EAT, DRINK AND BE WARY
By Dan Miller
May 8, 2007
I see where the manufacturer of the energy drink Cocaine has decided to pull it from stores.
They say they'll rename it, and have it back on shelves soon.
Now, technically, it's perfectly legal to name a product whatever you want, unless it's an infringement on someone else's trademark or copyright.
So while the FDA didn't actually order the makers of Cocaine to drop the name, they did send them a warning letter expressing concern about whether the drink might be illegally marketed as a street drug alternative and a dietary supplement.
I'm sure that the manufacturer of Cocaine.... sensing a long, drawn out hassle with the FDA.... was quickly convinced to change the name.
But -- hey -- aren't there scores of other products with "double meaning names" that no one gives a second thought?
Like, for instance, the soft drink Coke.
Isn't that a slang word for the same illegal drug as Cocaine?
Matter of fact, when it was first developed many years ago, Coke actually contained traces of that substance.
And there are other food products the FDA might want to look at.
Some examples:
Pot roast. It's not what the name might imply to some.
Bumblebee Tuna? Does it contain bumblebees?
Gatorade. No real alligators are used.
Godiva chocolates. Do naked women on horses help make it?
Grape Nuts. No grapes, no nuts.
Manwich? Thankfully, no real connection to a man.
Buffalo wings? It's chicken, not buffalo!
How about sweetbread? Years ago I actually ordered them in a restaurant, thinking it was something like a sweet cornbread. Boy was I surprised!
Same thing for Rocky Mountain Oysters. Trust me, they're not oysters!
Red Eye gravy. Has nothing to do with eyeballs.
And how 'bout "bearclaws"? No bear is walking around on stubs because we enjoy those delicious pastries.
Chock Full O' Nuts. You won't find any nuts.... you'll find coffee.
And Spam.... it has nothing to do with junk mail on your computer, it's a delicious food that I've enjoyed many, many times over the years.
And, of course, there's the classic Chicken Of The Sea.
With all due respect to Jessica Simpson, it's tuna.... not some fowl that lives in the ocean.
That's all for now.... I'm going to the kitchen to enjoy a Moon Pie.
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