Rib Meat, Water, Seasoning [Salt, Maltodextrin, Spices, Garlic Powder, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Onion Powder, Carrageenan, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Natural Flavoring, Mixed Triglycerides, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup Solids, Yeast Extract, Alginates (Sodium, Calcium And/Or Ammonium), Cellulose, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate Used To Protect Quality, Not More Than 2% Silicon Dioxide Added To Prevent Caking, Soybean Oil], Modified Food Starch, Sodium Phosphates Soy Lecithin (Used As A Processing Aid). CONTAINS SOYBEANS

The ingredients list has that extruded ring to it.

[Napoleon]

Can any of you muckrakers figure out what's wrong with the chicken?:D

I don't think Upton Sinclair is a member here.

[racer2c]

Taco Bell has come under scrutiny after a class-action lawsuit was filed against it on Jan. 19, alleging that the Mexican-style fast-food chain does not put enough real beef in its tacos to accurately call the filling beef.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10984822/1/yumstaco-bell-meat-prompts-law-suit.html

:rofl:

[STD]

Lord only knows what the "chicken" is made of...

With all the wild birds going down in one foul swoop one could look at Tyson Foods to have come up with an interesting filler.
The weak New Year's fireworks explanation just doesn't cut it when thinking about how every the 4th of July would blanket Arkansas with bird carcases. :\

[Insomniac]

With the yummy added value of that tert-Butylhydroquinone which you wouldn't get at home...

I wonder why they need to add TBHQ when cooking oil sold in stores doesn't need it. Presumably cooking oil at home vs. the food industry would require a longer shelf life.

I saw some explanation about balancing out "free radicals" but that would seem to be a problem in the production of oil so you'd want that in all the oil, right?

[dando]

Which begs the question, where's the beef? :gomer:

-Kevin

[racer2c]

Our recipe for seasoned beef includes ingredients you’d find in your home or in the supermarket aisle today:
• 88% USDA-inspected quality beef
• 3-5% water for moisture
• 3-5% spices (including salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, sugar, garlic powder, cocoa powder and a proprietary blend of Mexican spices and natural flavors).
• 3-5% oats, starch, sugar, yeast, citric acid, and other ingredients that contribute to the quality of our product.
Our seasoned beef contains no “extenders” to add volume, as some might use. For more information about our ingredients go to http://www.tacobell.com.”
Greg Creed
President and Chief Concept Officer
Taco Bell Corp.

The gov says 70:30 is 'real'.

[dando]

The gov says 70:30 is 'real'.

I'm quite certain the burgers I ate in school in the 70s/early 80s where likely worse than this. Soy burgers. :yuck: :saywhat:

-Kevin

[datachicane]

The gov says 70:30 is 'real'.

A big part of the problem is the stuff they're allowed to include in the part they call 'beef'- it's a far cry from anything you'd find in the supermarket, and a far cry from anything most folks would consider food. That wasn't the case even twenty years ago.

My father-in-law was a USDA meat inspector. He told unbelievable stories about the abuses that were glossed over in the push towards deregulation starting in the early '80s. By the time he retired many plants never saw an actual inspector, as the plants were allowed to do their own surface samples and mail them to the USDA. :eek: He talked about routine contamination rates of zero ppm, which would be impossible unless the testing swab was dipped in disinfectant prior to being sealed in the envelope :saywhat:

We're revisiting the age of Upton Sinclair, but this time with a better PR industry and lobbyists.

[Gnam]

Blueberries too?


Nonprofit organization Consumer Wellness Center recently released a video report on blueberry breakfast cereals, breads, and pastries that are missing, that's right, blueberries.

http://www.delish.com/food/recalls-reviews/fake-blueberries-in-cereal?GT1=47001

[nrc]

Blueberries too?

The booberry has largely replaced the blueberry in most food products.

[dando]

I get the truth in advertising angle, but I have no sympathy for those that can't find their way to the produce aisle and purchase a small amount of berries and put them on their flakes. Sheesh....

-Kevin

[Insomniac]

The gov says 70:30 is 'real'.

Stephen Colbert's take:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/372475/january-27-2011/gordita-supreme-court

[RaceGrrl]

The booberry has largely replaced the blueberry in most food products.

:laugh:

[Andrew Longman]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/28/133307209/taco-bell-enlists-superheroes-to-bite-back-at-beef-lawsuit?ft=1&f=1001

Superheros? That oughta work

[KLang]

Saw the ad in the Wall Street Journal this morning. :laugh:

Assuming the info in the ad is correct, 88% beef, shouldn't the group that started all this be getting ready for a suit themselves?

[Methanolandbrats]

Saw the ad in the Wall Street Journal this morning. :laugh:

Assuming the info in the ad is correct, 88% beef, shouldn't the group that started all this be getting ready for a suit themselves?

They should have a really good grip on their ankles by now.

[chop456]

The booberry has largely replaced the blueberry in most food products.
My brother in law's former inlaws were (are) complete losers. Their two sons are named Frank and Barry. I couldn't stand them and the feeling was mutual. At every possible opportunity I'd ask "How are Frank and Barry?" They knew I was being an ass and there's nothing they could do about it. :laugh:

[KLang]

Article in today's Wall Street Journal says Sara Lee is breaking up into smaller companies but one will retain the Sara Lee name.

[nrc]

Article in today's Wall Street Journal says Sara Lee is breaking up into smaller companies but one will retain the Sara Lee name.

It's the AT&T method. Instead of one giant crater you break the company up and then create a bunch of smaller ones.

[dando]

It's the AT&T method. Instead of one giant crater you break the company up and then create a bunch of smaller ones.

But then recreate the crater...perhaps even larger. :saywhat:

-Kevin

[JohnHKart]

I'm surprised to see Office Depot on the list. We buy the majority of our supplies through them. Their bid for the University contract was better than either Staples or Office Max. Their service is better than either of the others and the invoicing system is far superior. But then we don't go to the stores we do it all online.


Me too! I prefer OD, plus they stay open till 9 while local Staples are long closed by then. I usually by my weekly planner from them (yes love technology but buy these just to stay old school) and I bought a killer office chair there four years back I'm still using at work.

[Napoleon]

So what was the scorecard on this?

[KLang]

Saab and Borders are gone. I think the rest are still around in some form.

[Ankf00]

I sure hope I don't lose my Land O'Lakes butter. I guess not enough of us are willing to pay a little more for it.

I will choke a mother ****er

ah, old thread. LoL still surviving.


No. There is heavy cream, whipping cream and half & half. Also, on a food processor there is only an on, off or pulse switch. Blenders and mixers have variable speed settings. So by churn, he means turn it on and let go for a minute or two. It'll be easy to tell the change in texture and when to turn it off.

-Kevin

you probably don't remember my thanksgiving episode 2 years ago where I was in charge of the turkey & cornbread, and my sis & her lawyer bff tried to lecture me on "liquid cup" vs "solid cup" because in the world of private school lawyers a unit of volume is measured different within the liquid world, it's different you see, and that same unit of volume for a solid is something else entirely, even though it's a unit of volume...

lawyer bff brought cream to make whipped cream. smarty pants lawyer bff dumped it in my bullet-style food processor. smarty pants lawyer bff started making butter :laugh: