RESPONDING TO PRODUCT SAFETY RECALLS Since 1973, with the start-up of the Consumer Safety Commission (CPSC), an estimated 325 million potentially hazardous products have been recalled for repair or replacement. Most of these were voluntary recalls done jointly by CPSC and product manufacturers. It is their responsibility to alert consumers to a potential problem. However, consumers also have a responsibility - to respond if they have a product involved in a safety recall. For example, CPSC and Whirl pool Corporations’ efforts since the first announcement in August 1988 have surfaced only 80% of five models of dishwashers that require a control modification to prevent fires. Now, you would think that a safety alert that warned about the danger of a dis hwasher fire would get immediate response from every owner. Unfortunately, to many of us today tend to say. “I’ll check it when I’m not so busy," or “my PRETTY... AND SAFE TO EAT! Pretty is not enough. Jt may look good on the plant but If It isn’t safe to eat It’s no good at a 11... Practice safe gardening., use only organic, safe fertilizers and pesticides and help protect your family and pets! , \ , 'V t I*2l ' HARRY M. BARNER Box 265 Lamar, PA 16848 (717) 726-3275 PAUL ZIMMERMAN Rt. 4, Box 173 Litta, PA 17543 (717) 733-7674 RANDY BOTTEICHER R.D. #l. Box 2396 Milroy, PA 17063 (717) 667-2066 EDWIN R. OTT CHR,S L B ;“ ,LLER KfSS!' Bird-In-Hand, PA 17505 ( #l4 > 4#7 ‘ 5909 Have You Heard? By Doris Thomas Lancaster Extension Home Economist dishwasher is working fine so it will not catch fire.” Those ate not valid excuses for taking risks with a family’s safety. Are you a responsible consumer? Here’s a quiz to test it Do you (or a friend, neighbor, or relative) own an undcrcounter dishwasher? Is it a Whirlpool brand? If so, check it immediately. Open the door. Locate the serial plate located along the right front edge of the tub and copy it down. Now, compare it to these numbers: DU4OOXS-0; DU6OOXS-0; DUBOOXS-0; DU9OOOXR-0 and DU9OOXR-1. Did you find one of these num bers on the plate of your dis hwasher? Has it had a service call to replace a switch? If it has not, stop using the dishwasher and call 1/800/541-5746 toll free to arrange for free service needed to modify the unit to prevent a fire. A pushbutton selector switch on these models can, under some conditions, catch fire. The modifi cation involves replacing the selector switch for approximately 75,000 dishwashers of the five ail Us Today For Information! ertrell Company**™™ >ox 215, Bainbriage, Pennsylvania (717) 367-1566 FARM BASICS GLENN E. MARTIN 2409 Marsh Pike Hagerstown, MD 21740 (301) 733-0796 808 ELLIS RD 3, Box 470 Lewisburg, PA 17837 (717) 568-0530 models listed. Although Whirlpool field sales and service personnel are continu ing with attempts to contact all owners of the affected units, con sumers who have not yet been not ified should call the toll-free num ber for immediate service. In the mean time, do not use the dis hwasher. In fact, to be on the safe side, the company recommends leaving the door ajar, in the unlatched position. News For Junk Food Junkies Are you a junk food junkie con sumed i>y guilt? Do you wonder if that food is really junk or does it have some redeeming qualities? Not all fast foods ate junk. In fact, they are only junk if they are eaten exclusively or to excess so that your daily nutrient and calorie consumption are thrown off balance. Generally, one fast food meal a week, regardless of its content, will have little impact on the aver age position’s nutritional intake. Yet, if you eat fast foods frequent ly, you may not have a well balanced diet Most fast fogd meals -- for example, a burger, fries, and coke - are adequate in proteins, fats and carbohydrates - but they are low in vitamins and minerals. However, if you include a serving from the salad bar, a milkshake, a glass of orange juice, and cheese on your burger you will have a reasonably well-balanced meal. You will also have a meal that may add up to more than half of all the calories you need that day. Fast foodsurc generally calorie dense, not nutrient-dense; that is. TRI OUR GANIC FERTRELL Rt. 2. Box 113 McAllisteiville, PA 17049 (717) 463-2551 COCHRANTON CO-OP Box 246, Pine Street Cochranton, PA 16314 (814) 425-7401 FRED CLARK PO Box 43 MoEwensville, PA 17749 (717) 536-9109 they are disproportionately high in calories in comparison to the nutrients they supply. Fast foods are simply foods, not junk. But anytime you eat more food than you need, especially more calorie-dense food, that Agri-Women Face Issues KANASAS CITY, MO. American agriculturists need to develop a “winning strategy” and view change as an opportunity instead of a problem. Speaking before the American Agri-Women in Kansas City March 11-12, Dixon Hubbard, USDA Extension Service Coordinator for Competi tiveness and Profitability, said that farmers and ranchers will have to take more risk, actively work together, develop coalitions, over come constraints and work toward making some positive things happen. Hubbard was one of the fea tured speakers who addressed the American Agri-Women during their Mid-Year meeting. AAW president Mitzi Perdue, Salisbury, Maryland said “numerous issues were discussed that have been raised before the public eye in recent days such as hormone-free beef and chemically-treated fruits and vegetables. AAW is a coali tion of agricultural organizations and individuals that work toward educating themselves to influence legislation and toward educating other consumers about how food, fiber and forestry products are produced and distributed.” Hubbard said fanners should spread their risk...stop putting all their eggs in one basket and deve lop a ‘Hershey’s Chocolate’ men tality. “For example,” Hubbard explained, “dairy fanners in Pen nsylvania wanted to develop more uses for their products so they went out and got nuts and choco late and mixed them up with their milk.” Hubbard told the American Agri-Women that farmers need to do more thinking about how they can develop strategies that are <£k BatMttay,Ap