Ref. : E&R/Press/’05/Bestbuy.dg/9

INSIGHT Publishes ‘Best Buys’ 2004

INSIGHT — The Consumer Magazine, Ahmedabad, has published in its January-February 2005 issue the highlights of all the Test Reports, including the ‘Best Buy’s, carried by it during 2004. INSIGHT is the country’s only consumer magazine supported by an in-house, independent comparative testing laboratory for testing consumer products.

The product categories covered by the January-February 2005 issue include ceiling fans and toasters in the domestic electrical appliances category; tomato ketchup and sauce, and breads in the food category; and hair dyes and hair oils in the personal care products category.

The brands that figure in the magazine’s latest issue as the ‘Best Buy’s are : Khaitan ceiling fan of 220-240 V; Orpat (OPT-1057CE) toaster; Nilon’s (tomato) Sauce and Madhur Ketchup; Modern Special and Super Sandwich white breads and Modern Kissan wheatmeal bread; Black Rose Kali Mehendi powder hair dye and Godrej Colour Soft liquid hair dye; Shanti Amla hair oil and Brylcreem Dandruff Control hair cream.

Among the 220-240 V category ceiling fans, although Crompton (high speed) scored the highest, INSIGHT recommended Khaitan as the ‘Best Buy” owing to its price which was far less than that of Crompton. In the 220-230 V category, Bajaj complied with all the safety parameters.

Similarly, even though Maggi Ketchup scored the highest among the ketchup/sauce national brands category, INSIGHT recommended Nilon’s Sauce owing to its price less than that of Maggi Ketchup. Among the regional brands, Madhur Ketchup emerged the ‘Best Buy’ owing to its price though otherwise it shared the same score as Madhur Sauce.

Among the toasters, Birla scored the highest and both Orpat and Usha Lexus shared the third position and the same score. But Orpat was recommended to be the ‘Best Buy’ owing to its lowest price.

The overall score and a reasonable price also went in favour of Black Rose Kali Mehendi powder hair dye and Godrej Colour Soft liquid hair dye to be named the ‘Best Buys’.

Since most of the hair oil and cream brands conformed to the Standards with a high to a reasonably high score, INSIGHT recommended that it is the price which should eventually decide consumer’s choice of brand. However, it recommended Shanti Amla hair oil and Brylcreem Dandruff Control hair cream to be the ‘Best Buys’ in their respective categories.

The laboratory tested as many as 20 brands of bread comprising 14 white breads, two milk breads, and four wheatmeal breads, of which only six conformed to the Standards. Modern Special and Super Sandwich among the white breads and Modern Kissan among the wheatmeal breads were named the ‘Best Buys’.

The current issue of INSIGHT also identifies both conforming and non-conforming brands as well as the ranking, overall score and the maximum price of each. It also incorporates details of the action taken or proposed to be taken by regulatory authorities and manufacturers on improving the products and, wherever required, revising the Standards. In several instances, the parameter of price eventually determined the ‘Best Buy’ from among the brands tested which scored high and conformed to all other major parameters, especially those for safety.

The issue gives useful information on the products covered by it. These relate to, for example, ceiling fan regulators, the role of lycopene in tomato sauce and ketchup, the excessive use of preservatives, the difference between sauce and ketchup, if any, the safety needs of non-self resetting thermal cut-outs, plugs and cords for toasters and the extent of energy consumed, the need for caution notice on hair dyes, the controversy over the carcinogenic element PPD in hair dyes, lack of Standards for hair de-tanglers, therapeutic claims by some hair oil manufacturers, etc.

Date : 16/03/2005
Place : Ahmedabad

Pritee Shah
Editor
INSIGHT - The Consumer Magazine

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Opinions, test results and research findings issued through this Press Release cannot be used in any form directly or indirectly for advertising, promotional or commercial purpose.

CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY
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