St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 16

roranfii OBIS meir Panelists put an orange drink to the taste test By Susan C. Thomson Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Shasta Beverages Inc. is apparently out to see if the standard aluminum beverage container can stand some competition. The firm is packaging its new fruit drink in flexible foil pouches. It's called Capri Sun, and it began turning up here on grocers' shelves and in television commercials earlier this year.

St. Louis is actually getting a sneak preview of Capri Sun; this is one of just three areas where the product is being market tested. It's being tried out to gauge consumer acceptance before the company decides whether to offer it to a wider public. The current tests follow a similar series in selected Eastern areas last year. Will Capri Sun be a hit or a miss? That's the question DollarsSense's panel of product-testers, amateurs all, really likes to get its collective teeth into.

You may remember the members from their previous appearances in this column Dennis and Penny Hartley and six children, of Ball win; Randy and Willa Furch and two sons, of Berkeley; Dorothy and Ellwyn Boock, of St. Charles; Jim and Jan Meyer, of south St. Louis; and Ruth Hutchinson, of Brentwood. Capri Sun comes in three flavors orange, lemon and apple. The panelists sampled the orange version.

Capri Sun doesn't pretend to be fruit juice just 10 percent fruit juice, according to conspicuous lettering on the front of the package. On the back, in smaller letters, the wifV i wAw where and how to puncture the package with the special pointed drinking straw that comes with it. The instructions proved more than adequate for most of the panelists, who managed the insertion speedily and without mishap. Denis Hartley was an exception. He overdid it, piercing the package through both sides and squirting part of the contents onto the floor.

The panel gave the package good reviews. The children who took it to school in their lunches found it stayed cold until lunch time. They liked that, they said. The adults commented on the package's great potential for picnics, camping and car trips. The Hartleys, the Boocks and 9-year-old Reggie Furch liked the taste of Capri Sun a lot.

"I'm anxious to try the other flavors," Dorothy Boock said. The rest of the Furches found its taste acceptable, while the remaining panelists were mildly critical of it. Mrs. Hutchinson compared Capri Sun unfavorably to old-fashioned orange soda. Jim Meyer, speaking for himself and his wife, compared it to Tang, also unfavorably.

As in many of their previous assignments, the Meyers distinguished themselves as the pickiest panelists, questioning the validity of what they saw as a junk food. Jim Meyer couldn't understand "why they went to all that trouble without putting out the real thing," meaning orange juice, which he described as "cheaper and better for you." Because the panelists get test products free from Dollars Sense, the price and value have never figured in their comments until this time. A price tag inadvertently left on the package delivered to her house tipped Penny Hartley off to the 25-cent price of each 6-ounce serving. She said that seemed a bit much. Willa Furch offered the same opinion, but her price information came from buying Capri Sun for herself before.

"I think its a little expensive," she said. "You're paying for the packaging and the convenience." Wayne CrosslinPost-Dispatch Reggie Furch shows how to insert the sharp-pointed straw that comes with a foil bag of Capri Sun. He was one of the DollarsSense panel of taste-testers who recently put the orange-flavored drink to the test. predominance, Capri Sun is more water than anything else, high fructose corn sweetener next, and so on. But most of the back of the package is taken up with diagrams showing just ingredients are detailed as follows: "water, high fructose corn sweetener, concentrated orange juice, citric acid, natural orange flavor." Because ingredients are listed in the order of their Help tangling I've seen extension wires that are coiled, but I'd like to use some wires that I already have.

R.M. Bowers Warped wood I stored my walnut table in the basement and the ton has' 1 IJ Lap desks anyone? I need help finding a lap desk, the bottom being of bean-bag structure, the desk top about 11 by 14 inches. Pat McDermott Facing up I am interested in finding the Carol Beach brand of facial oil. I cannot get this any more because my beautician passed away several years ago, and the company that manufactured it is supposed to be located in St. Louis, but I can't find it in the phone book.

Charlotte Holtmann Lamp pattern? I have a 2i-gallon brass fire extinguisher and would like to know if anyone would have a pattern to make a lamp out of it. G.G., Jennings Cracks in crocks Please, can anyone tell me how to mend cracks in crocks? Soon it will be pickle time and I have a few cracked crocks. Catherine E. Cain, Waterloo, 111. Plastic coils? Can anyone tell me wher.to find the coiled plastic that you put on long wires to keep them from warped (it solid wood).

Would someone help me? Mary Bischon, Staunton, 111. Key-chain hunt? Please direct me to a place where I can buy chains to put in hand-made key chains. The kind I want look like little gold or silver balls strung together. Toni McCoy 100-percent nylon Where can I buy 100 percent nylon material, suitable for ladies' slacks? Mrs. E.W.E.,.

St. Charles Breaking up The vinyl dashboard on my '72 Chevy is split and breaking up due to the recent cold weather. Can anyone tell me how I might re-cover it myself, or where I can find a place that will repair it for me? Jim Zirbas, Bridgeton Volcanic rock Does anyone know FROM PAGE TWO 63118, and that it does residential and commercial painting, but no longer paints awnings. It still has the same phone number. Would spray John J.

Schneider of St. Charles wanted to buy some Arsen-O-Spray cartridges for use with the garden hose. Help Yourself: I have some Arsen-O-Spray, Weed-O-Spray and Chlordanspray for the Arnold garden hose sprayer, if you'll call 821-3189. Unsigned. Now the questions Mantel maintenance Would any of your readers know of someone who would clean a sandstone mantel? If not, perhaps they can recommend a product to clean same.

J.V. Light's out Where can I get my Ronson table lighters repaired? R.J. Pepper, Collinsville Door bell pulls Is there any place in St. Louis or St. Louis County where I can buy an old-fashioned door-bell pull one that works by turning the handle back and forth? Odes Stellhorn, Red Bud, 111.

Asking about aprons Where, please, can I find and obtain plastic aprons? I have tried all over without success. Are they not manufactured any more? Doris Rassman, Ballwin Cracked concrete I had four inches of concrete poured over some that was cracked on a front porch slab. It now has a small thin crack right at the front door. The company who handled it is now out of business. How can this be corrected? W.P.K.

i gEIiIil where I can buy crushed volcanic rock to be used in potting soil mix? Bill Weber SAVE UP TO 20-40 ON CUSTOM DRAPERIES COMPARE OUR PRICES AND SAVE PHONE 772-6200 FOR A SHOP AT HOME APPOINTMENT gm TO SEE OUR LARGE SELECTION OF FINE FABRICS OR VISIT OUR SHOWROOM CUSTOM DRAPERIES FOR 50 YEARS. jMfflafu i imi "iwwniwwr.wri iii vm ill Jw I raj 2822 CHEROKEE slipcIvers ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH IB Tut June 190.