Black Bun Whoppers Causing Green Bowel Movements

[Billy F 1988]

TMFI, man! TMFI!

[kphoger]

I'm so glad disheartened that the green poop thread mad made it to page three.

[SteveG1988]

TMFI, man! TMFI!

Are you talking to me?

[J N Winkler]

I'm not shy about having a discussion of the physical properties of stools on a public forum, but I don't think it is something that needs to be illustrated with pictures, even if they are later claimed to show something other than stools.  (The production designers for Salò quite convincingly faked stools for the coprophagy scene by mixing bar chocolate with orange juice.)

In general, I worry less about color of stools than about their quantity, regularity, and ease of passage.  It is often said that Americans do not eat enough fiber and that this is why constipation is so prevalent in this country.  The Wikipedia article on dietary fiber notes that North Americans on average eat 50% as much fiber as recommended, a percentage that drops to 20% for younger people.  I suspect that if we all actually ate enough fiber, toilets all over the country would plug up, so that inadequacy of the plumbing (something I never noticed to exist in Britain, for example) exacerbated by regulatory insistence on low-flow toilets contributes to constipation, obesity, diabetes, etc. at epidemic levels.

Admittedly, this causal chain has so many links and is so tenuous that I am skeptical anyone will gun hard for an Ig Nobel trying to prove it, but I think it is shameful that there are American parents who, when they are asked by their young (and freshly potty-trained) children to define a good stool, simply say "Any one that does not hurt."  For good long-term colon health, including prevention of diverticulosis, I think it is necessary to have higher standards and that diet should be developed with easy transit of stools through the colon as a primary consideration.

[SteveG1988]

Combine it with the haribo sugar free gummybears.

[PHLBOS]

Back to the actual topic at hand:

The local BK near me has since removed it's Halloween Whopper poster from the window.

I guess it's a reasonable assumption that the Halloween Whopper was a sales flop for BK.  Its digestive side-effect (for those that actually tried it), no doubt, discouraged others from trying it.

[Duke87]

I was at a BK late last week and saw no mention of it.

It's certainly possible that stories about green poo caused them to yank it early, perhaps over concerns about liability, or just deeming it to be bad press.

Of course, it always was intended to be a limited time item, which generally means "while supplies last". If the discovery of this effect caused a lot of people to want to try it out, it may well have caused some places to run out early.

[Pete from Boston]

And let's be realistic: even amid the suspended disbelief of fast food patrons, dyed bread may have been a step too far.  Much as people didn't take to purple catsup, black-dyed bread probably goes too much against expectation to be appetizing, however "natural" the dye.

[Brandon]

And let's be realistic: even amid the suspended disbelief of fast food patrons, dyed bread may have been a step too far.  Much as people didn't take to purple catsup, black-dyed bread probably goes too much against expectation to be appetizing, however "natural" the dye.

They might have been better off using a dark rye-type bun instead.  That's naturally dark colored, and would've made a slightly different flavor for the burger.

[PHLBOS]

Of course, it always was intended to be a limited time item, which generally means "while supplies last".

Given that it was titled the Halloween Whopper; such was originally intended to be offered through at least Oct. 31. 

And the "while supplies last" doesn't exactly explain why all posters promoting the product were taken down at least 2 weeks beforehand as well as it no longer being listed on the menu screens.

If the discovery of this effect caused a lot of people to want to try it out, it may well have caused some places to run out early.

Offhand, I sincerely doubt that such happened en masse.

Long story short; the Halloween Whopper received an early discontinuation.

[realjd]

In the US, lamb refers to any ovine meat - including what other English-speakers would call mutton.

Lamb and mutton aren't super common here, but most grocery stores and butchers do have lamb. Lamb here (in FL at least) is usually from Australia. Mutton to me is noticeably different and I've never noticed anything inappropriately labeled, legal definition aside.

[SteveG1988]

Black buns causing green buns