Mars to Stop Selling High Calorie Snacks
February 17, 2012 by Mercedes Evana
Filed under Consumer News
Mars, Inc. announced this week that they will stop shipping chocolate products that exceed 250 calories per portion by the end of 2013. In addition, they plan to reduce all their products’ sodium levels by 25% within the next three years.
Mars manufactures Snickers, Twix, M&Ms, Skittles and other snacks. The stated initiatives are part of their “broad-based commitment to health and nutrition.” Source
Consumer Reports Movie Theater Snacks
February 15, 2012 by Mercedes Evana
Filed under Consumer News
Consumer Reports visited select AMC, Regal and National Amusements theaters in NY, NJ and CT and tested their largest available sizes of popcorn, cheese nachos, pretzel pieces with cheese and Coke or Pepsi. The snacks were analyzed for calories, total fat, sodium and fiber and the soda was analyzed for calories and sugars.
In a nutshell: A large tub of buttered popcorn with a large Coke has a calorie count equal to the recommended allowance for an entire day. The full report provides a breakdown of all you could eat for an entire day, including a slice of chocolate cake with icing in order to consume the same amount of calories. Check the source links.
Consumers Reports
Summary
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FCC Getting Tough on Robocallers
February 15, 2012 by Mercedes Evana
Filed under Consumer News
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is not playing. Yesterday the agency approved changes to their existing telemarketing rules in order to further protect consumers from unwanted autodialed or prerecorded calls which are often referred to as “robocalls. The increased consumer rights are highlighted below.
Additional Rules
. Telemarketers must obtain prior written consent before placing a robocall.
. The “established business relationship” exemption has been eliminated.
. Each robocall must have an automated, interactive “opt-out” mechanism.
Informational calls such as those related to school closings and flight changes are not affected. Check the source link for the official press release. Source
GM Announces Chevy Volt Fix
January 10, 2012 by Mercedes Evana
Filed under Consumer News
The highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt seems to have a faulty battery pack that can trigger a fire days or even weeks after a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe of the battery pack last November.
General Motors has developed a proposed fix. The company was planning to notify owners in the coming days. Chevrolet dealerships will do the repair work beginning in February. Source
