BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Not going for the chocolate chips

And no, I don't mean black California Highway Patrol officers. I mean this: Lay's is to launch a chocolate-covered potato chip for the holiday season. In news that is likely to divide snackers, the Wavy chips dipped in milk chocolate are in Target stores across America for a limited time, according to USA Today. The paper reports that the snacks will cost US$3.49 per 5oz bag, and if they prove popular, could be made a permanent addition to the Lay's product line. Lay's chocolate potato chips is the latest unlikely product to combine sweet and salty flavours, a growing trend in the multi-billion-dollar snack market that food manufacturers are keen to cash in on. We already have flavour combinations like maple-bacon and salted caramel on the market, but for Lay's, the chocolate chips is its first foray into sweet-salty territory. If something like this was being sold in New Zealand, then I would definitely consider trying this product, which could prove to be a hit. And speaking of hits, a fan of a US baseball team is suing the club after allegedly being hit by a hot dog thrown by its mascot. She claims she had to have an operation to repair a damaged retina after being hit in the eye by the snack at a Kansas City Royals game, and a second operation to remove a cataract which developed later on. The alleged incident, in September 2009, is claimed by the supporter to have involved the club's lion mascot, who is accused of hurling a foil-wrapped hot dog into the stands which struck the 53-year-old claimant. The case could lead to changes in the way mascots interact with fans.