12 Absolutely Bonkers Controversies in the Food and Restaurant Industries
![12 Absolutely Bonkers Controversies in the Food and Restaurant Industries](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/1/3/896513_320x180.jpg)
Ah, the food and restaurant industries. It’s a wild and wonderful world full of delicious delights and crazy controversies. From glowing blue pork to "help me" messages in drinks, there’s never a dull moment in the food and restaurant industries ... unfortunately for everyone who’s a consumer of its products, which is just about everybody reading this.
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In this list, we’ll be exploring some of the most insane controversies that have ever occurred in these industries. From needles in fruit to 100% biodegradable bags that are louder than a gas lawnmower, you won’t believe what these companies have gotten up to ... or maybe you will, and you’ll simply sigh and come that bit closer to making peace with never knowing what exactly it is you’re about to it.
So, without further ado, let’s hold our nose, gird our loins, and dive into the absolutely bonkers controversies in the food and restaurant industries.
Heinz: Ketchup and porn.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES Heinz PORN INCIDENT - HEINZ - 57 - SERVICTION Heinz had to say sorry in 2015 after a QR code on one of their bottles of ketchup sent people to a porn site. Their URL registration had expired HEINZ after the promotion was over. 1509- TOMATO KETCHUP CRACKED I](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/0/895670.jpg)
Soy sauce ... made of hair?
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES MAKING SOY SAUCE OUT OF HUMAN HAIR In 2004, China took action against companies that make ingredients for food after it was found out that one of them had been making soy sauce out of human hair. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/5/895675.jpg)
"Help me" messages found in SoBe drinks: Pepsi apologizes.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES HELP me INCIDENT II HELP ME TRAPPED IN SOBE FACTORY adidas People in the U.S. were shocked to find help me messages under the caps of their SoBe drinks in 2015. 0cal PERSONTLE The company that makes the senten SOBE drinks had to apologize for the lifewater incident. No, it wasn't a real cry BLACK AND BLUE BERRY berwith for help, just a joke. I CC Vitamins Geoge Seed Extrest CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/2/895672.jpg)
Findus: Not Just Lasagna.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES HORSE meAT in LASAGNA In 2013, it was discovered that Findus beef lasagna contained 100% horse meat, which eventually caused the UK's Food Standards Agency to make companies check their beef products for horse meat. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/4/895674.jpg)
Coke: Not Refreshing.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES YOU RE R-WORD COCA-COLA'S FLASCO Соса-Соӏа had to say sorry to an Edmonton family in 2013 after they found a bottle cap with the words YOU RE Coca-Cola D. It was due to a contest where they printed one English word and one French word on bottle caps. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/6/895676.jpg)
Blake Loates/Facebook
Glow-in-the-dark pork.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES GLOW-In-THE-DARK PORK In 2011, a person living in Shanghai, China found a piece of pork that was glowing blue in the dark. After some investigation, it was determined that the cause of this was phosphorescent bacteria. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/1/895671.jpg)
Needles in fruit: not a good look.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES NEEDLES in FRUIT In 2018, a major scare about needles being found in strawberries spread across Australia. Supermarkets had to recall certain brands and farmers had to throw away their fruit. Eventually, a 62-year-old woman was caught putting a needle in a banana. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/7/895677.jpg)
“Pink slime” stirs up trouble.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES PINK SLIME in SCHOOL LUNCHES A Texas mom started a petition online in March 2012 to get rid of pink slime, a hideous meat by-product, in school lunches. It only took eight days for her to get 200,000 signatures, and it caused a huge stir in the food and restaurant industries. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/9/895669.jpg)
Disaster.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES THRU Jack box in JACK in THE BOX CY E. COLI OUTBREAK ORIEFIO In 1993, the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak caused a lot of trouble. It made 623 people in the western U.S. sick, and sadly, four children died. This led the U.S. government to make changes to their food safety laws and policies. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/3/895673.jpg)
Chilean fruit: not so tasty.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES CYANIDE in CHILEAN FRUIT In 1989, the FDA took Chilean fruit off the shelves and told people not to eat it because two grapes had cyanide in them, leading to an international fruit crisis. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/7/895667.jpg)
FDA shuts down NyQuil donuts.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES NYQUIL AND PePTO BISMOL Donuts Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon stirred up trouble in 2011 when they put NyQuil and Pepto Bismol donuts on their menu. POWERFUL lighttime The FDA wasn't too happy about it, VICKS RELIEF and made them take them off the NyQuil menu right away. COLD & FLU Nighttime Relief CRACKED Internioophen Doxylamine succinate, Dextronecharphan Headache. Fever Sore Throat](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/6/895666.jpg)
Biodegradable, but deafening.
![FOOD CONTROVERSIES eam Sun 24 Sun 0 pare ALE ~100% WHOLE GRAIN ~100% W FRITO-LAY'S ON LAST adidas Onion sun CHIPS BAG In 2010, Frito-Lay released a new bag for Sun Chips that was made from 100% biodegradable material. It was incredibly loud, measuring 95 dB, which is louder than a gas lawnmower, and almost as loud as a subway. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/8/895668.jpg)