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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

FDA Alerts & Recalls ~~ Nov 2013


English: Logo of the .
English: Logo of the . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
11/27/2013 04:38 PM EST
Flat Creek Farm and Dairy of Swainsboro, GA has recalled 200 pounds of Heavenly Blue cheese, because of potential contamination. As of November 27, 2013 at 11:00am, according to Flat Creek records, all of the purchasers have been notified and more than 90% of the product has been collected or destroyed.

Zip International Group LLC Recalls Herring Fillet in Oil Due to Potential Health Risk

11/27/2013 10:07 AM EST
ZIP INTERNATIONAL GROUP LLC, 160 Raritan Center Parkway #6, Edison, NJ 08837, is recalling herring fillet in oil (FOSFOREL, ATLANTIKA) 400 gram in plastic packaging due to Listeria contamination.

CLR Medicals International Inc. Issues Nationwide Recall of Viscoelastic Products

11/25/2013 07:39 PM EST
CLR Medicals International Inc., initiated a nationwide recall of Viscocel and Viscocel Plus, in response to FDA inspectional findings of deficiencies in the Quality System regulations for Medical Device Manufacturers, 21 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 820 and lack of Premarket Approval (PMA) for devices sold or distributed in domestic commerce. The Viscoelastic products, intended for human and animal use, have been determined to be a public health concern due to distribution in the US without FDA approval, which evaluates the safety and efficacy of the product, and violations of the QSR regulations related to sterility, and biocompatibility that may result in the release of contaminated products.

Jayone Food Issues Voluntary Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Dried Seaweed Salad

11/23/2013 09:18 PM EST
Jayone Foods, inc. of Paramount, CA is voluntarily recalling All date codes of Trader Joe’s Dried Seaweed Salad with Spicy Dressing (SKU 97677), because it may contain traces of peanuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Recall expanded to include: Raspberry Lemonade OxyELITE Pro Super Thermo Powder

11/19/2013 08:44 PM EST
USPlabs LLC, Dallas, TX is voluntarily conducting a national recall of all lots and sizes of the OxyElite Pro dietary supplement products listed below. These products contain Aegeline, a synthesized version of a natural extract from the Bael tree.
11/19/2013 03:49 PM EST
Blount Fine Foods of Fall River, MA is recalling a single lot code of Wegman’s branded refrigerated New England Clam Chowder in 16 ounce retail cup pack size because of undeclared crab allergen. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to crab run the risk of suffering serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume this product.
11/18/2013 01:00 PM EST
FDA used new enforcement tools provided by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act to act quickly in the face of a potential danger to public health.
 Following FDA actions, USPLabs on Nov. 9, 2013 recalled certain OxyElite Pro dietary supplements linked to dozens of cases of acute liver failure and hepatitis, including one death and illnesses so severe that several patients required liver transplants. Additionally, FDA will oversee the destruction of warehouse stocks of the supplement, with a retail value of about $22 million.
While FDA’s investigation is still ongoing, the agency continues to warn consumers to avoid using OxyElite Pro and VERSA-1. Both products contain a new dietary ingredient for which the company did not provide evidence of safety.
11/15/2013 08:59 PM EST
La Boulange Cafe & Bakery voluntarily initiated a product recall of 75 Soft Caramel Jams in 8.4 oz. jars with lot number 822713 as a precautionary measure. This product was sold exclusively in 20 La Boulange Café & Bakery stores in the San Francisco Bay Area.
11/15/2013 03:18 PM EST
S&M Enterprise of Bayonne, NJ is recalling all lots of Fruit of Wolfberry in 12 oz plastic bag packages. People who have allergies to sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
11/14/2013 11:45 PM EST
Crunch Pak of Cashmere, Washington is voluntarily recalling 5,471 cases of Crunch Pak Apple Slices due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes.
11/07/2013 10:50 AM EST
Bailey’s Choice LLC. in Waleska, GA is recalling its 5 oz. packages of chicken treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
11/13/2013 04:52 PM EST
3 Fellers LLC is voluntarily initiating a product recall of 3 Fellers Chocolate Cream Pies with the UPC# 891796002732 as a precautionary measure. The recall was initiated after it was discovered by the company that the product may contain undeclared almonds.
11/12/2013 05:13 PM EST
Whole Foods Market’s Northern California region is recalling ready-to-eat Artichoke Wheatberry Salad and Southwest SooFoo®* Salad in response to a recall issued today by Glass Onion Catering. The salads are being recalled as a preventive measure because they have the potential to be contaminated with E. coli O157:h7, a bacteria that may cause illness.
11/08/2013 10:04 PM EST
Sequel Naturals Inc., dba “Vega,” announced today that it has taken the precautionary measure of voluntarily withdrawing a limited quantity of its Vega One Nutritional Shakes and Sports Performance Protein products due to finding trace amounts of chloramphenicol (CAP), a naturally occurring antibiotic. Chloramphenicol is a prescription drug commonly used to treat typhoid fever and eye infections around the world. It should only be used under medical supervision.
11/10/2013 08:27 PM EST
Athertone Foods, Inc. of Richmond, CA is voluntary recalling “Best Buy” dates 9-23-13 through 11-14-13 of ready to eat salads and wraps because they may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. coli O157:H7). E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools.
11/11/2013 01:43 PM EST
Palmer Candy Company of Sioux City, IA is recalling 102 cases of HyVee Chocolate Caramel Clusters and 90 cases HyVee Chocolate Covered Caramels because they may contain undeclared peanuts. People who have an allergy to peanuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
11/09/2013 03:27 PM EST
Plum Organics is voluntarily recalling pouch products within its Baby Stage 2, Tots Mish Mash and Kids lines after discovering a manufacturing defect that may cause spoilage in some pouches. Recalled products can be identified by the “Best By” dates ranging from 08/05/14 to 12/08/14 and the letters “AT.”
11/05/2013 03:59 PM EST GOURMET EXPRESS, LLC VOLUNTARILY RECALLS 32 OUNCE PACKAGES OF “FUSIA CHICKEN LO MEIN” AND 21 OZ PACKAGES OF “BREMER 3 CHEESE CHICKEN” AND “BREMER GARLIC SHRIMP SKILLET MEALS DUE TO POSSIBLE UNDECLARED. People who have allergies to egg, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products
11/04/2013 01:32 PM EST
October 30, 2013 – Garden-Fresh Foods is initiating an expansion to our voluntary recall on various ready-to-eat salads, slaw, and dip products sold under various brands and code dates (see attachment). The products included in the expanded recall were produced between the dates of September 5, 2013 through October 16, 2013.
11/05/2013 03:59 PM EST
GOURMET EXPRESS, LLC VOLUNTARILY RECALLS 32 OUNCE PACKAGES OF “FUSIA CHICKEN LO MEIN” AND 21 OZ PACKAGES OF “BREMER 3 CHEESE CHICKEN” AND “BREMER GARLIC SHRIMP SKILLET MEALS DUE TO POSSIBLE UNDECLARED. People who have allergies to egg, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Teens and Steroids: A Dangerous Combo

11/04/2013 11:00 AM EST Teens are particularly at risk for adverse effects associated with anabolic steroids—possible mood swings, aggressive behavior, heart and liver disease, shrinkage of the testes in males, and menstrual irregularities in women. Ali Mohamadi, M.D., a medical officer in the Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products, warns teens and parents about the dangers of steroid use.

11/04/2013 01:32 PM EST
October 30, 2013 – Garden-Fresh Foods is initiating an expansion to our voluntary recall on various ready-to-eat salads, slaw, and dip products sold under various brands and code dates (see attachment). The products included in the expanded recall were produced between the dates of September 5, 2013 through October 16, 2013.
11/04/2013 01:07 PM EST
Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon is voluntarily expanding its October 22, 2013 recall of refrigerated ready-to-eat products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is an organism which can cause serious and sometime fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems.
11/04/2013 12:33 PM EST
Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods of Vallejo, California is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Trader Giotto’s Caesar Salad (SKU 05161) with a “Use By 11/03” date, because it may not list wheat, soy and fish (anchovy) in the ingredients. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat, soy and/or anchovy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
11/01/2013 05:53 PM EDT
Following the Reser’s Fine Foods (“Reser’s”) recall where select Reser’s products were recalled due to the potential of being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, Dutch Treat Salads, LLC, of Zeeland, MI, is voluntarily recalling one product, Mexicali Dip, that contains one ingredient recalled by Reser’s.
11/01/2013 10:18 PM EDT
The Perrigo Company (NYSE: PRGO; TASE) announced today that it has initiated a voluntary, nationwide product recall to the retail level of 18 batches of its acetaminophen infant suspension liquid, 160 mg/5 mL, sold in 2 oz. and 4 oz. bottles with syringes in a box under the store brand products listed below. The recall is being initiated because of the remote potential that a small number of packages might contain an oral dosing syringe without dose markings.
11/01/2013 04:07 PM EDT
Winn-Dixie today announced an immediate recall in all Winn-Dixie stores of the Taylor Farms Broccoli Crunch Salad sold in the full-service case in the deli department. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the reason for the recall is the potential that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall is part of a larger recall issued by Taylor Farms Tennessee, Inc. and Taylor Farms Maryland, Inc. as a result of a recall of Reser’s Fine Food Inc. products.
11/01/2013 04:10 PM EDT
Winn-Dixie today announced an immediate recall of the Taylor Farms Spinach Antipasta Salad in all Winn-Dixie stores. This recall is an expansion of an earlier recall announced by Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

It Gets Worse


By 

Sequestration About To Go From Bad To Worse

Between the government shutdown and the rollout of HealthCare.gov, you probably haven’t heard too much about sequestration lately. Unfortunately, these painful and damaging spending cuts are still here, still hurting people across the country, and are about to get a whole lot worse.

Early next year, another round of cuts kicks in on top of the cuts put in place this year. And many agencies won’t be able to use some of the tactics they did this year to blunt some of the impact of the current round of cuts.

Our Center for American Progress colleague outlines in a new report and this video exactly why and how sequester cuts get worse in 2014 unless Congress fixes them.

Click on the graphic and Check it out:

SequesterGetsWorse

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Birth Control


Democrats
The Supreme Court just decided to take up a case that could determine whether or not for-profit companies can deny their employees’ access to birth control. Republicans opposed to the Affordable Care Act are taking an extreme position and arguing that women’s bosses should have a say in their personal health decisions — which could undermine a core tenet of Obamacare and compromise women’s health.
That means it couldn’t be a more important time to speak out in favor of a woman’s right to make her own choices about her health. Let’s all stand together to show this is a decision that belongs to a woman, not her employer:

http://my.democrats.org/Stand-with-Women

Load image and stand with women.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Could this happen to you?


Imagine that complications from your pregnancy put your health at risk and when you arrive at the hospital you suddenly find out that they can refuse to help you.

This horrific reality has happened to many women, and it will happen again. If your local hospital is religiously affiliated — or if it employs doctors or nurses who have religious objections to providing needed medical care — it could even happen to you.

Tell the Department of Health: Women in Washington deserve better.

Within the next two years, more than 50 percent of hospital admissions in Washington may be to Catholic institutions that restrict patient access to medication and procedures. These religiously affiliated hospitals allow religious doctrine, rather than proven medical best practices, to dictate the kind of care and procedures pregnant women and patients can receive. In these hospitals, patient care and medical standards often run a distant second to religious doctrine. As a result, women’s health can suffer, and lives can be at risk and all the while women continue to seek care at these hospitals with no idea.

You can change this. The Washington Department of Health is asking for comments on proposed changes to hospital disclosure policies.

Submit your comment today to ensure that hospitals in Washington fully inform their patients about the reproductive health services they do and do not provide.

Many women seeking care at these hospitals may not realize that the hospitals deny care for women and patients in emergency situations, including:

  • Prohibiting prompt, medically indicated treatment of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, even if the woman’s life and health is at risk.
  • Refusing   to inform a couple about their contraceptive options, including sterilization, even though a pregnancy could threaten the women’s health or life.
  • Requiring patients in persistent vegetative states to be kept on feeding tubes even when a patient has specifically indicated that a feeding tube is something he or she would never want.

This is a growing problem in Washington. Women cannot wait until they are in dire need of services to be informed of their care. Please take action right now — the comment period closes at midnight on November 26.

Thanks for keeping it personal,

Thao Nguyen
Campaign Director
This Is Personal
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A Deal With Iran


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Global Powers Reach Interim Agreement on Iran’s Nuclear Program

After months of previously secret high-level meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials and years of international diplomacy, global powers reached a signifcant interim agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program.

ThinkProgress has the details of the deal, which is meant to provide six months for negotiators to hammer out a final, comprehensive agreement:

According to the terms of the deal, Iran has agreed to open itself up to more and greater sanctions from the International Atomic Energy Agency, while halting the installation of any further centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Tehran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent will be diluted, and construction at the heavy water reactor in Arak will be halted. Progress at Arak, which will be able to produce plutonium when fully operational, was a key concern left unresolved at the last round of talks.

In exchange, according to the White House fact sheet on the interim deal, the so-called P5+1 — the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Russia — will provide “limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible” relief from sanctions to Iran. This will include the release approximately $4.2 billion of Iranian funds currently being held and suspending sanctions on “gold and precious metals, Iran’s auto sector, and Iran’s petro-chemical exports” to the tune of approximately $1.5 billion. Embargoes against Iranian oil, banking institutions, and other financial sanctions will remain in place during the six month period the deal covers.

Polling out last week indicated that Americans overwhelmingly support an agreement along the lines of the deal reached on Saturday.

Nevertheless, Republicans and some Democrats almost immediately criticized the deal and threatened to pass additional sanctions when Congress returns next month, something which would violate the agreement and blow up the deal. Last week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) explained her opposition to a new round of sanctions:

“If you want a war, that is the thing to do. I don’t want a war. The American people don’t want a war. We’ve had years in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is an opportunity to move in a different path, and we ought to try it.”

Others, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), likened the deal to the unsuccessful effort to prevent North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons. Here’s five reasons why they are wrong.

Still other critics of the deal, including Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), made the bizarre and utterly ridiculous suggestion that the years-in-the-making, high-profile international diplomatic effort was really just a plot to distract from the rollout of HealthCare.gov.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been sharply critical of what he called “a historic mistake,” an Israeli military official said a deal could increase regional stability.

(ThinkProgress explains how the deal would look compared to the cartoon bomb that Netanyahu famously displayed during a speech before the United Nations General Assembly last year.)

BOTTOM LINE: The first-step deal announced yesterday in Geneva represents a major achievement by the Obama administration, addressing a top U.S. security challenge. By marshaling all the elements of American power—diplomatic, economic, and military—the United States and its partners haven taken a significant step toward addressing one of the most pressing concerns in the Middle East: the Iranian nuclear program.