It seems lately that Consumers Reports is moving away from objective testing of products to pushing their political agenda. A couple examples are in the latest Consumers reports letter to the editor response on the affordable care act where they are parroting the Administration’s talking points (pretty hollow, though). They are pushing green energy in all kinds of products, organic products, regardless of prices, etc. They are starting to lose some of their objective appeal and may in a few years be just considered a shill for the left. I hope not.
@Observer – huh? Your leading statement is faulty.
“It seems lately that Consumers Reports is moving away from objective testing of products to pushing their political agenda.”
CR has a political agenda? What is it? How is that even possible?
They don’t accept funding from any government agency or PAC/SUPER-PAC or any lobbyists. They don’t have outside advertising in any of their print publications. Their purchases are made as any average consumer makes them, even when testing cars they just buy ’em like normal people. Their scientific method of testing weeds-out false results.
You also wrote, “They are pushing green energy in all kinds of products, organic products, regardless of prices, etc.”
Clearly you and I aren’t reading the same magazine. The green-energy articles/reports/etc I’ve read makes it quite clear that they aren’t all cost-effective and that now you may pay more for “greener” products.
……are you SURE you’re referencing Consumer Reports and not some of the knock-off companies who aren’t as concerned about impartiality and transparency?
I may be wrong, but I’m guessing observer is under the belief that all media he or she doesn’t agree with all of the time must be liberal. And, is trying to reduce Consumer Reports into a liberal rag as well.
Is your supermarket chicken clean? Yes! Is it still important to fully cook ALL chicken (and turkey)? Absolutely!
Is a national conversation about bulk use of antibiotics in the raising of animals for slaughter overdue? Absolutely.
On this last point, you can do your part by spending a little more on chicken. Buy free-range chicken raised without added growth hormones that haven’t had to be loaded up with antibiotics.
I do have significant reservations with the new federal policy allowing the importation of chicken which was processed in China. It is now permissible to raise chicken in the states, ship it off to China for processing, and then import the final product (processed chicken nuggets, chicken strips that sort of thing, not raw meat). China’s record on food safety is atrocious, with their food industry showing little hesitation to knowingly substitute hazardous ingredients to mask sub-par product. We no longer eat any processed chicken products– canned chicken, frozen chicken products from fast food restaurants, frozen chicken nuggets etc. The only chicken we will eat is raw chicken we cook ourselves, since at this point that is the only chicken we are sure isn’t of Chinese origin.
I was furious to learn about the shipping to China for processing.
How can it save money to ship the poultry to China, have it processed there and then shipped back? Will it be our chickens coming back or some lower grade sick birds. I do not trust Chinese food products.
It seems lately that Consumers Reports is moving away from objective testing of products to pushing their political agenda. A couple examples are in the latest Consumers reports letter to the editor response on the affordable care act where they are parroting the Administration’s talking points (pretty hollow, though). They are pushing green energy in all kinds of products, organic products, regardless of prices, etc. They are starting to lose some of their objective appeal and may in a few years be just considered a shill for the left. I hope not.
@Observer – huh? Your leading statement is faulty.
“It seems lately that Consumers Reports is moving away from objective testing of products to pushing their political agenda.”
CR has a political agenda? What is it? How is that even possible?
They don’t accept funding from any government agency or PAC/SUPER-PAC or any lobbyists. They don’t have outside advertising in any of their print publications. Their purchases are made as any average consumer makes them, even when testing cars they just buy ’em like normal people. Their scientific method of testing weeds-out false results.
You also wrote, “They are pushing green energy in all kinds of products, organic products, regardless of prices, etc.”
Clearly you and I aren’t reading the same magazine. The green-energy articles/reports/etc I’ve read makes it quite clear that they aren’t all cost-effective and that now you may pay more for “greener” products.
……are you SURE you’re referencing Consumer Reports and not some of the knock-off companies who aren’t as concerned about impartiality and transparency?
If you’ve ever wondered how the “Liberal Media” myth is maintained…
I may be wrong, but I’m guessing observer is under the belief that all media he or she doesn’t agree with all of the time must be liberal. And, is trying to reduce Consumer Reports into a liberal rag as well.
This article touches on a few important areas.
Is your supermarket chicken clean? Yes! Is it still important to fully cook ALL chicken (and turkey)? Absolutely!
Is a national conversation about bulk use of antibiotics in the raising of animals for slaughter overdue? Absolutely.
On this last point, you can do your part by spending a little more on chicken. Buy free-range chicken raised without added growth hormones that haven’t had to be loaded up with antibiotics.
I do have significant reservations with the new federal policy allowing the importation of chicken which was processed in China. It is now permissible to raise chicken in the states, ship it off to China for processing, and then import the final product (processed chicken nuggets, chicken strips that sort of thing, not raw meat). China’s record on food safety is atrocious, with their food industry showing little hesitation to knowingly substitute hazardous ingredients to mask sub-par product. We no longer eat any processed chicken products– canned chicken, frozen chicken products from fast food restaurants, frozen chicken nuggets etc. The only chicken we will eat is raw chicken we cook ourselves, since at this point that is the only chicken we are sure isn’t of Chinese origin.
Wow! That’s good information to know. Thanks and Happy New Year!
I was furious to learn about the shipping to China for processing.
How can it save money to ship the poultry to China, have it processed there and then shipped back? Will it be our chickens coming back or some lower grade sick birds. I do not trust Chinese food products.