Consumer Reports/ Sports/
E-reader News Edition
Imagine whirled peas—frozen vegetables for winter
Unsafe by definition: Voluntary recall
by rss@consumerreports.org (Consumer Reports)
by Consumer Reports on Safety (Consumer Reports)
near the end when making soups or stews to keep them from overcooking. Some, which Submitted at 2/15/2010 7:59:59 AM really only require being heated Imagine whirled peas—frozen like peas, I add right before vegetables for winter I remember serving, which also helps to cool summer, don’t you? Each year, the soup a little before giving it just about now, I long for a to my kids. tomato that actually tastes like a And since most of the grunt tomato and not a mealy mouthful too—see our recent report on work of preparing vegetables has of plastic nothingness, or an ear frozen diet meals. Just make been done when they’re frozen, of sweet, crisp corn. How very sure you watch the add-ins. I’ve found that it’s easy to assign cruel that as the days are white Sauces and seasonings may on of my kids the task of and gray outside, the dinner table sound nice, but they cut down on c h o o s i n g a n d p r e p a r i n g a starts to mimic this dull color the versatility of plain vegetables v e g e t a b l e f o r d i n n e r . scheme. But paltry produce that can be added to multiple So, while I wait for winter to pickings in the fresh aisles don’t recipes, not to mention adding wilt and my garden to spring mean there aren’t other options. fat and sodium. forth, I’ll take healthier In the wintery months I find Keeping my freezer stocked conveniences where I can get myself gravitating to the frozen with bagged frozen vegetables them. Skulking the freezer aisle aisles for some longed-for color. helps me in a variety of ways. may not be as enjoyable to me as Have a look at the frozen First, they’re relatively cheap, or savoring the bounty of summer, p r o d u c e o f f e r i n g s a t y o u r at least cheaper than most of the but it’s adding some color to our grocery store—you might be in fresh stuff. If I fill the freezer otherwise washed out winter for a surprise. You’ll find when they go on sale, I can diet. options ranging from familiar usually snag them for 1-2 dollars —Erin Gudeux, sensory senior green beans, to the slightly more a bag—a bonus for my bottom project leader Subscribe now! unexpected like asparagus spears line. S u b s c r i b e t o and artichoke hearts. When you They’re also really easy to use. ConsumerReports.org for expert think of frozen vegetables, do N o p e e l i n g , c h o p p i n g , o r Ratings, buying advice and you think they’re waterlogged, blanching – it’s all been done for r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f tough and freezer-burned? Well, you. And for some dishes, you products. Update your feed m a n u f a c t u r e r s h a v e m a d e don’t even need to thaw them. I preferences improvements in this area like adding frozen vegetables
Submitted at 2/15/2010 4:59:59 AM
Unsafe by definition: Voluntary recall What it is: Most recalls of defective products are characterized as "voluntary," a confusing term that can lead consumers to believe that the recall is optional. But voluntary recall is just government-speak for a deal that a manufacturer or retailer of a hazardous product has negotiated with the federal agency in charge of overseeing the safety of that product category. Voluntary recall would also seem to indicate that there are “mandatory recalls” that can be issued by the government should manufacturers or retailers refuse to cooperate, but nearly all the recalls announced last year were voluntary. Why it's news: While voluntary recalls have been—for all practical purposes—the only means by which the government can get dangerous and defective
products off the market, that's about to change. Last month the Consumer Product Safety Commission unanimously approved a new rule setting guidelines and requirements for mandatory recalls and those rules are set to go into effect on February 22. A mandatory recall can be ordered by the CPSC or a U.S. District Court. The requirement for the new rules was part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and was originally proposed by President Barack Obama when he was a Senator. At this point it remains unclear how often and under what circumstances the CPSC might turn to a mandatory recall instead of a voluntary one when the new rules take effect. Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences
Olympic Snapshot: Canada’s First Gold on Home Soil (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 2/14/2010 6:53:14 PM
Associated Press Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada celebrated becoming an Olympic
champion in moguls, finally
ending Canada’s long wait for a first Olympic gold medal on home soil.
47