The Health Department wants New Yorkers to reduce sugary beverage consumption, but the department's employees can still buy the controversial carbonated concoctions from vending machines in the lobby at department headquarters. The Post recently "found" the machine in the 125 Worth Street, and some of the drinks available are Gatorade, Snapple and Coca-Cola—which are being singled out in a $350K anti-soda ad campaign. Naturally, a lobbyist for the beverage industry was happy to comment: "[This] just shows you that we shouldn't allow the Department of Health bureaucrats to make decisions for us, because their decision-making process is often jaundiced." Well, at least it wasn't a cigarette vending machine. more ›

Workers at the DUMBO grocery store Foragers spent about a week installing what was supposed to be a vastly improved salad bar at the Front Street location. It finally debuted last Friday, but it looks like they've decided not to install the customary plastic shield that protects consumers from strangers' unhygienic snot spray. The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene directed our questions to the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets, so here's Section 271-8.2 about salad bars from the state's regulations for retail food stores:

more ›