March 2007
| Selling it |  |
Here, kitty! |
|
Below top: Friskies Salmon & Shrimp Treats. Below bottom: Treats With Salmon & Shrimp, which replaced it. What’s the difference?
The first ingredient in S&ST is salmon. The first ingredient in TWS&S: “animal digest.” As a wag from Ohio commented, “Sounds
like a pet periodical!” Or worse. We asked a Purina customer-service rep about animal digest and were told, “It’s not what
it sounds like.” Specifically, she said, it’s enzymatically treated livers from pork and chicken dried to a powder and used
to enhance flavor. TWS&S still has salmon in it--somewhere. It’s the eighth ingredient. |
|
Hello, I love you |
|
By now, so-called Nigerian 419 scams, in which innocents are asked to help retrieve a fortune in exchange for up-front money
or an account number, usually bring a yawn. But a recent e-mail version made us smile. In it, someone claiming to be “Dr.
Mrs. Luisa Pimentel Estrada,” the name of the wife of a former Philippine president, asked for help retrieving her husband’s
stash of $18 million. The message went on for three pages, but the laugher for us came at the start. |
|
Divide 10 by 2 |
|
A Massachusetts reader thought he’d bought 10 boxes with flip-lock lids, as the label implies. But that little word we’ve
circled means he got 5 boxes and 5 lids. Speaking of flip and lids, he was annoyed. |
|
On the rocks |
|
Thanks, but we like our bisque liquid, in a bowl. |
|
Product in search of a point |
|
Cereal boxes can be hard to open (see The Oyster Awards), but is it worth paying $80-plus for a Breakfix Cereal Dispenser to avoid the “messy, time consuming chore” of pouring a
bowl of cereal? The dispenser releases a measured amount of puffs or flakes, for portion control. But here’s a concept: Just
fill a small bowl. |
|
‘Lean’ is right |
|
The Lean Pockets box shows a fat, flaky pocket bulging with cheese, red sauce, and round meatballs. And on the plate? A thinner,
flatter pocket wraps around a smidgen of cheese, orangey sauce, and brown nuggets that must be meat. We asked the Department
of Agriculture about the disconnect and were told that “any type of photograph on the package should be an accurate representation
of the product inside.” |
