Cooking up a Storm

Pigs & Diabetes

2008-10-31T02:25:00.005+08:00

On 28th Oct, Today reported that A New Zealand company is preparing to implant pig cells into people as an experimental diabetes treatment, though some scientists warn that the risk of introducing a new virus to humans is too great. Biotechnology company Living Cell Technologies says it will start work immediately to recruit eight patients with Type 1 diabetes to take part in cell implants from newborn pigs. The New Zealand government gave its approval last week.

The piglet cells will be implanted in the abdomen to manufacture insulin, company medical director Bob Elliott said. The cells will be coated in a seaweed-derived membrane to discourage the volunteers’immune systems from rejecting the foreign cells. The coated implant also means there is no need to use immunosuppressant
drugs, he noted.

The cells produce pig insulin, which is very similar to human insulin, and replicates its effects by lowering blood sugar, Mr Elliott said. The harmful effects of Type 1 diabetes — including blindness, premature coronary illness and limb amputation caused by poor blood circulation — could be delayed by the treatment but would not be entirely eliminated, he said.

Mr Elliott has run two previous trials, the first with six patients in New Zealand in 1995 to 1996. The other, in Russia with 10 patients, began in July last year. Scientists and ethicists are debating whether animal cells or organs should be transplanted into humans to improve treatments or deal with shortages of donated human organs.

One risk is that viruses that exist in pigs but not in humans could jump species, potentially causing new illnesses and — in the worst case scenario — new pandemics.
Scientists say there are more than 100 pig viruses that can potentially transfer to humans.

Mr Elliott said recent research suggests the pig viruses thought to be most infectious for humans — porcine endogenous retroviruses — can be monitored and controlled.

Mr Elliott said pig insulin has been injected to treat diabetes in humans for 50 years and, “nobody came to any harm”. “You are much more likely to get some nasty disease from an organ donation or an organ donor than you are from pigs,” he said.

Ms Megan Sykes, an expert in immunology and cross-species transplants at Harvard Medical School, said it was too early to start human trials of the treatment because no scientific data from animal studies had been published, and because of the risk of a new virus spreading to humans.

The study will use cells from newborn offspring of pigs recovered from Auckland Island south of New Zealand, where they had remained isolated from outside diseases for some 200 years.

This case study will actually help diabetic patients to be relieved from their daily painful jabs if it’s successful. However this means Muslim diabetic cannot use this therapy right????

Tainted Milk Scandal Part III (Felicia)

2008-10-31T02:13:00.006+08:00

The problem emerged over the weekend when Hong Kong authorities said eggs from one major Chinese supplier were tainted with melamine, the same chemical that was mixed
into China’s milk products and led to the deaths of four babies. However, officials and China’s state-controlled press reported yesterday that eggs from other suppliers had also been found to be contaminated with melamine, which can give food the appearance of higher protein levels.

Meanwhile, the authorities in Hong Kong and the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou reported eggs contaminated with melamine had been detected in brands other than Hanwei, and that they came from different areas of China. The discovery of melamine
in eggs has raised concerns that the chemical could be infecting much of China’s food chain.

Initially, the problem was believed to be isolated to milk and other dairy products.
The discovery of the chemical in eggs raised concerns that it could be in many other Chinese foods, with the suspicion that it was mixed into livestock feed to also give it the appearance of high protein.

The authorities in Dalian, the Chinese city where Hanwei is based, said yesterday
that melamine may have been mixed into chicken feed and led to the contamination of that company’s eggs.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation in China said on Tuesday that
melamine may also be present in other farm-raised foods such as meat and fish.

What else can we eat? Even out hello kitty biscuits also found to be contaminated!!!

Tainted Milk Scandal Part II (Felicia)

2008-10-03T13:16:00.004+08:00

Just as i was read Online TODAY Newspaper, we have the latest update for Milk related scandal. Taiwan became the latest to find melamine in imported products, detecting the chemical in six milk products made by Nestle, the Swiss food giant, and banning these from sale on Thursday.

South Korea had also banned the import of milk products from New Zealand which were used in baby formula after discovering traces of melamine.

New Zealand's Tatua Cooperative Dairy Co. on Monday stopped exports of the dairy protein lactoferrin, used mainly in baby formula, after tests showed it contained four parts per million of melamine.

Food safety officials are now investigating whether lactoferrin manufactured by Westland Milk products on South Island and Australia's Victoria state dairy company, Tatura, which uses the same process, are being contaminated with melamine by the manufacturing process it uses.

New Zealand Food Safety Authority tests have shown melamine contamination of about 1 part per million in Westland's lactoferrin.

"This trace level may have arisen out of this (company's) specific, unique (manufacturing) process," said NZFSA director of compliance and investigation, Dr. Geoff Allen.

Investigators are waiting for test results on samples sent to New Zealand a week ago, which also may have implications for Victoria's Tatura plant.

Apart from four tests on lactoferrin manufactured by Fonterra, Tatua and Westland, another 112 tests had been conducted on other New Zealand dairy products, Allen said.

Fonterra is a partial owner of China's Sanlu Group, the first of 22 Chinese dairy companies whose products were found to contain high levels of melamine

Lactoferrin is widely use in baby milk powder as it has plays several important roles in human biology.

1) First, lactoferrin is believed to play a role in the uptake and absorption of iron through the intestinal mucosa. It may be the primary or sole source of iron for breast fed infants.

2) Secondly, lactoferrin appears to have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities.

Lactoferrin is a minor glycoprotein component of whey. It belongs to the iron transporter or transferrin family of glycoproteins. Lactoferrin is also found in exocrime secretions from mammals and is released from neutrophil granules during inflammation. The lactoferrin concentration in bovine (cows) milk is only 0.5% to 1.0% while human breast milk can contain as much as 15% lactoferrin.

Nestles' Product sold under KLIM

Source:
http://www.manufacturing.net/News-Tainted-Milk-Scandal-Spreads-To-Australia.aspx
TODAY Newspaper

Tainted Milk Scandal (Felicia)

2008-10-01T20:31:00.017+08:00

I'm sure by now, many would have heard of the China-tainted milk related product news that contain melamine. So what is melamine all about???

Melamine an organic base of cyanamide contain 66% of Nitrogen. It is has fire retardant properties when mixed with resins. Melamine by itself is nontoxic in low doses, but when combines with cyanuric acids, it can cause kidney stones due to formation of insoluble melamine cyanurate.

So what is the purpose of adding melamine into milk product???

Apparently, manufactures added Melamine to fool government quality tests after water was added to fraudulently increase the milk's volume, since melamine will cause a false increase in the measurement of protein by increasing the nitrogen levels in the milk. Officials estimate that about 20 percent of the dairy companies tested in China sell products tainted with melamine.

And as of 30 September 2008, the AVA has detected melamine in two additional products imported from China. Both the products contain milk as an ingredient. This brings the total number of affected products to 10. They are:

1) New Sshma Ows Mallow Dippers-Strawberry Flavour,

2) Silang - House of Steamed Potato - Potato & Tomato Cracker

3) Yi Li Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection;

4) Dutch Lady Strawberry Flavoured Milk;

5) White Rabbit Creamy Candy;

6) Dutch Lady Banana Flavoured Milk;

7) Dutch Lady Honeydew Flavoured Milk;

8) Silang - House of Steamed Potato - Potato Cracker;

9) 徐福记 Puffed Rice Rolls - Butter Corn Flavour; and

10) 徐福记 Puffed Rice Rolls - Cheese Flavour

The Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of melamine as established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is 0.63 mg/kg body weight. This means that an adult weighing 60 kg or a child weighing 30 kg can ingest 37.8 mg of melamine and 18.9 mg of melamine respectively every day over a lifetime without any appreciable health risk.

AVA has also proudly tell us that how many of that particular food we must eat daily over a lifetime before we will suffer the effect from eating too much melamine. One reason because the amount found in Singapore is far little as compared to those found in china.

Just imagine you once drank so much of those banaba and honeydew milk daily like me, or chew like there is never enough of white rabits sweets during Lectures/Tutorials while we in TP. Oh no... but relax the maximum we usually eat would be about 10-15 of rabbit sweets at maximum. So we won't have kidney stones yet since we have yet to pass 1/3 of my life eating 47 X 25,200 days of sweets( 30 days X 12 Months X 70 Years) !!!

And the best part is, DUTCH Malaysia company actually place a poster at their website http://www.dutchlady.com.my/en/home.asp specifically to differentiate Dutch products found in Singapore and Malaysia, as Manufactures in Malaysia have vouch for their products.

Nevertheless, those china made product has all been recalled and hence it is still safe to buy as long they are not from china. I found a long list from a blog which many people was inform through sms and email too that they should not eat anymore.

Just to be on the safe side, check the following product when buying, which countries are they from:

1. Jinwel Yougoo Susu Fermentasi Rasa Jeruk
2. Jinwel Yougoo Aneka Buah
3. Jinwel Yougoo tanpa Rasa
4. Guozhen susu bubuk full cream
5. Meiji Indoeskrim Gold Monas Rasa Cokelat
6. Meiji Indoeskrim Gold Monas Rasa Vanila
7. Oreo Stick Wafer
8. Oreo Stick Wafer
9. Oreo Cokelat Sandwich Cookies
10. M&M’s Kembang Gula Cokelat Susu
11. M&M’s Cokelat Susu
12. Snicker’s (biskuit-nougat lapis cokelat)
13. Dove Choc Kembang Gula Cokelat
14. Dove Choc
15. Dove Choc
16. Natural Choice Yoghurt Flavoured Ice Bar
17. Yili Bean Club Matcha Red Bean Ice Bar
18. Yili Bean Club Red Bean Ice Bar
19. Yili Prestige Chocliz
20. Yili Chestnut Ice Bar
21. Nestle Dairy Farm UHT Pure Milk
22. Yili High Calcium Low Fat Milk Beverage
23. Yili High Calcium Milk Beverage
24. Yili Pure Milk 205 ml
25. Yili Pure Milk 1 L
26. Dutch Lady Strawberry Flavoured Milk
27. White Rabbit Creamy Candy
28. Yili Choice Dairy Frozen Yoghurt Bar (kembang gula)

Yeast Experiment (Shuli)

2008-09-20T16:08:00.003+08:00

Sorry for the delay! Here are the results for the yeast experiment...

Food Allergy Warning - PEANUT (Felicia)

2008-08-26T22:23:00.004+08:00

Interesting Report at The Straits Time, under Technology & Science section regarding latest update on food labeling. We always think that people who are allergy to peanut can eat most food as long as the ingredients does not contact any use of peanut isn't it?

We are Wrong!!!

Research done by University of Nebraska shows that almost 200 products with various accidental-peanut warnings were more likely to have peanut sneaked into products labelled especially when they are "made in the factory".

Chocolate that use to labelled as with Trace of Peanut in fact contained up to six times the amount the government considers a Trace Level. Even a basket of fresh fruit comes with a warning that it might contain nuts or milk!!!

You will think how can Fruits contain such things isnt it???

Answer by now should be quite Obvious... the very same factory has been use for so many different food processing

Just look at the little Tommie in the picture above. He is allergic not only to peanut but also dairy, wheat and five other ingredients. How did he survive until now???

The Japanese can do SPLENDID things!!! (Germaine)

2008-08-25T20:05:00.010+08:00

I hand it to the Japanese for their extraordinary and "out-of-this earth" kind of C-R-E-A-T-I-V-I-T-Y! They never fail to impress the world ya? LOOK at their Marvelous Creations...... They can piece together simple ingredients like cheese, veg, meat, eggs, sausages, rice etc. to make something soooOoooOOoooOo FABULOUS!

They can even use food to replicate
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MOVIE CHARACTERS!!

Did your jaws drop??? Haha!

Website Review 2 (Felicia)

2008-08-25T09:11:00.012+08:00

www.Nutrition.com.sg is one of the few website we as a student had come across for our project research. Its easy to navigate, with panel just on top and left side. There is a articles section in the middle panel showing important articles such as Reading Food Labels. This section can keep students up to date about what's going on!

Under Healthy Eating side, we can find Our Healthy Diet Pyramid, cooking tips, dietary guidelines and even ways to shop smart which can be include into lower sec lesson.

RDDA for Adults

RDDA for Children

There is even a corner to teach us to Snack the right way!! Yesh you hear me correct. Snacking is not necessary a bad things but depend on the kind of food we choose to snack. Important tips such as planning prior to snacks so that we won't be left to snack unhealthy stuff. Check it out if you want to know more :D

Under Nutrition Calculator, we can calculate our Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-Hip-Ratio (WHR)and The calorie calculator that can help us in attaining better health.

Of couse since we usually dine outside now, under Dining outside, there is Local Food Guide, Fast Food Facts and dining tip that would WOW you out! Check it out below.

Food dishes such as chicken curry, BBQ chicken, claypot chicken all can be found according to food categories.

Of course our favourite fast food KFC guide is also available. Now you can even plan in advance what you should eat at KFC to remain guilt free by eating the right amount.

Lastly, you can also ask the dietitian question or even browse throught to see what kind of questions had been asked and answered. You may even gain new insightful knowledge by reading it.

Best of all, For easy reference, the questions are group in QUestion Archives under different topic!

F & N Websites Review (Germaine)

2008-08-25T00:26:00.024+08:00

1) Spot the Block (Teaching of Nutrition Labels)

"Spot the Block is an interactive website created by Cartoon Network to encourage teens to seek Nutrition Facts from nutrition labels, understand the information it provides, and use it for making healthful choices related to their own dietary management." (USDA, 2008)

It can be used to teach the topic "Shop Smart" from Food Interactions, where one of the learning outcomes is to ensure that students will be able to interpret and apply the information found on nutrition labels.

The content from the textbook will come ALIVE with this interesting website, CERTAINLY!!

a) VIDEOS

The catchy tunes of the jingle and the funny moves by the animated character will definitely leave an impression on the students. The students may sing along and memorize the lyrics which contains the information they need to know about reading and interpreting nutrition labels.

b) MUSIC

"Music, makes the people, come together!!" Yeah, the songs and lyrics from the videos can be downloaded.

Groups of students can conduct a "meaning-making" session based on the lyrics.

c) DOWNLOADS

If any teacher wants to conduct a lesson on nutrition label using this website in a computer lab, she can surprise the students by downloading the different wallpapers onto every computer. When the students switch on their computers, they might all get a pleasant surprise! It can be a wacky way to introduce the topic to the students in the lab and it may create constructive discussions among students.
"Look at your screens and you'll see what we'll be learning today!"

"Fast Fact" (at the bottom of the wallpaper) brings out the gist of the lesson

d) BLOCK BASICS

This part essentially teaches the students how to apply the information found on nutrition labels to making wise food choices.

2) Nutrition Explorations

Nutrition Explorations is not so much of an "information website" but rather a host for many activities and games well-related to Food & Nutrition. Teachers can use the activities alongside their lessons or after they have taught a particular topic (an avenue for students to apply their knowledge to the respective activities & games)

a) NUTRITION INFORMATION

As you can see, there are not many topics on nutrition information. The one highlighted - Tour the Food Groups, can be used to teach the topic on "Planning Healthy Meals" where the Healthy Diet Pyramid is used as a Nutritional Tool to plan meals.

Upon clicking each food group, a panel of information with respect to the food group will appear

Interesting "Did-you-know" info and nutrients provided by the different food groups are all clearly listed in the information panels. Teachers can use it as a brief recap on the HDP when it was first taught in Home Econs.

The only difference between the HDP of Singapore and the US is the extra food group - Milk Group. Nonetheless, it can be used to teach the nutritional value of milk and the importance of incorporating milk into our daily diets.

b) Activities

Activities boxed in red are relatively relevant to the teaching of F & N
Activity 1: Fueled for Fun

Teachers can use this games to assess student's knowledge in identifying nutrient-rich food.

The game character will walk along a park where nutrient-rich and calorie-dense food are placed all around. The aim of this game is to pick out nutrient-rich food for the character so that she can obtain enough energy to run fast for a competition.

This is what happens with wrong selection of food

Fun Factor: 4/5

Activity 2: Food Expedition with Arianna & Marcus

Teachers can use this activity in relation to the teaching of coursework part 1. Students can better understand how foods are combined from different food groups to make a nutritious dish.

PLUS point: This activity merges F & N and Geography (Players have to look for the various ingredients that make up the dish. The ingredients are found in different parts of the world. When players" travel" to different parts of the world to look for the ingredients, they will be briefly introduced to different countries and their culture)

Fun Factor: 5/5

c) Fun Links (MORE Fun & Games!!)

There are 2 of the games in here which i particularly like:

Nutrition Cafe
MyPyramid Blast Off

Fun Links 1: Nutrition Cafe

Nutrition Sleuth - A game similar to hang-man. Different scenarios of people with poor diet are given and players have to guess which nutrient is missing from the diet. This game can be used in conjunction with "Food & Nutrients"chapter. Case-study approach allows students to apply knowledge on different nutrients to the various situations.

Grab a Grape - Food & Nutrition Knowledge is categorized into 7 main categories. Teachers can choose the different categories to assess the knowledge of students. This game can be used for revision!

Have-a-Bite Cafe - Teachers can incorporate this game into teaching the topic on "Planning Healthy Meals" (Students will learn how to make wise food choices for different meals catering to people from different age groups. They will have to bear in mind the important nutrients for that particular age group that they are creating a meal for) or coursework part 1 (Coursework part 1 usually requires students to plan a meal based on a given scenario. Students can try their hands on this game to make smart food choices for the scenario that they have been given)

Fun Links 2: MyPyramid Blast Off

This game helps students keep track of how their choices fit into the Healthy Diet Pyramid. Game can be used for the topic on "Planning Healthy Meals". Students will have to consider incorporating foods from different food groups into a meal and making sure that the daily calorie intake does not exceed the recommended value.

Fun Factor: 4.5/5

Website Review (Felicia)

2008-08-24T15:54:00.013+08:00

I have used this website last time when i was still taking Food & Nutrition as a subject back in 2003 and 2004 and i find this website very useful not just for students as a teenager but available for Parents and Kids as you can see below. Even the types of colour scheme and pictorial usage are design according to Parents, Kids and teens.

Left to Right : Parent, Kids, Teens

Below we can see the navigation are all done on the left side.

Under the first section " Your Body" where students can actually relates to their own life, on body piercing, 2nd hand smoking, acne problem, crooked teeth. It serve extra information that students can find here.

Nowadays, majority of students come from broken down families which they have to deal with Divorce, Abuse and Adoption. Growing up in a environment without love, they may seek approval from peer, BGR and even friends that can fill their love tank. As a teacher we may not necessary have such experience to give them realistic advice and this is one place we can do some reading and reflection in our life.

We can observe from report recently that more bullies are happening right in the classroom and the increasing trends of teenagers slashing themselves! What are the reasons why they do so? How can they effectively deal with peer/clique pressure and influences?

Under sexual Health, it allows students of both genders to read problems that relate to them. It also helps to increase awareness of sexually transmittable diseases for self reference

As Home Economic and Food & Nutrition teachers, we can use this section “Food & Fitness” to balancing diet, food allergies and intolerance, eating disorders that are occurring among teenagers.

The best part about this website also allows students to searching recipes for all kind of nutritious needs of teenagers.

There are also recipes for teens with Cystic Fibrosis. They also state the reason why it is high in calories.

There are also recipes for teens with Diabetes. Information such as diabetes exchange list are also state with suggestions given.

Help to Quit Smoking, Medication for students with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders)

How they can lose weight effectively, stop food craving

Diseases & Conditions are related to food allergies, Deficiency (e.g. anaemia, constipation), irritable bowel syndrome, Diabetes, digestive systems

Infection such as Colds & Flu, Sexually Transmitted Diseases are place under this section. They also includes Mad Cow Disease, Salmonellosis

Food Porn (Shuli)

2008-08-23T22:36:00.003+08:00

Pictures taken from http://foodporndaily.com/

My Keyboard is flooded with saliva.
And these pictures aren't making me feel any better because I didn't have my dinner!!!
My stomach isn't enjoying it, but my eyes sure are.

Both are Blueberry Cakes.
Okay, lets not compare how the cheesecakes look like, but how the picture is taken.

The cake on the left looks absolutely delectable!
While the cake on the right looks huge and messy due to the cake crumbs.

See how important pictures are?
They affect how people perceive how nice your food taste.

So, do take extra effort to take nice and clear photos of your dishes for your coursework!

Tips

Use a presentable plate.
Note the amount of food, preferably 1-2 servings.
Clean up crumbs/foodstains on plate.
Ensure proper lighting when taking pictures.

F&N Websites Review (Shuli)

2008-08-23T21:17:00.006+08:00

Brainpop

__________________________________________________________________________________

USA Healthy Diet Pyramid

I can use this website when teaching about the Healthy Diet Pyramid.

Exposing my students not only to Singapore's HDP but also the HDP of the United States.

The personalised amounts of servings that I should consume for each food group.

By asking them to compare the differences between the 2 HDPs, it can help them to analyse which is better and stimulate them in think how else can Singapore's HDP be improved.

Frosted Phelps anyone? (yili)

2008-08-22T04:46:00.008+08:00

From the NY Daily New

Breakfast of a champion? Frosted Flakes! Phelps signs with cereal

Olympic legend Michael Phelps will appear on boxes of the Kellogg's brand sugar cereal, drawing sharp criticism from health experts worried about the message he'll be sending to children across America.

"I would not consider Frosted Flakes the food of an Olympian," said nutritionist Rebecca Solomon of Mount Sinai Medical Center.

"I would rather see him promoting Fiber One. I would rather see him promoting oatmeal. I would even rather see him promoting Cheerios."

IS MICHAEL PHELPS THE GREATEST ATHLETE EVER?

The announcement yesterday that Phelps, 23, winner of a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, would grace Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes instead of the traditional athlete's choice of Wheaties left many perplexed.

Frosted Flakes has three times the amount of sugar as Wheaties and 1/3rd the fiber.

This doesn't matter much to a virtuoso swimmer who consumes 12,000 calories a day.

Still, in a country where childhood obesity is an alarming issue, Phelps' iconic image sharing space with Tony the Tiger sends the wrong message, experts say.

"For a guy like Michael Phelps who isn't worried about obesity because he's burning thousands of calories as an athlete...eating Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes every so often is not an issue," Solomon said.

The Phelps-emblazoned cereal boxes hit supermarket shelves in mid-September.

***

Jacqueline posted something about the diet of the world's fastest swimmer and i must say i was taken aback by his calorie intake too!

then i came across this article, and felt the same way as the concerned nutritionist.

i can almost imagine what a kid walking past the cereal aisle is going to say

kid: mummy mummy frosted flakes!
mum: no my boy, its full of sugar and thats not good
kid: BUT MICHAEL PHELPS EATS IT EVERY MORNING!

-_-

Shop away online! (yili)

2008-08-22T04:36:00.001+08:00

look what i received in my email a couple of days ago!

one of my favourite online hunting site sent an awesome graphic promoting their collection of over 500 styles of shoes! every girl is secretly (some obviously) a shoe monster, so i actually did a count and there are 21 rows with 20 shoes each = a total of 420 shoes there.

anyway, this is just one of the many new updates i get by being on their mailing list

Based in the United States, Urban Outfitters carries a wide variety of clothing from vintage to bohemian to retro, some even ironically humorous and kitschy. It is THE place to search if you're looking for uniquely and sometimes oddly designed apparels and furnitures!

1. Accessibility/Ease of Navigation

The website is accessible to anyone everywhere and by typing urbanoutfitters.com will bring you to the homepage where you'll be informed of the latest update/promotion of the store.

this helps customers who received the mailer (like me) to locate the promotion or latest arrivals easily without having to search through the website.

To continue shopping, choose the category you're interested in from the top horizontal bar

Fan of certain designers/brands could browse the Collection category while other categories are neatly classified into Apparel, Shoes and Accessories. each category is further divided into sub-category, which makes navigating from one to another a brisk.

the list will always be displayed, so you could change your mind to shop for shoes while looking at dresses without having to click through or go back to the main homepage again.

when entered into a category, it allows shoppers to browse up to 60 items per page, which i find very useful as it cuts down the page clicking.

you can also choose to refine your browsing by selecting the colours! perfect for searching for a green dress to match the silver shoes you just bought, without having to sieve through all the other dresses.

for those on a budget, you could also start by arranging the items according to its price, from low to high. this helps shoppers who wants to make a more informed choice by viewing the cheaper items first, and to prevent impulsive buys from a higher price line.

As UO carries many brands ranging from low-end to high-end ones like Diesel, True Religion, Lacoste, classifying them into brands would make it easier for the brand concious to browse the items.

and if all fail...

there is always the sitemap and search function!

all the above features makes navigating around practically effortless!

***

2. Variety of Items Sold

now before we get into the huge variety at UO, let's take a look at some of my top picks for this season!

Prints are definitely in.

as mentioned, UO carries a large variety of items ranging from...

for guys, don't fret! there's always something for everyone

there are even fun lifestyle items for sale under "entertainment" as well as funky furnitures to spice up your house!

there is also a special line called "Urban Renewal"

this line of clothing comprises of true vintage items that are worn, but in however good condition. i particularly like this line by UO as it gives old clothes a lease of new life and most items are 1 off!

a wide range of stylish and hip items to choose from, caters to everyone's needs

***

3. Clothes Information

Description and Sizing

every piece of clothing comes with information that consist of a small description of the item as well as its length, fit and material.

the size chart can be found by clicking on the link below "select size"

a more detailed size chart as well as measuring techniques and conversions could be found under the "help" tab, for shoppers who need extra information and confirmation.

Availability and Different Views

different angles of the clothing can be seen via different pictures provided, which would give shoppers a better idea of how the item looks like, as well as the details and material.

a click on the availability tab informs shoppers of the available stock for each colour and size, so that they can make their decision quick to prevent out of stock situation! how thoughtful :)

Reveiw by other customers

a feature recently added to the website that allows shoppers to post and read reviews of each item. this allow shoppers who are interested in the item to have a better idea of the actual item and its fit and sizing. as pictures might be deceiving, shoppers can rely on reviews to make their decision.

Suggestion of other items

under each item is a series of other items and accessories proposed by UO that shoppers might be interested in buying to match with the above chosen item. this would be good for shoppers who like a particular item but find it hard to mix and match for an outfit.

should have included care instructions

***
4. Ordering & Payment

Once you've decided on the items to buy, click "Add to Cart" and you can view the items currently in your cart by clicking "View Cart" at the top right hand corner

changes can still be made to the items in your cart but if the order is submitted, shoppers would be brought to the payment page where the credit card information is entered

the range of credit card though small, should not pose a payment problem for shoppers as these are cards commonly owned by adults who are old enough for one. information entered are completely confidential and will not be revealed under UO's privacy policy

payment is fuss free and quick, however methods of payment is limited

***

5. Shipping

a more detailed shipping information can be found under the help section

UO currently only ships within the United States and territories, APO/FPO addresses, Canada and the UK. it does not ship internationally, hence Singaporeans who wish to order from this website has to make use of a service, provided by singpost, called Vpost.

Shoppers are able to track their order status via the "order status/history" tab on their account

does not ship internationally to other countries

***

6. Returns and Exchanges

"We want you to love what you ordered. If something is not right, let us know. "

UrbanOutfitters uses SmartLabel to simplify the return process. each packing slip would come with a pre-paid, pre-addressed return label and the cost of returning the package would be deducted from the refund, hence no postage is required.

However, SmartLabel® for Urban Outfitters are not applicable to packages shipped to AK, HI, US territories, Canada, or the UK. These packages have to be mailed to the Return Center, and the address is provided on the website

Our return address is:

UrbanOutfitters.com
30 Industrial Park Blvd.
Trenton, SC 29847
Attn: Returns Department

This would make returning an item from Singapore tedious and expensive.

Returns are made easy for US citizens but not international customers

***

7. Personal user Account

to enhance the shopping experience, shoppers are encouraged to sign up for an account when they make their first purchase. subsequent purchases would then be made easy as the required information are already stored in the account

There is also a wishlist feature for every account, where items could be added to and viewed by your friends and other users. This feature is very useful when it comes to shopping for gifts!

***

8. Other cool features

UO TXT

shoppers can now receive updates via their mobile phone! this is one feature not commonly provided by shopping websites, in fact it is the first that i've heard that provides this service.

Catalog

UO also provide shoppers with an online catalog that can be located from the homepage...

this helps shoppers identify and locate the items they spotted on the catalog sent to their home.

Blog

http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/

UO also has its own blog, where shoppers can find out what's new, read interviews and articles, partake in contests, listen to their playlist and watch videos.

***

9. Personal Feedback

i have personally ordered from UO before when i was in the states, and i would say that it was a very fuss-free and simple process. A tracking code were given and i could track my package from its departure from the warehouse to the transiting, and it arrived right on the scheduled date of delivery.

The items i ordered were also very true to the website's representation.

My only concern would be that it does not ship internationally and ordering from Singapore have to be made through sprees, in order to cut down on the shipping fee.

***

all printscreen are obtained and credited to Urbanoutfitters.com
collage copyrighted of entry author

Blogshopping Review (Felicia)

2008-08-21T23:32:00.029+08:00

Banana House

Featured in Singapore Polytechnic- OOPS! Magarzine Issue 03, July 2008!

1.) Accessibility / Ease of Navigation

a catchy name that is easy to commit into memory

All category of Nagivation are on left side

2.) Variety of Items Sold
Cater only to women, seeking latest fashion from mainly Korean with use of model from asian origin.

3.) Clothes Information

Stated the material use for all clothes which allow user to care for their garment

Measurement is also available for each individual to ensure that the clothing that they would order can fit them!

Availability of Colours for each type allow customer to choose and decide which suit them the best

4.) Ordering & Payment

First step prior to ordering is to select venue or ways to collect our item.

It can be Free-Of-Charge to $3 within Singapore

At least 2 types of Account has created for customer to make money transfer easily. POSB & UOB has been a bank that has the most number of people who has open an saving account. Hence people who dislikes window shopping would find this very good as many online website does not allow bank transfer.

After payment has been transfer, email to ilovebananahouse@gmail.com with contact details, chosen items details, collection/ delivery mode and last but not least to include transaction details.

All emails would be reply within 2 days. Delivery of item within Singapore may take up to a week depending on day of ordering as they only send out all parcels on Tuesday and Friday

For pre-ordering of items, estimated time to receive goods: Clothes 2-4 weeks. Bags: 4-8 weeks from closing date of transaction for goods to be delivered into Singapore to be send out.

Queries Regarding Payment!

5.) Collection / Delivery

Depend on personal preference as mentioned above, collection can be done via

a) mass meet-up

b) Normal/Registered mail Postage

c) Drive Through/Self Collection at Ang Mo Kio

d) Meet up beside Ngee Ann Poly for SIM& NP students/staff

International order are also accepted as stated above mainly to Australia, USA, Netherlands and Malaysia to be pay Via Paypal and Western Union. For goods to be send to countries other than the above, we can email them for Postage fees sending to other countries should need arise.

Buyer can also keep track of the items they purchase for Pre-order list

6.) Redress

There no particular nor specific statement that allows us to seek redress but it has been stated that any email sent to them would be reply within 48 hours from Monday to friday. However all goods sold are non-refundable nor exchangeable, hence buyer have to ensure the item they purchase fits them.

7.) Banana House Account

Customer who wants to purchase do not need to sign up for any account but are allow people to subscribe to their latest clothing update

8.) Extra Features

Membership who sign up for free membership are also entitled to cheaper rate of almost all items. Best of all its Free of charge to become BH members... so what are you waiting for???

There is also a part where they provide some Fashion Tips!

Suggestion on what type of sunshare should you face shape best, What to wear with legging, Which type of dress should our body shape best, and even what to wear to wedding!

9.) Personal Feedback

Advantage:
- Cater specially to female
- Smart casual and working clothes looking towards fashion in korea
- Much more affordable as compare to buying at boutique in Singapore
- Clothes are wore on models, allowing customers to see how it fit on both view

Disadvantage and Room For Improvements:
- Lack of variety of payment such as Mastercard and Visa
- Lack of variety of accessories, belts and bottoms
- Lack of Fabric care instruction and specfic fabric content
- Lack of Sizing chart that could allow customer to easier track their size if different measurement has been used.

The various factors are rated on a scale of √ to √ √ √ √ √ , with √ being least favourable and √√√√√ being most favourable.

1.) Accessibility / Ease of navigation √ √ √ √ √
2.) Variety of Items √ √ √
3.) Clothes Information √ √ √
4.) Ordering & Payment √ √ √ √
5.) Collection / Delivery √ √ √ √ √
6.) Redress √ √
7.) Banana House Account √ √ √ √
8.) Extra Features √ √ √ √

Overall rating: 3.75 out of 5 √

All Picture and information is to be credited to Banana House

Shopping Website Review (Shuli)

2008-08-21T21:37:00.006+08:00

ASOS

UK's largest online fashion store
Cosmopolitan Retailer of the Year 2008
In Style Best Online Shop 2008

1. Accessibility/Ease of Navigation

Site address is short and easy to remember

Clothes are neatly categorized and links are clearly stated on the left

When viewing a particular category of clothes (e.g. night dresses), there are many sub-categories which you can view the clothes in.You can further view the night dresses according to colour, brand, celebrity style and colour.

The celebrity style category is helpful when I want to purchase clothes that are like my favourite celebrity's style. For example, one of my favourite celebrity is Nicole Richie. And when I click on the Nicole Richie category under day dresses, all the dresses are narrowed down to the few that are Nicole Richie's style or maybe even be something similar that she has worn before.

Giving people a chance to look like their favourite celebrity!

The option of viewing the clothes that fall under the different price ranges are suitable for the budget conscious. It will save them the trouble from surfing through pages and pages of clothes which are not within their budget. There is also a clearance section where clothes are sold for half the price.

Get clothes at a fraction of the original price!

However, when viewing clothes from a certain category (e.g. day dresses), I cannot immediately click to view another category (e.g. jeans). I have to take an extra step of going back to the home page before I can see all the categories again.

***
2. Variety of Items Sold

Large variety of fashionable items sold to cater to different shopper needs.

Clear pictures provided
From clothes to accessories...

And not forgetting a selection of clothes for the petite...

Which is useful for Asians as American sizing clothes can be on the larger side.

And also, not forgetting the Mens!

For men, it is great that there is also a large selection of clothes as my male friends do complain that online fashion websites place a larger focus on women's clothing.

***
3. Clothes Information

Fabric Content

Fabric content of clothes are provided.

Care Instructions

Instructions for caring of clothes are provided which allows consumers to care for the garment in the best possible way so that it will last.

Moreover, they have explanations of the various care labels which are helpful for consumers who do not know how to read the care labels.

Explanation of Care Labels

Sizing

Sizing of the clothes including tops, skirts, dresses,pants, footwear and belts are provided neatly in tables.

When shopping online, I always have trouble when it comes to the sizing as websites always do not provide adequate information. From providing these detailed sizing charts, shopping at ASOS minimises the amount of frustration experienced when it comes to choosing the right size. But most of the time even with sizing charts, I'm unsure where to begin measuring from.

Fortunately, this problem is solved as they provide a picture of a labelled human figure to show where we should measure to get accurate sizings according the sizing charts.

Alternative Views

Allows me to view the t-shirt at different angles

When viewing a particular item, ASOS will suggest other pieces that I can consider buying to complete the look. Also, by giving these suggestions, it helps me to decide how I will want to match this shirt with other clothes.

Modelling Video

There is even a video provided where the model does a catwalk in the particular garment that you are viewing.

This function is really helpful as you will be able to see how the clothes drape over the model and get a more realistic idea of the clothes rather than just from still pictures. Moreover, it is rather rare that a website selling clothes will have this video catwalk function.

***

4. Payment

Payment is usually done through Credit cards and ASOS provides a rather wide range of cards to pay with. Thus, I feel that this website is targeted more at young and mature adults who are old enough to hold one. Teenagers who have debit cards can pay through Mastercard. ASOS can consider providing the option of paying through Paypal as it is widely used online internationally

Payment is made secure by VeriSign...

VeriSign is a reliable provider of the Internet infrastructure all over the word. Even the US federal government uses VeriSign. Therefore, payment made at ASOS should be rather secure.

Lack of Paypal

***

5. Delivery

8-14days.
Any customs or import duties are levied once the package reaches its destination country.
Additional charges for customs clearance must be borne by the recipient.

Delivery conditions set by ASOS are reasonable as it is common conditions and are similar to those of other major online shopping sites.

***

6.Redress

Quoted from ASOS
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the item or items to us in their original condition* within 14 days of receipt. We will issue a full refund (excluding original delivery charge) on receipt, or exchange the item for a different size / colour if preferred. Some products are non-returnable; these are clearly marked with a '+' next to the product name.

It is rather troublesome if I want to return the item as I got to ship it back to ASOS, London. Moreover, it may not reach within 14days and I got to bear those extra shipping charges. This is one downside of purchasing from an online non-local website.

Troublesome Redress for Singaporeans

***

7. ASOS Account
In order to purchase things from ASOS, one has to create an account with them. This function is rather helpful as it allows you to track your history of items that you have purchased from their site. And it allows you to track your order and its stage of processing.

***

8. Personal Feedback
Personally, I have participated in sprees where items were purchased from ASOS. Sprees conducted with ASOS usually go through without any hiccups and purchased items will be successfully received. Thus, my personal experience has been good with this website and is definitely a reliable online fashion store.

Things that can be improved

Provide payment using Paypal
Navigation within different categories
Offer longer days of allowance for overseas redress issues

Online Shopping Review (Germaine)

2008-08-21T20:48:00.046+08:00

Click here

The man behind the high-end fashion label......

1st ever American Fashion Legend Award
&
Menswear Designer of the Year

Target Audience: People who appreciates high fashion designer labels and are willing to indulge on high-quality apparels

1) Accessibility/Ease of Navigation

The navigational elements - Top & side panels (as indicated) is clearly recognizable and is incorporated into the design of the website in a consistent manner. The panels remain in their same position throughout the website. Users do not need to go back and forth to the main page in order to go to another page. This gives consumers the ease of navigating through different web pages.

There is an easily accessible and well-functioning search capability that remains at the same position throughout every page. As and when a user wants to search for something, the search capability is always present at the top right-hand corner for use.

Central navigational elements like Home, Help, Search are also accessible from every page within the website. This makes navigating through the website as easy as A, B, C!

The "Sorting tool" helps navigate to the page which lists the clothes that matches the exact criteria set by customers. It also helps to streamline choices to the ones desired.

Ratings: 5/5

2) Variety/Range of Clothes

Ralph Lauren provides a WIDE ARRAY of clothes and accessories for EVERYONE out there, regardless of your age, gender, size or style!

a) RANGE OF CLOTHES FOR ALL AGES & GENDERS

Clothes at Ralph Lauren caters not only to both men and women but also for babies (newborn to 24 months) and children

Clothes & Accessories for WOMEN

Clothes & Accessories for MEN

Clothes & Accessories for CHILDREN

Clothes & Accessories for BABIES

b) RANGE OF CLOTHES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT SIZES

For Women

For Men

c) RANGE OF BRANDS THAT CATERS TO DIFFERENT STYLES

For Men

For Men

Ratings: 5/5

3) Product Information

Ralph Lauren provides a description panel for every piece of clothes sold online. The description panel gives information on the garment's fabric make-up, washing instructions (care & maintenance is an important factor to consider when buying clothes) and a brief write-up on the design and how the zips and seams are incorporated into the apparel. The available colours and sizes for the apparel are also indicated.

Sidetracking a little on the features that shares the same page as the product info:

"Add to shopping bag" feature allows customers to add any clothes that they may have interest in into a virtual shopping basket. Upon checking out of the website, they can easily view the items that they want to purchase.

The "You may also like..." feature allows customers to view other clothes that has a similar style as the one chosen. The feature suggests matching accessories that complements the chosen apparel. This gives customers a holistic shopping experience alike a real setting in a shop where a sales women picks out other clothes that she thinks you might like according to your style.

If customers happen to see any clothes that strikes their fancy, they can click the "Wish List" button to add the item into the list and e-mail it to friends and family. A feature worth mentioning especially when your birthday is around the corner!!

The size guide allows customers to identify the correct and exact size to buy according to their body measurements (chest, waist & hips). The fit guide on the other hand, teaches customers how to take their body measurements correctly so that they can select clothes with the right size that fits them well.

The "Alternate View" feature allows customers to view the chosen apparel at different angles. Customers will not only get to see the front view of the model but also the back. This replicates the situation a fitting room where customers try on clothes and look at themselves in the mirror from different perspectives before making purchases. The picture can be zoomed in to view intricate details of the garment too.

The down side: Side views cannot be seen. It will be good if they have a feature that allows a 360 degree view of the model.

Courtesy of Levis
Click Here

Viewing of clothes can also be made MORE INTERACTIVE by adding a "Dress-room" feature that allows customers to mix ad match clothes and accessories. This adds towards a more VISUAL shopping experience.

Courtesy of ASOS

The website could also add in a "Washing Symbols" panel to inform customers about the significance of the different symbols on their garment so that they can take proper care and maintenance of it.

Ratings: 3/5

4) Modes of Payment

Customers can make payments through many modes like Credit Cards, Charge Cards, Master & Visa Cards and PayPal - allows transactions to be made easily through the internet. THe website even offers other forms of payment like online gift certificates, Ralph Lauren gift cards & Credit Card gift cards.

However, the different modes of payment are not indicated on the main page. Customer have to go to the FAQ page in order to find out the different payment methods.
Thumbs down for that!

Ratings: 4/5

5) Shipment/Delivery

Clothes and accessories are shipped out of the warehouse within 2 days upon receipt of order. Depending on the shipping rates paid by customers, clothes will be delivered between 2-7 days. All in all, customers should receive their clothes within 2 weeks from the date of purchase - reasonable waiting time considering the fact that the clothes are shipped from US.

Clothes are shipped via a renown freight company - Fedex (They LIVE TO DELIVER!) Customers need not worry that the items bought will be lost in mail.

If customers would like to know the whereabouts of their order, they can use the "Tracking Order" feature. Brilliant indeed for anxious customers!

Ratings: 5/5

6) Customer Service

A webpage is dedicated to provide assistance to customers. It lists all the possible information a customer might need when shopping online. This makes shopping easy and convenient!

The website gives consumers the right to feedback and seek redress through avenues like e-mail, feedback forms or simply by calling their hotlines. However, the downside of the hotline is that it is NOT toll-free. Customers will have to fork out a hefty sum on phone calls if they have many things to seek redress on. =(

If any purchase is not up to expectations, customers can return or exchange the merchandise in a FUSS-FREE manner. A postage-paid return label is provided and the package can be conveniently mailed back to US.
Frown-no-more at unsatisfactory goods! =)

Ratings: 4/5

7) Privacy & Security Features

"A privacy policy is important in letting customers know the details of what personal information is collected, how the personal information may be used, the persons to whom the personal information may be disclosed, the security measures taken to protect the personal information, and wheher the website uses cookis or web bugs." (Wikipedia, 2007)

The website LACKS security features (e.g. Hacker Safe/VeriSign) that help protect users from hackers or fraud.

Ratings: 3/5

8) Other Features Worth Mentioning

Create your own collection

Customers can customize their Polo Tees by adding a monogram of their choice and selecting the preferred colour. This gives customers the personal space to mix and match details that they like so as to cater to their own desires. On top of that, customization of clothes applies not only to tees for men and women but also for babies and children.

Ralph Lauren TV

Users can access style tips, videos, lifestyle articles, exclusive celebrity interviews and special insights into the different collections

Mobile Shopping (NEW!!)

Mobile shopping gives high-end tech savvy customers the ability to shop using their mobile phones. Access codes will be posted in print ads, direct mails and in-store window promotions and shoppers need to scan the codes using their phone. The codes will automatically direct shoppers to the Ralph Lauren website where they can start shopping. Whee...

Click here to read more

Ratings: 5/5

Overall Conclusion

Total Score: 34/40

Website offers customers a wholesome online shopping experience

Website provides consumers with the platform to seek feedback and redress (Right to feedback & redress), to be well-informed (Right to information) and the right to choose from a wide variety of clothes (Right to choice)

Range of clothes cater to all ages & genders

Could improve on auditory and visual experience

Junk Food Addict (Shuli)

2008-08-19T15:13:00.006+08:00

Hi, my name is Shuli. I'm a junkfoodholic.

Yes, I do love my veggies AND junkfood. BUT after all, they're call junkfood for a reason.They can also be classified as 'empty calorie' foods which contain high amount of calories and no significant nutritional value. So, excessive consumption may lead to weight gain or even obesity!

Oh man, I definitely DO NOT want to battle with the bulge.

Let's all have 2nd thoughts before reaching for that bag of Doritos.

More comics on junkfood and obesity...

If only DR. J really existed.
Then he can smack that evil bar of chocolate out of our hands

Insatiable Hunger?

First Shot

2006-01-25T19:35:00.001+08:00

OKAY!!!

Yummy Pan Pizza

A personal pan pizza perfect for lunch, dinner or supper!

Serves 3

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:

180g strong bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
120ml warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry yeast
some bread flour for dusting and kneading.

Toppings will be up to you!

Directions

Preheat oven to 180C
Mix yeast and sugar with a lil warm water from the 60ml. Put aside until it becomes frothy (damn gross lol)
Mix sifted flour and salt into a big glass bowl, make a well in the centre, add olive oil and yeast mixture.
Knead until resembles a dough.
Add remaining water until the dough is smooth. Dont be afraid to add more water, or flour.
Knead like crazy.
Wait about 30 to 40 minues for the dough to rise and becomes twice it size.
Punch the dough and knead again. Use a roller and flatten the dough nicely, use some flour for dusting so it won't stick.
Oil a pan and fit your dough into the pan.
Add desired toppings.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.

* recipe adapted from thesaripartygirl

***

Cut desired toppings into smaller pieces and arrange them in an orderly manner. We chose onion, green & red pepper, prawn, chicken, hotdog and pineapple. Of course, its advisable to have some greens and meat. Just remember, a BALANCED diet!

Ain't they cute?! like two lil bao having sauna. When proofing the dough, it helps to place it near a warm oven. But not too hot okay! Otherwise the yeast wigglying and making CO2 will "kiao kiao" which is die lah.

After about 30mins, the lil bao became DA BAO in size. Then, we rolled it out on a board and piled on the toppings.

LOTS OF CHEESE and Ta-dah! The finally product. One gripe is that the dough didn't turn out quite well as expected. It was too flat and not bread-y enough, abit watery at the base too due to fresh tomatoes added. Maybe we should have let da bao proof into super da bao. haha

Hmm, now that we had our dinner, what is for dessert?

The Yin Yummy Yang

Click to enlarge recipe!

The seemingly easy process.

Drop dead gorgeous processed white chocolate! I could not keep my hands off them.

The process of this cake seems easy and all but sad to say, the cake was *ahem* burnt.......... it was rising well initially and suddenly when we looked into the oven, IT COLLAPSED LIKE THE TWIN TOWERS.

And something went wrong with the white chocolate Ganache. the recipe states adding cooked cream to chopped white chocolate but its damn yucky because the cream seperates and form a layer of oil on top! However, cooks are not law-by-law people. We have to think of something to save the frosting! so we poured away the cream and water bathed the white chocolate to melt it.

finally spreading it over the *ahem* abit burnt cake.

We had to cut off the burnt corners LOL.

Dash on some chopped milk chocolate with nuts and it looks YUMMYLICIOUS!

***

the pizza is really a piece of cake to make, everyone can do it.

but we lack experience when making the real piece of cake! thats why the cake turned out like not so perfect and we dun even know where went wrong. haha. but considering this is our first time, its very good already!

if you're trying out the cake recipe, remember not to add cream to the white chocolate huh. just melt it over a water bath when you wanna use it and spread over the cake quickly.

look out for our next dish!

Welcome to YummyTeachers~

2006-01-22T17:24:00.000+08:00

Being future Home Econmics Teachers, its only right that we should work well in the kitchen and not appear like a bumbling idiot when cooking. Imagine, what will our students think if they were to see how slow are we when we are chopping onions or kneading that dough? Uh-oh, not a very good example to the students huh?

SO! It takes practice. Just like what Dr Vijaya said.

This blog is a place for us to record down our experieces when cooking. We can also see it as a record for us to see if we make any improvements.

Ahem, lets put on our aprons, get ready our utensils/ingredients, and start COOKING!