Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from June 2003

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from June 2003

Alternative medicines: where's the evidence?(health claims not backed by scientific research)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The complementary medicines industry is still reeling from the recall of Pan Pharmaceuticals products in April--reputedly the biggest product recall in Australian history. Now the dust has settled, it's time to look beyond that episode at the...

Is fast food addictive? (choice cuts).
June 1, 2003... In the April 2003 issue of CHOICE we surveyed fast-food options, and by and large it was heavy reading (pun intended), with most menu items stacked with fat and kilojoules. There were relatively few low-joule, low-fat, healthier options...

Happy air. (World Consumer Snapshot).(advertisers now appealing to our sense of smell)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... As our eyes and ears are getting more and more resistant to daily advertising, marketing specialists are now homing in on our fifth sense --smell. According to the German consumer magazine Test, appealing to our sense of smell as gateway to the...

Needless luxury. (World Consumer Snapshot).(toy industry statistics)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... On page 13 we report on working conditions in some Chinese factories. On a similar topic, the Malaysian magazine Utusan Konsumer quoted the following figures from the New York-based National Labor Committee: * In 2000, North American...

Home renovators beware. (choice cuts).(increase risk of lung cancer)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The fad for renovating old homes has provoked a health risk, reports the May issue of CHOICE Health Reader. Lung cancer in the form of mesothelioma is on the rise. Mesothelioma is a highly lethal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos....

Hold your money. (choice cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... If you have a fax machine at home, you may have received a fax lately inviting you to sign up for inclusion in a new National Enquiries internet-based business directory--just check the details and fax back to the 190 number provided... at the...

Baby carriers. (Update).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... CHOICE, March 2003 In the profile on page 39 we said the BABY BJORN Baby Carrier was unsuitable for larger wearers because of its short straps. The manufacturer has now informed us that a model is available with long straps for larger...

Travel compensation fond.(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2003... CHOICE, Jan/Feb 2003 In a Choice Cut we said, "Licensed travel agents contribute to the Travel Compensation Fund (TCF), a body set up to reimburse people who lose money paid for leisure (not business) travel if an agency folds." The TCF...

How many plastic bags do we really need? (choice cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The introduction of a levy on plastic bags to try and cut their use is being debated at Federal Government level. The introduction of such a levy in Ireland has been reported as decreasing the use of plastic bags by 92%. Many supermarkets...

Digital camera update. (choice cuts).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Only last December we reported on digital cameras, but new models are constantly being released, so here we go again. Our sister magazine Computer CHOICE recently tested 17 new models ranging in price from $599-$2599 under the same conditions...

Fees rort.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... Like Brian Beavan (Your Letters, CHOICE, March 2003), the annual fees for my credit card have doubled. Six days after the new annual fees were automatically debited from my account, I cancelled the card. Alas, there's no refund, not even pro...

Thumbs up! (your letters).(customer comments on corporations)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Toni and Konrad Kangru of Mt Isa, Queensland, award a thumbs-up to Whirlpool, which replaced under warranty and sent free of charge a fridge chiller door they admitted breaking themselves, when all they were after was information on how to...

Thin on top? Baldness is a biological fate that a large proportion of males won't escape--so what are the treatment options? (Report: hair loss treatments).
June 1, 2003... There's no shortage of snake-oil merchants out there ready to take advantage of worried balding men--just type 'hair loss treatment' into any internet search engine and see the hair-raising results for yourself. If you're concerned about...

They don't want you to know ... at what social costs their jeans are made in China. Do jeans brand owners have something to hide, or don't they think you've any right to know? (Survey: corporate social responsibility).(Cover Story)
June 1, 2003... You can fork out a small fortune for a pair of designer jeans, spend a little less for a well-known brand or just a small fraction for a basic pair from the local variety store. The styles and quality may vary a little, the label always does,...

So'(y) ... what's new? News reports make it sound more like a drug than a simple bean--how good is the evidence and is soy's safety in question? (Nutrition: soy).
June 1, 2003... It's the new yoghurt: as yoghurt was to the seventies, soy is now--just the mention of it smacks of cutting-edge healthy eating. You might not be a big tofu eater, but there are many foods that contain soy, some whose whole being centres...

A better peanut butter: it's a subject close to many people's hearts, and research is now suggesting peanut butter's good for it as well. (Test: peanut butter).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... It's a staple in most pantries and many of us grew up munching on a peanut butter sandwich. Research is now showing that, in moderation, it can also make a valuable contribution to your diet. While there's no denying peanut butter is around...

Online banking scam. (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... "Dear valued customer, our new security system will help you to avoid frequently fraud transactions and to keep your investments in safety," said an email received by Paul Smith from Sydney (right). The email asked Paul to reactivate his...

Home loan savings: "as easy as that". (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Colin and Josie from Sydney were told by friends about their home loan package--a special deal with a discounted interest rate and other benefits available to eligible borrowers. (For more general information on these, see Home loan packages,...

Home loan rates at 10.5% in 2006?. (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... If you're planning to buy an investment property or your first home, make sure you include interest rate rises in your costings. Economics forecaster BIS Shrapnel has predicted that home loan interest rates will rise to around 10.5% by...

Home and contents insurance: the recent devastating bushfires reinforced the importance of home building and contents insurance. But there are still holes and traps in some policies. (Insurance: house & contents).
June 1, 2003... Many of the people who lost their homes in the recent bushfires in the ACT, NSW and Victoria at least had the peace of mind that their properties were insured. The process of actually making a claim under their building or contents policy...

Between the sheets: lots of single-bed sheet sets sell for around $30, but chances are they'll disappoint you. (Test: sheets).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... How do you like it in bed? Crisp and cool, soft and cuddly, fluffy and warm, or silky smooth? Or perhaps you don't care one way or the other, as long as your sheets fit, don't pill and keep their size and colour wash after wash. That's what we...

Stop the junk. (food bites).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Australian Divisions of General practice has released-an audit showing that Australian kids on average would have three hours and 22 minutes of junk food advertising during the summer holidays. The audit found that 99% of food ads shown...

What do you think? (food bites).(nutrition labelling)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Which would you find more useful on the nutrition panel of a premix product such as cake and bread mixes: information on the dry mix alone or on the finished product--the whole cake or loaf?. The food industry and its regulators have been...

Testing the boundaries? (food bites).(new cola varieties and caffeine)
June 1, 2003... COCA-COLA recently brought out two new varieties of COKE--DIET COKE WITH LEMON FLAVOUR and VANILLA COKE. PEPSI released PEPSI BLUE and PEPSI TWIST WITH LEMON FLAVOUR. These drinks, like their original cola counterparts, contain caffeine,...

Not so cool: our test of six bar-type fridges suggests you wouldn't want to leave your prawns in some of them for too long ... (Test: small fridges).(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... If you're after another fridge to add flexibility to your food and drink storage, you might think a small bar fridge is the answer. If you only want to keep your soft drinks or beer cool, you might be right. However, if you think this type of...

Do-it-yourself soy milk: if you drink a lot of soy milk, this may be a useful kitchen gadget--but you may have to get used to the taste. (Product review: soy milk maker).
June 1, 2003... Let's get one thing straight--this machine doesn't make milk. Milk is by definition and according to the Australian Food Standards a fluid produced by mammals. A beverage derived from soybeans should really be called soy drink, not soy milk....

Recalls & bans.
June 1, 2003... Nowadays there are so many product recalls we may not be able to print all of them in CHOICE. For comprehensive recall information go to the Federal Treasury website: www.recalls.gov.au. If you don't have web access, call the Consumer Safety...

Hard word.
June 1, 2003... The laws of physics... ... One of which, the the conservation of mass, says matter can neither be created nor destroyed. So for this breathrough the Noble Prize for physics this year goes too... Chinese whispers? These...