#Consumer reports

[mckitterick]

Unsafe Cinnamon Powders

Consumer Reports found high lead levels in a third of the cinnamon powders and spice mixtures they tested

here are those that pose the most and least risk: X

[patantasma]

For anyone who buys Lunchables (or anything similar), they found high levels of lead, cadmium, and sodium in them.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Reports called on the Department of Agriculture today to remove Lunchables food kits from the National School Lunch Program. CR recently compared the nutritional profiles of two Lunchable kits served in schools and found they have even higher levels of sodium than the kits consumers can buy in the store. CR also tested 12 store-bought versions of Lunchables and similar kits and found several contained relatively high levels of lead and cadmium. All but one also tested positive for phthalates, chemicals found in plastic that have been linked to reproductive problems, diabetes, and certain cancers.

“Lunchables are not a healthy option for kids and shouldn’t be allowed on the menu as part of the National School Lunch Program,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, which launched a petition to the USDA. “The Lunchables and similar lunch kits we tested contain concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals that can lead to serious health problems over time. The USDA should remove Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program and ensure that kids in schools have healthier options.”

The USDA currently allows two Lunchables kits — Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza — to be served to nearly 30 million children through the National School Lunch Program. To meet the program’s requirements, Kraft Heinz added more whole grains to the crackers and more protein to the Lunchable kits designed for schools compared to store-bought versions.

CR tested store-bought Lunchables and similar kits from Armour LunchMakers, Good & Gather, Greenfield Natural Meat Co., and Oscar Mayer and found lead, cadmium, or both in all. Lead and cadmium can cause developmental problems in children over time, even in small amounts. While none of the kits exceeded any federal limit, five of the 12 tested products would expose someone to 50 percent or more of California’s maximum allowable level for lead or cadmium – currently the most protective standard.

CR also detected at least one type of phthalate in every kit it tested, except for Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors, compounds that may mimic or interfere with hormones in the body, which can contribute to an increased risk of reproductive problems, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. As with heavy metals, the goal should be to keep exposure as low as possible.

The sodium levels in the store-bought lunch and snack kits CR tested ranged from 460 to 740 milligrams per serving, that’s nearly a quarter to half of a child’s daily recommended limit for sodium. CR found that the sodium levels of the Lunchables made for schools, which had a larger portion of meat, are higher than in the store-bought versions. The school version of the Turkey and Cheddar Lunchable for schools contained 930 mg of sodium compared to 740 mg in the store-bought version. Similarly, the Lunchable pizza kit for schools had 700 mg of sodium compared to 510 mg in the store version.

Eating foods with too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and lead to hypertension, which is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. Kids with high sodium intakes are about 40 percent more likely to develop hypertension than those who have low sodium diets.

Michael McCauley, michael.mccauley@consumer.org

[fairygodcomplex]

Hey y’all psa, if you drive a Hyundai or Kia…. Bear with me y’all I know most of us are gay and don’t drive… but for those of us that are gay and DO drive, if you drive a Hyundai or Kia, certain of those models didn’t originally have anti theft devices and there are recalls about this after learning how easy it is for these models to be STOLEN. So I recommend checking out this website for more information. Because these companies will fix that security risk for free.

Also even if your car does have an antitheft device, maybe invest in a wheel lock or some visual deterrent. I uhhh say this because today…

[thebiballerina]

Also, check if your library has a Consumer Reports membership! Consumer Reports has quite a bit of useful information and reviews, even without membership. But you might be able to get even more, entirely for free, with a library card.

Here's some of the members-only benefits I get through my library:

CR Savings: Member-specific discounts and deals

Best Time To Buy: "Our experts share the best deals on our top-rated products every month."

Repair or Replace: "Find out whether you should repair or replace a broken appliance."

TV Screen Optimizer: Helps you change your TV picture settings to be ideal for your home.

CR Selectors: Tools to help you choose which to buy of a certain product. Currently there are selector tools for mattresses, cars, refrigerators, and infant car seats.

Car Recall Tracker

Food Safety Alert: Text message alerts regarding food recalls.

Also, just in general, it is a good idea to check which services your library offers beyond book loans (and to check again occasionally, or to subscribe to the library newsletter, so you can know when new services are added). Lots of libraries offer a "library of things"; that can be useful both for items you only need temporarily and for trying out a certain product before you go and buy your own.

Aight y'all. Here's a lesson I learned from my wife, and I wish I'd learned it years ago:

Before you buy anything, take 5 minutes to search (preferably with a non-Google search engine like DuckDuckGo) "best [whatever] for [specific purpose if necessary]."

Make sure you look at who the reviews are from; there are a lot of bad spam sites out there, but you can find good lists on reputable sites. However, you'll get some of the best lists on Reddit.

Most of what you'll find at the top of the lists on Amazon (and Walmart) are people who have paid for that spot. You'll still have to use discernment to make sure you're picking a good review site, but I'm not kidding when i say that the last time we had to buy a plunger, I ended up on a thread on a plumber's forum where they were discussing which plunger they keep in their own bathroom. (The overwhelming winner was something called a Toilet Saber, and... it's much easier to use than the usual style of plunger, actually.)

She searches "best potato peeler" and "best pastry blender" and "best standing desk" and it seems so obvious, right, but she does it for literally everything and the average quality of things I own has gone way, way up since I started taking 5 minutes to search "best yoga socks" and "best cuticle trimmers" and then going to buy whatever it is.

Her research skills go into overdrive when it comes to big purchases; she's the one who researched our sublimation printer and found the desk I currently use. If there's an extremely passionate subreddit out there about the thing she wants to buy, she'll find it and then read half a dozen reviews.

I cannot stress enough how much she does this. About. Everything. And how much everything we own is better as a result.

It's amazing, honestly.

[patheticperipatetic]

On the one hand I love the new service consumer reports offers where they'll contact companies on your behalf and tell them not to sell your data in a legally enforceable way, but on the other hand why the hell does a service like this have to exist in the first place

[helpfromheaven]

One Year Later and Have to Endure Car Buying Again!

Last year, when I chose a 2024 Honda CR-V Sport Hybrid, I felt like I had been in a fight with two saber-toothed tigers. The endless test drives and smarmy salespeople who moved you through the process so fast, you could hardly have time to say you didn’t want the car. One saleslady actually had me in front of papers, even as I tried to tell her that the car was too noisy when driven. I had to…

[jessicazoe]

Handling a Product Recall: The Worst Case Scenario

Product recalls can be a nightmare for any business, especially for small businesses and startups. They can damage your reputation, lead to financial…Handling a Product Recall: The Worst Case Scenario

[jrnerad]

2024 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro: Family Vacation Texas-Style

For millions of people across the country, a week on a lake is a dream vacation. This year Host Jack Nerad and his family found that out firsthand as they drove a 2024 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro to Cedar Creek Lake south of Dallas for some serious driving and welcome R and R. As the Nerads discovered, the Sequoia had the goods to offer dual duty as both a serious off-roader and a practical family…

[pyrotechnicallyabee]

congratulations lunchables enjoyers on the lead poisoning!

[sapphuric-acid]

Uh hey this is a YouTube short so I couldn't just screen record it without the video being absolute trash but here you go

[consumertest]

Consumer Tested Reports is a consumer product testing company that tests and reviews various categories of products to help consumers make smart choices and avoid scam products. They offer consumer reports for paid subscribers to help them stay informed of the best deals and best products.

[wausaupilot]

Parent files lawsuit amid Lunchables lead contamination concerns

Kraft Heinz "strongly disagrees" with the allegations, according to a media statement. Company officials say they will vigorously defend their brand.

Wausau Pilot & Review Kraft Heinz Foods is being sued after a report that revealed heavy metal content in Lunchables, a snack popular with children. The 22-page Lunchables lawsuit was filed in New York on April 17 in the wake of a Consumer Reports exposé that revealed several store-bought lunch and snack kits, including Lunchables, contained far more than California’s maximum allowable daily…

[planetofsnarfs]

Consumer Reports’ latest tests found store-bought Lunchables and similar lunch kits contain relatively high amounts of lead, cadmium, and sodium. And all but one of the kits tested positive for the plastic chemical phthalate, linked to reproductive problems, diabetes and certain cancers.

Two Lunchables kits made specifically for schools are eligible to be served to children through the National School Lunch Program. We think our kids deserve better choices. Sign our petition to the USDA to remove these types of kits from the school lunch program.

Petition to the USDA:

We urge you to remove Lunchables processed food kits from the National School Lunch Program and give our nation’s school children healthier food choices. New tests from Consumer Reports found that store-bought Lunchables and similar kits had relatively high amounts of lead, cadmium, and sodium. And all but one kit (Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza) contained the plastic chemical phthalate, a known hormone disruptor that can contribute to an increased risk of reproductive problems, diabetes and certain cancers.

Even in small amounts, lead and cadmium can cause developmental problems in children, with risks increasing from regular exposure over time. And eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure: about 14 percent of children and teens have prehypertension or hypertension. Please remove these processed food kits from the lunch program, and offer our children healthier choices.

[embervoices]

I keep hearing about this. Apparently heavy metals in groundwater or soil are a common problem in commercially grown spices and herbs:

It's relatively easy to grow a few herbs in even a small kitchen if you have any window sill, but spices are harder. Since pre-ground spices are more likely to be bulked up with other materials, it's arguably safer to grind whole spices if you can get them, but since part of the problem is the environment in which they are grown, that's not going to solve the whole problem.

*sigh*

U.S. people, if you bought cinnamon from Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or other discount stores, throw it out. It's got lead