Hazardous History with Henry Winkler

The series showcases a range of past food catastrophes, from energy drinks once tainted with radioactive ingredients, highlighting the health scares they provoked. It also examines scandalous snacks made with Olestra and the use of dubious additives in milk and bread, revealing how these products shocked consumers.

Food Fiascos is a television programme presented as a single episode that dives into the darker side of culinary history. The show adopts a light‑hearted yet informative style, guiding viewers through a series of notorious food blunders that have left a lasting imprint on the public’s memory. The core of the episode is a catalogue of past food catastrophes. It begins with energy drinks that were once marketed as containing radioactive ingredients, a gimmick that turned out to be both dangerous and absurd. The programme then shifts to snack products built around Olestra, a fat substitute that sparked controversy for its side‑effects. Finally, it examines everyday staples such as milk and bread that were once packed with questionable additives, revealing how these seemingly innocuous items caused a stir among consumers. Throughout, the episode treats each case as a cautionary tale, stitching together a “feast” of food horrors that span different eras and product categories. By juxtaposing the bizarre with the familiar, it highlights how marketing hype and lax regulation once allowed such products to reach the shelves. In its closing moments, Food Fiascos reminds viewers that the food industry’s past missteps continue to inform present‑day standards, leaving audiences with a clearer picture of how far food safety has come.