Food Products

Playboy Enterprises has launched a new energy drink designed to compete with the likes of Red Bull. Featuring a sleek, 8.4oz black can with the iconic Playboy bunny, the Playboy Energy Drink promises to give "customers a taste of the lifestyle that has always been associated with the Playboy brand."

The drink contains both ginseng and guarana extract, with "subtle notes of fruit and vanilla."

Upon its initially launch, the Playboy Energy Drink will only be available in Boston. Soon, the drink will make its way to other cities across the U.S., including Miami and Las Vegas. Other cities are also set to pick up the drink, but it's not yet clear when.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning and recall of potentially contaminated cheeses manufactured by Grassy Meadows Dairy Co. in Howe, Indiana. Consumers in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan are affected by the recall.

Routine surveillence by the Indiana Board of Animal Health's Dairy Division revealed high levels of staphylococcus aureus in several varieties of the company's raw milk cheeses.

Griffith Park Sparkling Rosé may be cheap, but according to judges at the renowned Effervescents du Monde competition, it certainly doesn't lack in taste or quality. Griffith's champagne was up against some stiff (and pricey) competition, and ultimately took home a gold medal and place in the top ten.

The Effervescents du Monde competition is now in its fifth year, and aims to find the best sparkling wines in the world. For the 2007 competition, it attracted 408 entries from 24 countries.

Griffith Park Sparkling Rosé was not only the cheapest wine to make the top ten (snagging the #7 spot), but it was also the only Australian wine to place. The other nine wines in the top ten were dominated by those from France. Judges said Griffith's was the "perfect party sparkler."

The Effervescents du Monde competition was held in November in Dijon, France. A panel of 60 international experts judged the wines, and made sure that they underwent rigorous testing processes. Some of the qualities the judges looked for were diversity, quality, and high standards.

In all, 34 gold medals and 102 silver medals were awarded. Half of all the winners were French.

American Foods Group of Wisconsin voluntarily recalled nearly 96,000 pounds of ground beef products after two people were reportedly sickened, possibly by E. coli bacteria. The beef products included in the recall include corse and fine ground beef chuck, sirloin, and and chop beef.

The affected products were distributed to retailers and distributors in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Virginia. The potential problem was brought to light after an investigation by the Illinois Department of Health, which was looking into two reports of illness.

The bacteria believed to be present in the meat is E. coli O157:H7, which is harbored in the intestines of cattle. Improper butchering can result in the E. coli getting into the meat, but thorough cooking to at least 160 degrees internally, can destroy the bacteria. This particular strain of bacteria can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration.

Products affected by the recall were produced on October 10, 2007. Because they were distributed for further processing and repackaging, the products will not have the company's establishment number on the package.

Men's Health published a list of America's 20 worst foods based on not only fats, but also calories, sodium, and carbs. In other words, if you're looking to lose weight or even just stop your waistline from expanding, these are the foods you'll want to avoid:

#20 - Worst Fast-Food Chicken Meal
Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald's (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce. 830 calories, 55 grams (g) fat (4.5 g trans fat), 48 g carbohydrates.

#19 - Worst Drink
Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 fl oz)
900 calories 10 g fat, 183 g carbs (166 g sugar).

#18 - Worst Supermarket Meal
Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie (whole pie)
1,020 calories, 64 g fat, 86 g carbs.

#17 - Worst "Healthy" Burger
Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger
1,145 calories, 71 g fat, 56 g carbs.

#16 - Worst Mexican Entree
Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken Burrito
1,179 calories, 47 g fat, 125 g carbs, 2,656 milligrams (mg) sodium.

#15 - Worst Kids' Meal
Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese
1,210 calories, 62 g fat, 3,450 mg sodium.

#14 - Worst Sandwich
Quiznos Classic Italian (large)
1,528 calories, 92 g fat, 4,604 mg sodium, 110 g carbs.

#13 - Worst Salad
On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef
1,450 calories, 102 g fat, 78 g carbs, 2,410 mg sodium.

Jimmy Dean recently decided to reduce the size of the sausage from 16oz down to 12oz. But the reduction in size didn't correlate to a reduction in price. Randy Taylor, an avid fan of Jimmy Dean sausage left a voicemail message on the Jimmy Dean corporate line.

How the hell are you supposed to feed three 200 pound men, a wife that’s a little on the plump side and a 13 year old daughter on 12 goddamn ounces of sausage??

Check out the audio clip right here:

Del Rey Tortilleria Inc. has issued a recall on several of their products after health officials in Wisconsin suspected a link between their flour tortillas and an outbreak of illness reported at three schools. Del Rey has agreed to voluntarily recall the products as a precautionary measure while the Food & Drug Administration carries on their investigation.

However, Del Rey's general manager, Marcy Toledo said that they are still not sure that it was their products that caused the reported symptoms.

''We're testing the product and looking to see where this is coming from. We haven't received any complaints yet about illnesses," said Toledo.

More than 80 students at three seperate schools in Racine, Wisconsin came down with a flu-like illness with symptoms including vomiting. Health officials said that they suspected the soft flour tortillas may be responsible for the illnesses, as they were served at all three schools.

Looking for top-of-the-line German engineering in an espresso machine? Look no further than the new Starbucks Sirena, an espresso machine designed by the folks at BMW Design Works. Yes, that's the same people who design the BMW cars.

The Starbucks Sirena is a pump-driven espress machine with a pressurized portafilter. It also comes with the ability to "auto-tamp" the coffee, pull a shot, and then with a proper heat time, steam your milk.

At $599, this espresso machine isn't cheap. It's the equivalent of about one monthly payment on a low to mid-level BMW vehicle. But it looks cool, and we hear it makes one mean espresso, so it may be worth it. To learn more about the Sirena, visit Starbucks.

Goth-rocker Marilyn Manson recently unveiled his own brand of absinthe liquor dubbed "Mansinthe." Because absinthe is banned in the United States, you won't be able to legally pick it up here. Instead, Manson launched the drink in Switzerland, where you can pick up a bottle for 29 Euros, or about $42 USD.

A rep for the company that is producing the drink said that "Manson was intensely involved in the development, constantly tasting the samples, giving his opinion and providing suggestions for changes."

One of absinthe's ingredients is wormwood, which contains a toxic chemical that can cause kidney failure, seizures and even death if consumed in large quantities. It was once the favorite drink of European artists and bohemians for its alleged psychoactive attributes, but was banned in many countries in the 1900's for its controversial wormwood ingredient.

Cargill Inc. announced on Saturday that they were recalling more than 1 million pounds of ground beef that could potentially be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

The ground beef affected by the recall was produced between October 8 and October 11 at Cargill Meat Solutions' plant, which is located in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. The meat was distributed to retailers across the country to retailers that include Giant Eagle, Shop Rite, Stop & Shop, Wegmans and Weis.

The decision to recall the meat was made after the Agriculture Department found a problem with a sample of beef produced on October 8. The specific bacteria found is E. coli 0157:H7.

At this time, no illness have been reported in association with the ground beef.

E. coli bacteria can be found in the intestines of cattle. Through improper butchering and processing, the E. coli bacteria can get into the meat. Cooking the meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees can destroy the bacteria.

The specific strain of E. coli found in the Cargill meat was E. coli 0157:H7, a potentially deadly bacteria that causes bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Those most susceptible to the bacteria are the very young, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems.