You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2631 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Why Are Some Americans Still Not Connected To The Internet? (NAPSA)—For most Americans, using the Internet is a routine activity that’s often taken for granted. Whether it’s for work, to research school assignments, read the latest news, access healthcare information, or for entertainment, going online is part of the day to day. But while a majority of America has become a digital nation, many low-income families are still at a disadvantage because they don’t have a PC or Internet service at home. Research by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has shown that more than 33% of American homes are not connected to the Internet. A closer look at the data reveals a disproportionately large number of those households are low-income families. To help close this digital divide, Comcast is offering a new program called Internet Essentials. Experts have identified three primary barriers to broadband adoption: a lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful to one’s daily life, the cost of a home computer and the cost of Internet service. Internet Essentials is an ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption experiment designed to address these barriers head on. The program will provide lowincome families, those with children eligible to receive free lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), with lowcost Internet access, a voucher to buy a low-cost computer and digital literacy training in print, online and in-person. Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, the New program provides low-cost Internet and affordable computers. program will be rolled out in more than 4,000 school districts in 39 states as well as Washington, D.C. Comcast’s goal is to help try to close the digital divide and help level the playing field for lowincome families by connecting students online with their teachers and their school’s educational resources, by enabling parents to apply for jobs online or for families to use the Internet to learn more about healthcare and government services available where they live. However, in order for a program like this to be successful and make a difference for many families, it requires support. Comcast is asking for help from parents, educators, community leaders and government officials to join in this effort, so that those who are eligible can get connected to the Internet, get a computer and receive training. For general information about Internet Essentials, visit: www. internetessentials.com (for English) or visit www.internetbasico. com (for Spanish). Educators and third-parties interested in more information should visit www. internetessentials.com/partner. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995. Five Things You May Not Know About Lunch Meat (NAPSA)—Do parents really know what they are feeding their kids? Land O’Frost, the nation’s largest family-owned packaged lunch meat brand, is demystifying lunch meat and offering consumers “Did You Know?” facts about their product. As a company whose priority is food safety, Land O’Frost is a leader in keeping lunch meat tasty, fresh and safe both on and off the shelves. In fact, Land O’Frost has been awarded numerous industry recognitions for food safety technologies, including American Meat Institute safety awards and Safe Quality Food Certification on all three of the company’s facilities. “Every school season brings the return of thousands of sandwiches being made, packaged and eaten every day by families across the country,” said Karen Malsom, director of innovation at Land O’Frost. “Food safety and making quality products have always been top priorities for Land O’Frost, which is why it is our goal to help consumers better understand lunch meat by clearing up some common misconceptions.” Myths And Facts Malsom debunks the following myths about a product that thousands of people in the U.S. eat every day: 1. Deli meat is fresher than prepackaged lunch meat. FALSE: When lunch meat is packaged in Zip-Pak pouches, as is Land O’Frost lunch meat, the freshness is sealed in. This keeps prepackaged lunch meat fresher, longer compared to deli meat. There’s more to delicious deli meats than many people realize. 2. Nitrites in lunch meat are bad for you. FALSE: Nitrite occurs naturally in many plants and foods and is produced by the human body. Nitrites that are used in processing lunch meat prevent the growth of bacteria that produce food poisons. Nitrites are the curing agent used during processing and impart a preservative effect in meat products. 3. Eating meat daily is not healthy. FALSE: The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating 5 to 7 ounces of meat per day as part of a healthy, balanced diet. 4. Processed lunch meat is less sanitary than raw produce and other meat products. FALSE: Lunch meats have been cooked and packaged in a sanitary manner under controlled conditions, unlike raw products such as sprouts, lettuce, spinach and raw hamburger meat. 5. Lunch meat only stays fresh for a few days. FALSE: Packaged lunch meat kept at 35 degrees Fahrenheit, the average temperature of a refrigerator, will last up to its sell-by date unopened or seven days after opening. More Fun Facts In addition, here are five “Did You Know?” facts related to lunch meat: •Lunch meat was brought to the U.S. in the 1800s by European immigrants. •Sandwiches, a $121 billion market, are the most popular item eaten by Americans, according to food experts. •Lunch meat is a $3.4 billion industry. •American men, on average, eat 6.9 ounces of meat per day and women eat 4.4 ounces. •Total meat and poultry production in 2010 reached more than 92.1 billion pounds. Land O’Frost manufactures sliced packaged luncheon meats (beef, chicken, turkey and ham) and is the largest family-owned brand of packaged deli meat in the U.S. Some of the leading products marketed by Land O’Frost include: Land O’Frost Premium One Pound, the top-selling deli pouch in the U.S.; Land O’Frost DeliShaved and its ultrapremium line Land O’Frost Bistro Favorites. Information on several additional items can be found on its website. The Land O’Frost brand can be found in the supermarkets and mass merchandisers that account for nearly 90 percent of the retail sales in the country, as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. The company operates three facilities in Lansing, Ill., Madisonville, Ky. and Searcy, Ark. Learn More You can get great recipes, nutritional information and more at www.landofrost.com.
