Consumer Alert

We had a killer Mexican supper last night with home-made guacamole and pico de gallo and seasoned ground beef, plus basic accompaniments like shredded cheese and sour cream, along with those great tortilla chips by On the Border.  We even had Virgin Margaritas made with fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Everything was superb, though I say it myself -- except for the Old El Paso taco shells, which tasted stale.  We ate a couple, but I tossed the rest in the trash and we stuck with the tortilla chips.

The taco shells only cost $1.41, but still there is a principle involved here.  So this morning I dialed the toll-free number shown on the box in case I have questions or comments about this or any other General Mills product, and I spoke with Jo in Minneapolis.  I told her how disappointed I was with the taco shells.  She said she was sorry and would send a replacement voucher plus some coupons to make it up to me.

Then she gathered all the pertinent information -- date of purchase (Tuesday), place of purchase (Kroger), best-by date (February 27, 2012), code numbers on box, condition of box (not cut or broken or smashed), the exact nature of their stale condition ("not crunchy"), and whether I had heated them in the oven or the microwave.

What?  I said I didn't heat them at all, was I supposed to? And she said, very diplomatically, "It is recommended."

And sure enough, right there on the back of the box are the instructions for heating them in a 325-degree oven for 6 or 7 minutes or in the nuker for 45 seconds on HIGH in order to achieve "crisp and more flavorful taco shells."

Oh.  Duh.