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Consumer Q - December 7, 2006

December 7, 2006 Contact: Teresa Jenkins
(404) 656-3645
1-800-282-5852

CONSUMER Q’s
Prepared by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs
Tommy Irvin, Commissioner
Call Consumer Q’s Hotline at 1-800-282-5852

Consumer Alert/Product Recall: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Children’s Mood Necklaces and Diva Necklaces; Units: About 51,600 necklaces; Importer: Really Useful Products Inc., of Darien, Ill.; Hazard: The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects. Incidents/Injuries: None reported. Description: The recalled Mood Necklaces are multi-colored pendants shaped as hearts, moons, shamrocks, spiders, butterflies and lizards that hang from a black chord. The packaging is a black cardboard wrapped in plastic with “Mood Necklace” printed on the front and “Item # JW41001” and “UPC number 898846410011” printed on a sticker on the back. The recalled Diva Necklaces consist of pendants shaped as the words “ANGEL” or “Diva” that hang from a black chord. The packaging is pink cardboard with “Hand Painted” and “Diva Necklace” printed on the front, and “Item # 21800020” and “UPC number 898846200186” printed on the back. Sold by: Children’s, dollar, and discount stores nationwide from September 2004 through November 2006 for about $1. Manufactured in: China; Remedy: Consumers should immediately take this jewelry away from children. Consumers should return the recalled jewelry to the store where purchased for a full refund or contact Really Useful Products for information on how to receive a full refund. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Really Useful Products toll-free at (888) 484-3444 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ruproducts.com

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Is it safe to use a kerosene heater?

When properly ventilated, yes. Ensure that there is an airspace of three feet all around the heater, if it is a convection type and three feet around the top, front, right and left side of radiant type heaters.

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How do I know what size heater to buy?

Calculate what area you want to heat, then choose the BTU rating that most closely matches the area you want to heat.

A BTU rating of 8,500 will heat an area 350 sq. ft. at 0°F or 420 sq. ft at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 9,600 will heat an area 400 sq. ft. at 0°F or 470 sq. ft at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 10,000 will heat an area 415 sq. ft. at 0°F or 495 sq. ft at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 11,000 will heat an area 455 sq. ft. at 0°F or 535 sq. ft. at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 11,200 will heat an area 460 sq. ft. at 0°F or 540 sq. ft. at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 11,800 will heat an area 490 sq. ft. at 0°F or 570 sq. ft. at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 17,500 will heat an area 720 sq. ft. at O°F or 800 sq. ft. at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 22,300 will heat an area 920 sq. ft. at 0°F or 1,010 sq. ft. at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 22,800 will heat an area 940 sq. ft. at 0°F or 1,030 sq. ft. at 20°F.

A BTU rating of 23,000 will heat an area 950 sq. ft. at 0°F or 1,040 sq. ft. at 20°F

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What type of kerosene do I use in my heater?

1-K KEROSENE. Kerosene is available at most gasoline stations. If this is not the case in your area, look in the yellow pages under OIL-FUEL. Under that listing you should find names of people you may telephone & ask if they have 1-K kerosene. If they say no, don't hesitate to ask if they can point you to someone who does. This is the most important aspect of kerosene heat. Pure "lighting grade" kerosene is recommended. Not all kerosene is alike. The type to be used is called grade 1-K low sulfur. It is top grade kerosene with a low amount of sulfur - 0.04% or less by weight.

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What makes the leaves turn such beautiful colors in the fall?

In many parts of the country, trees offer a breath-taking kaleidoscope of fall color. Chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for green leaf coloration and for trapping the sun's energy, disintegrates with cooler temperatures and shorter days, making other pigments become apparent. Three variable factors that control autumn color and intensity are the sugar formation in the leaf, the amount of sunshine received by the plants, and the temperature of the air.

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What exactly does the date on an egg carton mean?

Many eggs reach stores only a few days after the hen lays them. Egg cartons with USDA grade shield on them must display the pack date (the day that the eggs were washed, graded and placed in the carton). The number is a three-digit code that represents the consecutive day of the year (the Julian date) starting with January 1 as 001 and ending with December 31 as 365. Always purchase eggs before the Sell-By or EXP (expiration) date on the carton. After the eggs reach home, they may be refrigerated three to five weeks from the date they are placed in the refrigerator. The Sell-By date will usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs are perfectly safe to use. This date is not federally required, is required by some states including Georgia.

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If you have questions or problems with products or services regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, you may write the Office of Consumer Services, Room 224, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta 30334 or call 404/656-3645 (Atlanta) or 1-800-282-5852 (state wide).

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