By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist A "foodie" is person keenly interested in food, especially in eating or cooking, according to dictionary.com. As I was driving around town the other day, the thought suddenly popped into my head: "I'm a foodie." I love to eat fresh, local organic produce. I... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Tonight, we stopped by a gelato store in Seattle, D’Ambrosio Gelateria, after dinner for a treat. It had exhibits on the wall explaining how gelato and ice cream differ. The difference between gelato and ice cream is a combination of fat content, amount of... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Five major worker health and safety rules, most of which were initially opposed by industry, have saved thousands of lives, prevented tens of thousands of injuries, and, in at least one case, improved productivity, a study reports. The analysis of worker regulations by Public... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist You thought you’d be retired by now, but the economy just doesn’t seem to be getting better. How do you know whether it would be a wise to retire soon? See my article “10 Steps for Boomers Approaching Retirement” on Mint.com for suggestions on... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Philips Lighting Co. is recalling about 1.86 million EnergySaver, also known as Marathon or Marathon Classic, Compact Fluorescent dimmable reflector lamps. The glue that attaches the glass outer envelope or globe to the body of the lamp can fail allowing the glass outer envelope... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Finding a kid friendly restaurant in Seattle When I wanted to go out to lunch... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist For years, I’ve written about how bad high heels are for women’s feet, especially baby boomer women’s feet. But women keep wearing them, and high heels get taller and taller – and more dangerous. High heels, especially those with heels higher than one inch,... Read more →
Alice Waters By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Chefs, nutritionists, and food activists are inviting the nation’s restaurants to celebrate Food Day on October 24 by announcing improvements to menus and sourcing policies that advance health and the environment. On Food Day, organized by Center for Science in the Public... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Environmental Working Group thinks the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s revised Chemical Data Reporting rule falls short in protecting consumers. Senior scientist David Andrews issued the following statement about the proposed rule: The fact that EPA does not annually track what chemicals are produced or... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Target Corp. is recalling about 206,000 wooden step stools with storage. The wooden step stools can break apart or collapse under the weight of the user, posing a fall hazard. Target has received 26 reports of the stools breaking or collapsing, the company and... Read more →