Consumer Q for 2/21/08
Contact: Teresa Jenkins
(404) 656-3645
1-800-282-5852
CONSUMER Q’s
Prepared by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs
Tommy Irvin, Commissioner
Call Consumer Q’s Hotline at 1-800-282-5852
Consumer Alert: California Company Recalls Beef Products
Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co.,
Such circumstances require that an FSIS public health veterinarian reassess the non-ambulatory cattle which are either condemned and prohibited from the food supply, or tagged as suspect. Suspect cattle receive a more thorough inspection after slaughter than is customary.
This noncompliant activity occurred occasionally over the past two years and, therefore, all beef product produced during the period of time for which evidence indicates such activity occurred has been determined by FSIS to be unfit for human consumption, and is, therefore, adulterated.
This recall is designated as Class II due to the remote probability that the beef being recalled would cause adverse health effects if consumed. (See description of USDA recall classes at the end of this press release.) FSIS made this determination because the animals passed ante-mortem inspection but should have been identified as suspect requiring additional inspection after slaughter to determine if there is evidence of disease, injury, or other signs of abnormalities that may have occurred after ante-mortem inspection.
In July 2007, FSIS issued a final rule “Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle.” This rule requires that a case by case disposition must be made by an FSIS Public Health Veterinarian for every animal that becomes non-ambulatory disabled (“downer”) after passing ante-mortem inspection.
The prohibition of downer cattle from entering the food supply is only one measure in an interlocking system of controls the federal government has in place to protect the food supply. The government has multiple safeguards regarding Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly referred to as “mad cow disease,” in place and the prevalence of the disease in the
Other BSE security measures include the feed ban that prohibits feeding ruminant protein to other ruminants and an ongoing BSE surveillance program that began before the confirmation of the first BSE positive cow in the
As another measure to reduce the risk of potential exposure to consumers, FSIS requires the removal of specified risk materials (SRM) so they do not enter the food supply. Several FSIS line inspectors are stationed at designated points along the production line where they are able to directly observe SRM removal activities.
The products subject to this recall were sent to wholesale distributors nationwide in bulk packages and are not available for direct purchase by consumers.
All products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 336” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on various dates from Feb. 1, 2006 to Feb. 2, 2008. Companies are urged to check their inventories and hold the products until the recalling firm makes arrangements for final disposition of the products.
For a list of the specific products subject to recall, contact our office of public affairs or visit our website at www.agr.ga.gov .
Some of the Westland Meat Co. branded products were purchased for federal food and nutrition programs and, since Jan. 30, 2008, USDA has had an administrative hold on all products from Westland Meat Co. in all of these outlets including, in the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Assistance Program on Indian Reservations. Based on this Class II recall, officials of the Food and Nutrition Service and Agricultural Marketing Service will work closely with state food and nutrition officials to minimize any disruptions caused by the removal and disposal of recalled Westland Meat Co. products.
Media and consumers with questions about the recall should contact company Plant Manager Stan Mendell or Food Safety Consultant Steve Sayer at (909) 590-3340.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
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How can I make glass cleaner?
The following is a recipe for home-made glass cleaner.
Combining ½ cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water will make a simple glass cleaner. Or you may also want to try ½ cup sudsy ammonia to 1 gallon of water (or 2 tablespoons per quart). If you need a glass cleaner that is less likely to freeze in cold weather, you can combine ½ cup of sudsy ammonia, 2 cups of rubbing alcohol, 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent, and 1 gallon of water.
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Please tell what are the ingredients in making lye soap?
There a several things you need to know before you begin your soap-making experience. Lye, which you can either make yourself from wood ash or purchase at a grocery store, is very irritating to the skin and can do severe damage to the eyes and throat. Lard is the main ingredient in soap. One can successfully substitute other oil to use in its place, such as sunflower, canola, or just vegetable oil. The utensil you use in soap making should be saved for soap-making use only and should not be used thereafter for food purposes. For more information on making soaps please contact our office of consumer services at 1.800.282.5852
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We have a beautiful gum tree but the spur covered fruit are a nuisance. We’ve heard that the tree can be sterilized to prevent the fruit. Is this so and how is it done?
There is no treatment short of cutting the tree down to keep it from bearing fruit. However, there is a sterile sweet gum tree that is available from some nurseries. It’s botanical name is Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba.’
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It's Time to Prune
Late winter is the time to prune many woody landscape plants. Pruning during the dormant season allows you to better see branch structure and encourages a flush of vigorous new growth in spring. By waiting until the coldest winter weather has passed, you minimize damage to tissue around pruning cuts.
The exceptions to the late-winter pruning are spring-flowering shrubs, including azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythia, and weigela. These plants bloom on old wood -- the flower buds are formed the previous summer. Prune these now and you'll prune away potential flowers; instead, prune just after bloom.
Trees and shrubs that bloom in summer, including butterfly bush, rose of Sharon, beautyberry, and crape myrtle, produce flowers on new wood -- the flower buds form in spring and early summer on new growth. These may be pruned now to encourage new growth with abundant flower buds.
Every pruning cut should have a purpose. Research each type of plant to determine its natural growth habit and optimum pruning time and technique. Some plants thrive with repeated shearing; others don't. If a tree or shrub is grossly out of proportion where it stands in your landscape, consider removing it and planting something more appropriate. Repeatedly hacking back overgrown plants is often detrimental to the plant and results in an unnatural, awkward form.
There are three main reasons for pruning. Keep these in mind, in this order:
Prune for safety. Remove branches that obscure visibility or that are hazardous to pedestrians and people mowing. Remove weak and overhanging branches that could fall in a storm. Have your local utility or a professional arborist prune trees near utility lines.
Prune for health. Prune damaged and diseased branches, and those that are rubbing against each other. Remove weak growth to promote increased vigor in remaining branches. Prune crowded growth to improve air circulation.
Prune for aesthetics. Prune to maintain desired size and shape, to improve flowering or fruiting, to increase light penetration and to improve the overall appeal of your landscape.
Pruning terminology can be confusing. Consult a reference for each of your plants.
Types of Plants
Broad-leaved evergreen: an evergreen plant with broad leaves rather than needles. Examples: rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel, and boxwood.
Narrow-leaved evergreen: an evergreen plant with needle-like leaves. Examples: pine, spruce.
Deciduous: describes plants that produce leaves during the growing season, then drop their leaves during the dormant season. Examples: maple, poplar.
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If you have questions, or problems with services or products regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture you may write Consumer Services, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Room 224, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 or call 404/656-3645 (metro Atlanta) or toll-free, 1-800-282-5852 (state wide).
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