Ready to eat salad recall

From the company press release distributed by the FDA. Other states included in the recall: Calif., Ore., Colo., Wyo., Nev., and Utah.

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2011 – Taylor Farms Pacific, a Tracy, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 22,000 pounds of ready-to-eat fresh salad products that contain meat and poultry because the grape tomatoes used in these products may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The problem was discovered when Taylor Farms Pacific was notified by its tomato supplier, Six L’s, that a specific lot of grape tomatoes was being recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination. Taylor Farms Pacific, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration, announced the recall of products containing the grape tomatoes on May 2, 2011.

The products subject to recall in packaging for consumers include: View labels here.

6.5-oz. plastic trays of “Marketside Chef Salad” with a use-by date of “5/2/11,” and the case code “10210276.”
5.25-oz. plastic trays of “Marketside Cobb Salad” with a use-by date of “5/6/11,” and the case code “10210277.”
12-oz. plastic trays of “Signature Cafe BLT Salad with Chicken” with a use-by date of “4/27/11,” and the case code “10218631.”
12-oz. plastic trays of “Signature Cafe Cobb Salad” with a use-by date of “4/27/11″ or “4/28/11,” and the case code “10218625.”
11-oz. plastic trays of “Signature Cafe Chef Salad” with a use-by date of “4/27/11,” and the case code “10218627.”

Each package bears a label with the establishment number “EST. 34013″ or “P-34013″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and the use-by date as noted above. The products subject to recall were produced from April 20–24, 2011, and were sent to distribution centers in Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah and Wash. for further distribution to retail stores.

The products subject to recall in packaging for retailers, who may have assembled the kits and then repackaged the products for retail sale include:
96-oz. packages of Safeway Signature Cafe Cobb Salad Kit and distributed in Ariz., Calif., Colo. and Ore.
88-oz. packages of “Safeway Signature Cafe Chef Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10218807″ and a use-by date of “5/4/11,” “5/5/11″ or “5/7/11″ and distributed in Ariz., Calif., Colo. and Ore.
96-oz. packages of “Safeway Signature Cafe Cobb Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10218816″ and a use-by date of either “5/2/11,” “5/3/11″ or “5/4/11″ and distributed in Wash.
88-oz. packages of “Safeway Signature Cafe Chef Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10218818″ and a use-by date of “5/4/11″ or “5/5/11″ and distributed in Wash.
96-oz. packages of “Safeway Signature Cafe BLT Chicken Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10218822″ and a use-by date of “5/4/11″ and distributed in Wash.
138-oz. packages of “Walmart Marketside Asian Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10219991″ and a use-by date of “5/3/11,” “5/5/11″ or 5/6/11 and distributed in Ariz. and Nev.
136-oz. packages of “Walmart Marketside Buffalo Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10219992″ and a use-by date of “5/7/11″ and distributed in Wyo.
6.07-lb. packages of “Walmart Marketside Chef Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10212096″ and a use-by date of “5/5/11,” “5/6/11″ or “5/7/11″ and distributed in Ariz., Nev., N.M., Utah, Wash., and Wyo.
6-10 oz. packages of “Raleys to Go California Cobb Salad” bearing the case code “10201360″ and a use-by date of “5/4/11″ and distributed in Calif.
6-11.5 oz. packages of “Raleys to Go Classic Chef Salad” bearing the case code “10201364″ and a use-by date of “5/4/11″ and distributed in Calif.
100-oz. packages of “Save Mart Pacific Coast Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10202161″ and a use-by date of “5/7/11″ and distributed in Calif.
17.39-lb. packages of “Taylor Farms Italian Sub 2 CT Pasta Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10203008″ and a use-by date of “5/7/11″ and distributed in Ore.
84-oz. packages of “Taylor Farms Cobb Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10210193″ and a use-by date of “5/5/11″ or “5/8/11″ and distributed in Ariz.
84-oz. packages of “Taylor Farms Cobb Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10210204″ and a use-by date of “5/6/11″ and distributed in Calif.
12.25-lb. packages of “Sam’s BLT Chicken Spinach” bearing the case code “10212049″ and a use-by date of “5/8/11″ and distributed in Calif.
7.7-lb. packages of “Walmart Marketside Ranch Cobb Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10212097″ and a use-by date of “5/5/11,” “5/6/11″ or “5/7/11″ and distributed in Ariz., Nev., N.M., Utah, Wash. and Wyo.
88-oz. packages of “Safeway Signature Cafe BLT with Chicken Salad Kit” bearing the case code “10218707″ and a use-by date of “5/4/11″ and distributed in Ariz. and Ore.

Each package bears a label with the establishment number “EST. 34013″ or “P-34013″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and the use-by date as noted above. The products were produced on various dates from April 20 and April 27, 2011. When repackaged into individual kits, the packages do not bear the USDA mark of inspection or the establishment number.

When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS’ website

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 6 to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall should contact the company’s Customer Service Manager, Cary Price, at (209) 835-6300.

from the Cornucopia press release

Largest Organic Milk Bottler Accused of Misrepresenting Products

Consumers Cautioned to Choose Organic Milk without Dubious, Illegal Ingredients

Cornucopia, Wis.—The Cornucopia Institute filed a formal request with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today, asking for an investigation into Dean Foods’ advertisements for its Horizon milk with Omega-3 DHA, alleging the nation’s largest dairy conglomerate with consumer fraud in misrepresenting the nutritional benefits of its products.

The dairy giant’s White Wave division, which markets the Horizon organic milk brand, recently launched a major nationwide marketing campaign that focuses on purported benefits to children’s brain development from drinking milk with added DHA oil, which is highly processed from fermented algae.

According to The Cornucopia Institute’s complaint, Dean Foods’ claims that their proprietary DHA oil “supports brain health” are not based on credible scientific evidence, and are therefore misleading consumers.

“DHA is one of many naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acids, which scientists believe is beneficial when consumed through real, wholesome foods such as fish, flax seeds, nuts or grass fed milk and meat. But the DHA in Horizon’s milk comes from a highly processed oil, extracted from fermented algae,” says Charlotte Vallaeys, Director of Farm and Food Policy at The Cornucopia Institute, a non-profit research group based in Wisconsin. “There is little scientific evidence to support the claim that adding these manufactured oils to foods is in any way beneficial to children’s cognitive development,” she adds.

The algal oil is manufactured and marketed by Martek Biosciences Corporation, based in Maryland. The Cornucopia Institute has charged that food processors adding Martek’s algal oils to organic foods are in violation of the Organic Food Production Act and USDA organic standards, which prohibit unapproved non-organically produced ingredients in organic foods.

As reported in the Washington Post, a former administrator at the USDA’s National Organic Program, during the Bush administration, allowed these oils in organics after she was contacted by a corporate lobbyist who asked her to reinterpret the federal rules governing organic foods. Last year, the new director of the National Organic Program, which regulates organic foods on the US market, publicly stated that ingredients like Martek’s oils have been allowed in organic foods due to an “incorrect” interpretation of the federal organic standards.

Under current organic standards, food processors may add essential nutrients to organic foods if they are covered under the Food and Drug Administration’s official fortification rule. Essential nutrients that have been proven to benefit public health, like folic acid, which prevent birth defects, can legally be added to organic foods. But both the FDA and organic advocates advise against indiscriminate fortification of foods.

Earlier this week, on April 18, the National Organic Program made public a document by the Food and Drug Administration that clearly states that DHA oils are not “essential nutrients” and are not covered under the FDA’s fortification policy. Cornucopia stated that its research indicates that 90% of all organic milk brands are supplied by ethical family-scale farmers and do not include any questionable additives.

“These highly processed, novel ingredients do not belong in organic foods, and it is important to remember that very few processors are adding them. Companies like Dean Foods/Horizon realize that these are valuable marketing tools, designed to create a competitive advantage, even if science does not back up their marketing claims,” states Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst with Cornucopia.

The FTC, the government agency charged by Congress for ensuring that companies advertise truthfully in the marketplace, has already sent a dozen warning letters to companies that use DHA algal oil as the basis for claims that their products benefit children’s brain development.

To read the entire press release, please click here.

Watch a video about what happens when the same DHA is added to infant formula.

Should additives be added to organic products?
Does this dumb down organic products?
If you buy organic products, why? What are your expectations from the corporations marketing them?

The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit farm policy research group, is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Their Organic Integrity Project acts as a corporate and governmental watchdog assuring that no compromises to the credibility of organic farming methods and the food it produces are made in the pursuit of profit.

Fresh veggies from the farmers market

Is processed food better than organic food?

Maybe we’re over thinking what’s best for us.

Here’s a helpful video that really clarifies why processed food is far better for us and the economy than organic food.

What do you think?

Watch the video, then let me know if you agree or disagree…