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Sodium shockers; what to do when your luggage is lost: CBC’s Marketplace cheat sheet

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Is your New Year’s resolution to cut back on sodium? You’ll want to read this first.

This healthy-looking fajita dish from Kelseys has almost double the recommended daily maximum sodium intake. (David McIntosh/CBC)

You probably wouldn’t load up on several packets of salt in one meal, but that’s the equivalent of the amount of sodium in some of your favorite healthy restaurant dishes.

That’s because sodium can creep into all kinds of foods long before you pick up the salt shaker — like marinades and condiments, for example.

Marketplace took a look at healthy-sounding dishes from popular sit-down restaurants, and the sodium content even surprised some diet experts.

Take Kelseys Original Roadhouse Chicken Fajitas for example. Lots of vegetables and grilled chicken may look healthy, but the dish contains almost double the recommended daily maximum sodium intake.

Health Canada recommends that the average person consume 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day — and no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, or the equivalent of just over a teaspoon of salt. Too much sodium in our diet can lead to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for developing stroke and heart disease.

Marketplace reached out to Kelseys to ask more about the sodium content of the chicken fajitas, but the company did not respond.

Experts say if you’re watching your sodium intake, words like “marinade,” “smoked,” “pickled” or “condiment” may be on your radar. Read more

To see more about how much sodium is in some of your favorite restaurant dishes, check out the CBC Gem episode.

What to do if your luggage is lost in the chaos of holiday travel

Thousands of passengers are still waiting to get their lost luggage back

The struggle is real for thousands of Canadian airline passengers still waiting for luggage that went missing during the holiday travel chaos. As luggage slowly makes its way to some passengers, others are hoping for compensation.

It’s a familiar story for the thousands of travelers who tried to fly to, from and around Canada over the holidays: They finally made it to their destination, only to find their luggage missing.

Here are some tips if it happens to you.

First, submit a delayed baggage report in writing to your airline as soon as possible. Include photos, descriptions of your luggage, a luggage tag and flight information if you can.

Claims must be made within 21 days for delayed baggage and within seven days for damaged baggage. Baggage is considered lost if it has been delayed for 21 days or if the airline admits earlier that it has been lost.

If you had to buy new things, airlines can compensate passengers for essentials like a bathing suit for a beach vacation, toiletries, or stroller rental. But it’s up to the airlines to determine what’s “reasonable,” so maybe don’t splurge on that $250 jacket. Make sure you keep all your receipts too. Read more

That’s where we are with the Rogers-Shaw merger battle

Rogers and Shaw applications are pictured on a mobile phone in Ottawa on May 9, 2022. The Competition Bureau says it is seeking to block Rogers Communications Inc’s proposed acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. for $26 billion (The Canadian Press)

The federal competition tribunal has decided to clear the way for Rogers’ $26 billion takeover of Shaw Communications with one caveat: Shaw must sell its wireless division — Freedom Mobile — to Quebec-based Videotron.

But Canada’s Competition Bureau is now asking the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn the decision, saying the tribunal erred in the way it assessed the deal and claims it made fundamental errors of law.

There is now a temporary suspension of the tribunal’s decision. So no merge yet.

The Competition Bureau argued that the Rogers and Shaw merger would reduce competition in Canada, leading to higher prices and a deterioration in service. The tribunal said the plan to sell Freedom Mobile to Shaw would avoid that.

No date has yet been set for the next hearing, but we will keep an eye on it. Read more

Next Friday, we examine the high cost of cell phone plans and ask why Canada still pays some of the highest prices in the world. You can catch us on Fridays at 8:00pm, 8:30 in Newfoundland, on CBC TV or CBC Gem.

A rental car company tried to charge this man $2,778 for damage he claimed he didn’t cause

Rami Osman points to a letter from Enterprise rental car company charging him for damage he says he didn’t cause. (Dale Molnar/CBC)

When Rami Osman rented a minivan from the Enterprise rental car company last August, he never imagined it would cost him $2,778.

He says that when he rented the van from an airport kiosk, no one inspected it with him or gave him a written report of previous damage.

When Osman returned the van about a week later, he says, an employee there noticed a small tear in the front bumper under the headlight.

Although Osman did a little inspection of the van before driving it, he said he couldn’t tell if he caused the tear or not, so he agreed to pay for the repair, thinking it would only cost a few hundred dollars.

The $2,778 bill was well over that. It included charges for a new radiator, a/c condenser, air deflector shield and air pro scan.

The company also levied a $75 administration fee, a $441.29 loss of use fee and a $205.61 devaluation of the vehicle.

After CBC News contacted Enterprise Canada, the company said it was withdrawing the allegations.

“Maintaining long-term customer loyalty is a top priority, so when a customer contacts us with a concern, we will do everything we can to properly investigate and resolve the claim as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.

Osman says he fought the charges because none of the internal damage matched the connection to the bumper tear.

He says he drove the van to a college north of Toronto and parked it for about a week, then drove it home.

“It could have been a rock. It could have been anything. It could have been me. It could have been not me. It could have been anyone.” Read more

What else is going on?

You can skip the doctor and treat these 13 conditions at Ontario pharmacies instead. Pharmacists can now assess and prescribe medicines for oral thrush, certain skin problems, pink eye and cold sores, among other conditions.

If you thought 2022 was bad, wait until you see what 2023 has in store for the economy. Forecasts predict recession, persistent inflation and rising unemployment. ugh

British Columbia now requires a 3-day cooling-off period for homebuyers. It is the first province to do so and gives buyers more time to arrange financing or home inspections.

Marketplace needs your help

(David Abrahams)

Do you or someone you know want to pop the question? Marketplace strives to follow couples on their journey to find the perfect ring and get engaged! Are you interested? Email us: marketplace@cbc.ca.

(David Abrahams)

Have you had Botox, fillers, laser treatments, or any other type of cosmetic procedure? We want to hear about your experience! Email us at marketplace@cbc.ca.

Check out the latest episodes of CBC Gem’s Marketplace.