Whole Foods just can't get it together these days. The grocery chain has gotten a lot of bad press lately for its decision not to promote Ramadan and halal foods (which it is now denying), as well as a former employee who made public a very disgruntled resignation letter highlighting many unflattering things about the store.
Whole Foods did make a move in the right direction this week, however, by removing Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl Cocktails from its shelves. Apparently, management had the same issue that I do with the drink -- namely, what in the world is it made out of?
Don't get me wrong: I love Bethenny Frankel and think her original recipe for the low-cal Skinnygirl Margarita is quite brilliant. If you ask a bartender to make it for you, it consists of clear tequila, fresh lime juice, and a splash of Triple Sec over ice -- it's fresh-tasting and, admittedly, not too bad, especially if you are watching your weight.
But the Skinnygirl Margarita in the bottle is a whole different story; it's too weak and sugary for my taste. (And I won't even discuss the new Skinnygirl Sangria because I have nothing nice to say about it.) Not to mention the fact, there's no ingredient list on the bottle. Bethenny herself has marketed the product as containing "natural flavors, lightly sweetened with agave nectar and made with premium Blue Agave clear tequlia," but that's the extent of what we know about its ingredients.
Apparently, this wasn't enough for Whole Foods. The chain allegedly removed the product from its shelves because they discovered that the "natural flavors" weren't so "natural" (as if that term has any meaning anyway).
Now, just because the Skinnygirl Margarita in a bottle isn't to my taste doesn't mean I don't think it's a good product or that others shouldn't enjoy it. But I do applaud Whole Foods for demanding transparency and accountability for at least one of its products -- isn't that the whole point of shopping there?
Image via liza sperling/Flickr
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Comments 18
I thought that everything had to have a label with the ingredients on it.
If every store (and consumers, for that matter) demanded total honesty from the food manufacturers, the products on our grocery store shelves would be a whole lot different. Good for Whole Foods. They may not be perfect but at least they're doing something right.
Chell-- exactly! Yes to all that. I second whatcha said.
I am so shocked Bethany did not think to add the ingrants I thought that was a law anyway? I gave her more credit for having more brains they she cared to show by aproving the bottles with no ingredients
Good for Whole Foods! And I thought it was a law too.
Jim Beam got suckered into a $120 million scam... the only thing they got for their money was the name "Skinnygirl." Bethenny really pulled one over on everyone. I actually tried the SG margarita... it is plain awful. The opened bottle and remaining liquid is still sitting in my refrigerator... will pull it out when someone comes over and wants to try it and they can save their $13! It is spit-out-able...