Tag Archives: San Francisco Bay Area

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FDA/USDA ~ Recalls, Market Withdrawals&Safety Alerts ~~ Jan 2014


FDA (trade union)
FDA (trade union) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
01/31/2014 08:51 AM EST
YoungYou International (“YoungYou”) is voluntarily recalling Mega Slim Herbal Appetite Management, one pill a day, sold from September 15, 2013 through January 23, 2014 at the consumer level. Mega Slim Herbal Appetite Management was found to contain DMAA.

YoungYou International Issues Voluntary Recall of Mega Slim Herbal Appetite Management Pills Due to Presence of DMAA

01/31/2014 08:51 AM EST
YoungYou International (“YoungYou”) is voluntarily recalling Mega Slim Herbal Appetite Management, one pill a day, sold from September 15, 2013 through January 23, 2014 at the consumer level. Mega Slim Herbal Appetite Management was found to contain DMAA.

Arkansas Firm Recalls Frozen Chicken Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens
George’s Inc., a Springdale, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 1.25 million pounds of frozen par-fried chicken tender products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The products are formulated with wheat, a known allergen, which was not properly declared on the labels.

01/28/2014 02:13 PM EST
Pringles is recalling a small quantity of 5.68‐ounce cans of its Original crisps. The crisps are being recalled because they may have been inadvertently exposed to seasoning containing milk, which is not listed as an ingredient on the label.

PMI Nutrition, LLC Recalls Red Flannel® Cat Food Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

01/26/2014 04:58 PM EST
PMI Nutrition, LLC (PMI), Arden Hills, Minn., has initiated a voluntary recall of its 20 lb. bags of Red Flannel® Cat Formula cat food for possible Salmonella contamination. There have been no reports of illness related to this product to date.

Winn-Dixie Recalls Instant Chocolate Drink Mix Sold in Florida

01/24/2014 06:41 PM EST
Winn-Dixie today announced an immediate recall of the 30 oz. canister of Winn-Dixie Instant Chocolate Drink Mix, with expiration date code of JUL 14 15B, from shelves in all stores throughout Florida. The recall does not affect stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana or Mississippi.

FDA’s MedWatch Safety Alerts: December 2013

01/24/2014 8:30 AM EST
FDA warns consumers about ADHD medications with a risk of long-lasting erections, dietary supplements that contain undeclared ingredients, a nipple aspirate test claiming to be a substitute for a breast biopsy or mammography and more.

UPDATED: Allergy Allert – Undeclared Milk in Five Kinnikinnick Foods Products

01/23/2014 10:14 PM EST
Kinnikinnick Foods of 10940 120 Street, Edmonton, AB is expanding previous recalls of January 10 & 15th. Kinnikinnick has determined that an ingredient used in the production of these products contained MILK allergens that were not listed by the manufacturer of that ingredient and may be present in these finished products.

FDA’s MedWatch Safety Alerts: December 2013

01/24/2014 8:30 AM EST
FDA warns consumers about ADHD medications with a risk of long-lasting erections, dietary supplements that contain undeclared ingredients, a nipple aspirate test claiming to be a substitute for a breast biopsy or mammography and more.

 Updated information is now available. An updated list of retail consignees has been posted for recall 003-2014, North Dakota Firm Recalls Beef Franks Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen (Jan 15, 2014).

Lochiel Enterprises Limited Recalls St Mary’s River Smokehouses Oven Smoked Salmon Stix, Chili Mango Flavor Because of Possible Health Risk
01/22/2014 12:52 PM EST

Lochiel Enterprises Limited of Sherbrooke, NS is voluntarily recalling 56 lbs of ST MARY’S RIVER SMOKEHOUSES OVEN SMOKED ATLANTIC SALMON STIX, CHILI MANGO FLAVOR, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and still births among pregnant women.

Flat Creek Farm & Dairy Recalls Cheese Because of Possible Health Risk Update to Correcy Lot Number Information

01/22/2014 01:50 PM EST

On December 23, 2013, Flat Creek Farm & Dairy of Swainsboro, GA announced a recall of its Heavenly Blue Cheese and Aztec Cheddar cheese. The purpose of this updated press release is to provide the correct lot number for the Aztec Cheddar cheese.

Updated information is now available. An updated list of retail consignees has been posted for recall 002-2014, California Firm Recalls Various Meat Products Produced Without The Benefit Of Full Inspection (Jan 13/16, 2014).

Kentucky Firm Recalls Cheeseburger Mac Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens
Truitt  Brothers Inc., an East Bernstadt, Ky. establishment is recalling  approximately 1.77 million pounds of shelf-stable pasta and ground beef  products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen.
California Firm Recalls Various Meat Products Produced Without the Benefit of Full Inspection
Rancho Feeding Corporation, a Petaluma, Calif., establishment, is expanding its recall to include an additional 420 pounds of product that was produced without the benefit of full federal inspection, making it unfit for human food.
Colorado Firm Recalls Beef and Pork Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen
European Meat Products Inc., a Lakewood, Colo., establishment, is recalling approximately 130,000 pounds of fresh and ready-to-eat beef and pork products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen
Illinois Firm Recalls Sliced Spiral Hams for Possible Listeria Contamination
Gusto Packing, a Montgomery, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 67,113 pounds of sliced, spiral ham products due to concerns about possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Colorado Firm Recalls Beef and Pork Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen
European Meat Products Inc., a Lakewood, Colo., establishment, is recalling approximately 130,000 pounds of fresh and ready-to-eat beef and pork products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen.
The Mentholatum Company Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Rohto® Eye Drops Made in Vietnam
01/16/2014 06:22 PM EST The Mentholatum Company announced today it is conducting a voluntary recall to the retail level of Rohto® Arctic, Rohto® Ice, Rohto® Hydra, Rohto® Relief and Rohto® Cool eye drops Made in Vietnam. This recall includes ONLY lots of product that were manufactured in Vietnam and DOES NOT include eye drops made in Japan.

California Firm Recalls Various Meat Products Produced Without the Benefit of Full Inspection
Rancho Feeding Corporation, a Petaluma, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 41,683 pounds of various meat products because they were produced without the benefit of full federal inspection.

North Dakota Firm Recalls Beef Franks Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen
Cloverdale Foods Co., a Mandan, N.D., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,664 pounds of beef franks due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.  The products were formulated with milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.

Acetaminophen Prescription Combination Drug Products with more than 325 mg: FDA Statement – Recommendation to Discontinue Prescribing and Dispensing

AUDIENCE: Consumer, Dentistry, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pharmacy, Pain Management, Surgery

Midwest Wholesale Issues Voluntary Recall of Boost Ultra, XZone Gold, Sexy Monkey, Triple MiracleZen Platinum, Magic for Men, “New” Extenze, and New XZen Platinum Marketed as a Dietary Supplements Due to the Presence of Undeclared Drug Ingredients

01/10/2014 08:31 PM EST

Nipro Diagnostics, Inc. Initiates Voluntary Recall of Certain TRUEbalance and TRUEtrack Blood Glucose Meters

01/07/2014 06:52 PM EST
Nipro Diagnostics, Inc. today announced it is initiating a voluntary recall and replacement of a limited number of TRUEbalance and TRUEtrack Blood Glucose Meters distributed both in the United States and outside the United States. The company has determined that certain isolated TRUEbalance and TRUEtrack Blood Glucose Meters distributed in the United States have an incorrect factory-set unit of measure that displays the glucose result in mmoi/L rather than mg/dl.

Tonia’s Biscotti II LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Wheat, Milk, and Soy in Tonia’s Biscotti Sampler Bags, Lemon Biscotti Dipped in White Chocolate Bags, and Individually Wrapped Biscotti of All Flavors

01/07/2014 04:48 PM EST
Tonia’s Biscotti II LLC of Homer, AK is recalling Sampler Bags, Lemon Biscotti dipped in White Chocolate Bags, and individually wrapped biscotti of all flavors because they may contain undeclared wheat, milk, and soy. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat, milk, and/or soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Baxter Initiates Nationwide Voluntary recall Of Select Lots of Premix Parenteral Nutrition

01/03/2014 06:10 PM EST
Baxter International Inc. announced today it has initiated a voluntary recall in the United States of two lots of CLINIMIX and one lot of CLINIMIX E Injection parenteral nutrition products to the user level due to complaints of particulate matter found in the products. For detailed information pertaining to this Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts message, please click the link at the beginning of this bulletin
1/2/2014 10:00 AM EST
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to avoid products marketed as dietary supplements that claim to prevent, treat or cure concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These claims are not backed by scientific evidence and FDA is concerned that false assurances of a faster recovery will convince someone who has suffered a concussion to resume activities too early to be safe.
In December 2013, FDA issued a warning letter to Star Scientific, Inc., for marketing its product Anatabloc with claims to treat TBIs.

The Cultured Kitchen Voluntarily Recalls Cashew Cheese Due To Possible Risk Of Contamination From Salmonella

12/31/2013 06:45 PM EST
The Cultured Kitchen of West Sacramento, CA is voluntarily recalling all flavors of their non-dairy cashew cheese product due to a risk of contamination from Salmonella. The non-dairy cashew cheese was distributed in Northern California and Nevada at various natural foods stores and farmers markets in the Sacramento Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and Reno.
12/31/2013 08:32 PM EST
Campbell Soup Company is voluntarily recalling approximately 300 cases of 24-ounce jars of Prego Traditional Italian sauce because of a risk of spoilage. The affected product was manufactured on December 15, 2013 and can be identified by the Best By date of June 16, 2015 and a four-digit, military time code ranging from CT BJ ZV 0330 through CT BJ ZV 0449.
01/01/2014 02:07 PM EST
Vital Signs Devices, a GE Healthcare Company, has initiated a voluntary field corrective action of the disposable Multi Absorber Original after becoming aware of a potential safety issue due to air leakage associated with the CO2 Multi Absorber. The Multi Absorber Original may have a thin wall condition which may lead to small holes in the water (drain tube). This may result in a loss of anesthetic gases, ventilation and oxygenation.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

amazonwatch.org


Shut it, you long-haired hippie
An “anti-public service” message from Donny Rico

An 'anti-public service' message from Donny Rico

Donny Rico here to deliver a message to all you long-haired hippie activist types complaining about the environment and human rights. Be warned: things have changed in America and you need to keep your mouths shut. Corporations are the top of the food chain and you need to keep your place or you’ll be what’s for dinner. Got it?

See, me and Chevron are paving the way for corporate freedom in America. Freedom from accountability, freedom from watchdog punks and freedom from caring about how our actions affect the rest of yous. When those pesky Ecuadorians spouted off about the fact that Chevron did a piece of work and chose to dump billions of gallons of toxic waste in their rainforest, we decided to turn the tables and it worked like a real charm. Chevron’s tired of being the victim just because over a thousand people died of cancer in Ecuador and we wrecked the Amazon rainforest.

Now, I hear some of you babbos got it in your heads to call on the U.S. Senate to investigate or some such garbage and try to put a stop to this. That ain’t gonna work. But go ahead and try and see what Chevron has to say about you and your 36 environmental, human rights and corporate accountability groups getting involved. You’re just asking for us to label you as “co-conspirators” and sue your asses under RICO, too!

See, RICO ain’t just some law to go after the mob, it’s the wave of the future. Thanks to RICO, anyone, and I DO MEAN ANYONE who speaks up about Chevron’s… ahhh… problems in Ecuador is a “co-conspirator” in the RICO world. That means we can drag yous all to court, subpoena all your emails and documents, and force you to shell out boatloads of cash to lawyers just to defend yourselves. And your reputation? Fuggetaboutit! See we got enough cash to crush your reputations. We’ll just call all your friends and tell ‘em you’re extortionists. You guys already gotta ask people for money just to stay afloat, so who’s gonna give it to ya if we make you look like crooks?

So be smart. Keep quiet and let Chevron do its thing. Oh, and that goes for all of yous activist types and do-good lawyers. If you think big energy companies are gonna let you organize people who got a beef with fracking and new pipelines – think again. We got enough legal muscle and friendly judges out there to go after anyone who does anything to threaten our bottom line. So if you go tellin’ people not to buy our products and instead get some organic-vegan-cotton throw pillow or some such tree-hugging junk, well then you’re conspiring to cost us money. And THAT is a RICO crime, got it?

If you still don’t get the message, watch my little video and you’ll learn real fast. See, this ain’t gonna end with Chevron. Once we get away with charging our own victims in Ecuador as crooks, there’s no limit to who we can go after. Freedom of speech don’t mean you can say things we don’t like – you’ve been warned.

Donny Rico, out!

~ 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

Office Google blog …Gone fishin’


Gone fishin’—piloting community supported fisheries at Google

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:44 AM PDT

(Cross-posted on the Google Green Blog)I’ve always loved the ocean—I was born in Shanghai, which means “upon the sea.” And as a chef, I’m always drawn to food that claims a spirit of place. After moving to California, near Half Moon Bay, I began visiting the docks to buy seafood, and got to know the fishermen.Over time, it became evident to me that this part of our food supply is broken: many consumers purchase stale, unsustainably-raised fish from chain grocers. Meanwhile, fishermen often sell their diminishing catch to wholesalers at a very low profit, meaning their livelihoods are no longer sustained by their catch. There’s also the environmental factor to consider: Overfishing and illegal practices cause worldwide decline in ocean wildlife populations and wreak havoc on underwater habitats—not to mention the carbon footprint of transporting seafood far from its origin.Google’s chefs have long been committed to sourcing food for our cafes as locally, seasonally and organically as possible. And in our Mountain View headquarters, many employees cook with the same ingredients at home thanks to on-site Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. When I joined the team as an executive chef in Mountain View, I wanted to make a difference in our purchasing program for seafood. For the five years leading up to then, I wrote a column for the San Francisco Chronicle called “Seafood by the Season,” and I knew it could be done. In early 2010, we began a push to apply the most rigorous standards to our seafood-buying practices, and respond to the in-the-moment fluctuations of the catch from small, independent fishermen.

Things took off from there. My colleague Quentin Topping dreamed of providing the same high-quality seafood we serve in our cafes for Googlers to take home to their families. That idea became the Google Community Supported Fishery (CSF), which we launched in May 2011. In this program, Googlers sign up to purchase a weekly supply of local, sustainable seafood, supplied through a partnership with the Half Moon Bay (HMB) Fisherman’s Association.

The Google Culinary team on a visit with fishermen in Half Moon Bay, Calif.—Quentin and I are the second and third from the left, in black.

We tend to think on a massive scale at Google—whether it’s how to deliver instant search results around the globe or help thousands of small businesses get online—but when it comes to feeding our employees at work and at home, it really comes down to a local touch. Knowing where our seafood, meat and produce come from, as well as knowing how they’re raised, farmed or harvested, makes all the difference in the on-the-ground work of sustainability. We see many bright spots ahead for our Community Supported Agriculture and Fishery programs, such as expansion to other offices and adding a grass-fed beef and pasture-raised poultry program. It’s exciting to work someplace where we can think big and local.

We know of two CSFs in the Bay Area. The Half Moon Bay Fishermen’s Association supplies only Google at the moment, but will soon add public drop-off sites—keep posted by visiting Farmigo.com. The other is CSea out of Bodega Bay. If you live elsewhere, we hope you’ll consider stepping up to create one in your area.

And even if you don’t live near the ocean or have direct access to fresh-caught seafood, the choices you make about what fish to purchase or order in restaurants can make a real difference. You may want to consider following the guidelines that we used for our Google Green Seafood policy: Whenever possible, purchase species caught locally and in-season, by small, independent fisher-families, using environmentally-responsible methods. We think it’s important to be responsive to the fluctuations of catch too, and source from fisheries that enforce catch limits or are guided by ecosystem-based management programs. As for us, we’ll continue to research and source responsibly managed farmed seafood, and always keep transparency and Googler health at the center of our program.

Posted by Liv Wu, Executive Chef