Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.
To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.
The Frugal Roundup
How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)
Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)
Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)
Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)
40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)
Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)
5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance
Oh, gee. The FDA is watching out for us again.....<<<
I think they just might over do it.
My 13 chickens are laying 11-13 eggs daily <<<
Now that is real wealth.
How wonderful, one would think they have spring fever.
please add me to the ping list for the thread.<<<
Welcome to the thread, join in when you want to.
You are on the ping list that I am long overdue in sending out, not enough hours in my days and I never get to it.
You know, I think that deserves its own thread. I’m going to post it.
Ah... A greenhouse attached to the house so I could sit out there! I keep dreaming.... would settle for a sunporch!
I call my greenhouse time “green therapy” LOl Spent about 4 hours out there yest, seeding. Told my co worker and best buddy that she’s going to hate me in about 2 weeks when all that stuff I seeded needs to be transplanted and I’m stuck in the office doing paperwork!
City Farmer shines a positive light on the environmental movement during the Olympics
Sharon and Michael, of Vancouver’s Compost Demonstration Garden, take us on a tour
of their site, including the various new technologies that make composting, gardening
and greening more urban home friendly.
Urban Plots - Chicago
To her family in North Carolina, “a farm in a city doesn’t make any sense,” says
third-year Emily Howe. “Even my friends here don’t understand. They think I work
indoors or on a rooftop.”
“I’ve worked on a big pumpkin farm before,” says fourth-year Elspeth McGarvey, who
grew up in Arcola, Illinois, population 2,700. “The weirdest part for me isn’t the
dirt, or the grossness. It’s being right next to Western Avenue.”
Richard Adams’s Kitchen Gardens
Richard Adams (b. 1960) received a BA Hons in Graphic Design at Leicester Polytechnic.
He spent his childhood amidst the British countryside in the south Cotswolds. Its
outstanding landscape has had a strong and lasting influence on his art work.
Out of the Scientist’s Garden
Out of the Scientist’s Garden is written for anyone who wants to understand food
and water a little better - for those growing vegetables in a garden, food in a
subsistence plot or crops on vast irrigated plains. It is also for anyone who has
never grown anything before but has wondered how we will feed a growing population
in a world of shrinking resources.
Urban farming on the rise in Bloomington, Indiana
Jami Scholl is a local garden designer who uses permaculture principles to create
beautiful, edible landscapes that taste as good as they look.
Jami is now taking
her passion for “foodscaping” one step further; she has begun working with city
government council members and planners in order to clarify the elements of urban
agriculture that will be acceptable throughout Bloomington.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All stories here:
City Farmer News [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103093005090&s=1304&e=00117XVzYcnt4oDuZSrd-1R3qx0p58s9_kBd2JW-satdetORdXe2-YxLkMQu06Zc3Igdu2uJ56lqat-uduwynDOActpeQ9PRRG7Cj0lcEjyaG-Yo_71UxXvbQ==]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Levenston
City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture
City of the 2010 Winter Olympics
Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - February 24, 2010
Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online
(http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html#wh).
Share The Harvest: Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues who might be interested in the latest sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities, and events.
News & Resources
* Report Outlines Changes to the Small Farm Sector
* Disaster Assistance Program Fact Sheet Available
* USDA Releases Report on Farm Household Well-Being
* Vegetable Cost-of-Production Study Available
* American Sheep Industry Meeting Presentations Available Online
* USDA Releases Food Availability Data
Funding Opportunities
* Wisconsin Specialty Crop Grant
* Minnesota Specialty Crop Grant
* Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center Grants
Coming Events
* Growing Markets for Sustainable Meat and Dairy Production
* Good Food, Good Futures Conference
* Tennessee Organic Conference
News & Resources
Report Outlines Changes to the Small Farm Sector
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib63/
Small Farms: Persistence Under Pressure is a new report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). ERS documents the changing distribution and character of small farms as agricultural production becomes more concentrated. Commercially oriented small farms, those accounting for most small-farm production, continue to decline in number in the face of large-farm competition.
Disaster Assistance Program Fact Sheet Available
http://flaginc.org/topics/pubs/arts/SURE20100218.pdf
Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Inc. (FLAG) announces the availability of a new fact sheet (http://flaginc.org/topics/pubs/arts/SURE20100218.pdf) about the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program, or SURE. SURE is also known as the “standing disaster program” under the 2008 Farm Bill. SURE is a federal program to provide payments to farmers for crop disaster losses in the 2008 through 2011 crop years. The fact sheet is intended to explain SURE to farmers who suffered losses due to natural disaster in 2008 or 2009, as well as farmers who would like to manage their risk of losses in 2010.
USDA Releases Report on Farm Household Well-Being
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR91/
Household economic well-being can be gauged by the financial resources (income/wealth) available to the household or by the standard of living enjoyed by household members (consumption). Based on responses to USDA’s annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), a joint effort by the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, ERS has long published estimates of farm household income and wealth. This report presents, for the first time, estimates of consumption for farm households, calculated using new survey questions in ARMS, and compares them to consumption estimates for all U.S. households, calculated from the Consumer Expenditure Survey collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Vegetable Cost-of-Production Study Available
http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfm?story=1269
A new cost-of-production study (http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/files/MixedVegIR09.pdf) for growing mixed vegetables on a small-scale farm is now available from the University of California Cooperative Extension. Growing costs for an assortment of tomatoes, winter squash and melons on a four-acre farm are shown in the study. The costs are based on one-acre plantings and can be adjusted to smaller or larger acreage. The vegetables are sold at local businesses and various farmers’ markets for which costs are shown.
American Sheep Industry Meeting Presentations Available Online
http://www.sheepusa.org/2010_Meeting_Presentations
Presentations given at the 2010 American Sheep Industry Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee are now available online. A range of topics were presented and can now be used as resource materials. Topics covered include wool products and marketing, lamb marketing, animal health, and current research efforts.
USDA Releases Food Availability Data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/02/0071.xml
Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack unveiled the latest data on U.S. food availability per capita in a USDA database used by researchers, policymakers, media, and marketers to gauge consumption of individual foods and food groups. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), which created and maintains the data system, updates it annually. ‘Food availability’ is essentially the per capita amount of food in the U.S. food marketing system available for consumption. ERS economists include production and imports of the various foods, and exclude exports as well as farm and industrial uses, to arrive at an approximation of what Americans consume on average.
More Breaking News (http://attra.ncat.org/news/)
Funding Opportunities
Wisconsin Specialty Crop Grant
http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/mktg/business/marketing/val-add/specialty_crops_grants/index.jsp
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection will accept applications until 4 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2010 for competitive process grants under USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Eligible projects will enhance the competitiveness of Wisconsin specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets and must provide a benefit to more than just the applicant.
Proposals are due April 1, 2010.
Minnesota Specialty Crop Grant
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/grants/grants/specialty.aspx
Minnesota Specialty Crop Block Grant Program-Farm Bill program funds will be distributed to the specialty crop industry through a competitive review process. Project topics may include, but are not limited to: addressing good agricultural practices, research on crop productivity or quality, enhancing access to federal nutrition programs, pest and disease management, or commodity-specific projects addressing common issues.
Proposals are due April 1, 2010.
Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center Grants
http://www.wallacecenter.org/our-work/current-initiatives/healthy-urban-food-enterprise-development-center/healthy-urban-food-enterprise-development-center
The Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center (HUFED) at the Wallace Center at Winrock International, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture, will support greater access to healthy affordable food in communities across the country. HUFED is unique in that it will provide grants and technical assistance for enterprise development and focus on getting more healthy food — including local food — into communities that have limited access. Letters of Interest for grant submission are due March 8.
Proposals are due March 8, 2010.
More Funding Opportunities (http://attra.ncat.org/funding/)
Coming Events
Growing Markets for Sustainable Meat and Dairy Production
http://iccr.org/calendar.php
March 3, 2010
Washington, D.C.
“Meeting the Demand: Growing Markets for Sustainable Meat and Dairy Production” will bring together investors, institutional consumers, and sustainable meat and dairy producers, for a day-long conversation about the costs, benefits, challenges and opportunities for growing local and regional markets for environmentally sustainable, ethical meat and dairy products.
Good Food, Good Futures Conference
http://www.americanroyal.com/Default.aspx?tabid=434
March 2-3, 2010
Kansas City, Missouri
At the first ever Farm, Food and Health conference, a diverse group of stakeholders will come together to discuss the biologic and economic relationships between food and health. Together they will explore how to systematize the demand for good food in local, regional and national food economies. Experts from the agricultural, food retailing, information technology, large employer, government and healthcare sectors will share their knowledge about how to develop practical solutions to problems in our local and global food systems.
Tennessee Organic Conference
http://tnorganics.org/events/conference
March 5-6, 2010
Franklin, Tennessee
Our yearly gathering has been expanded to two days of educational workshops, speakers and farm tours, capped with a keynote address by author, activist and farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms located in the picturesque and productive Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
More Events (http://attra.ncat.org/calendar)
New & Updated Publications
Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency
Biodiesel: The Sustainability Dimensions (Update)
Paddock Design, Fencing, and Water Systems for Controlled Grazing (Update)
Question of the Week
What information can you give me on markets for ginseng and goldenseal?
NSAC Seeking Executive Director
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is searching for a new Executive Director. Go to http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/position-announcement-nsac-executive-director/ for details.
Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert
Submit questions to our professional staff online
http://attra.ncat.org/ask.php
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You know, I think that deserves its own thread. I’m going to post it.<<<
Good for you, for I cannot handle another thread.
They will sell that stuff to us, one way or the other.
I keep hearing on the radio to come and get the flu shot, that they have more than enough of it on hand, guess there were too many of us who said “NO, thank you”.
I call my greenhouse time “green therapy”<<<
That describes it, for it is always there, waiting to welcome you.
If you want one at home, do what several people here do, they put a post in the local Free Cycle group for the building supplies and they get the needed materials, for they also post a thank you for them.
I have to laugh, they start out asking for materials for the frame and when they get to a point, will start asking for used windows.
It amazes me how many free sliding glass doors there are to be had.
I would love to work with them, wouldn’t take many.
I thought about using sliding glass doors and making a sort of greenhouse. Wouldn’t take much...and if I did it on the south side...
LOL The hardest part would be keeping it cool in the summer!
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2010
Release # 10-147
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 541-0520
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Commercial Ice Cube Machines Recalled by Scotsman Due to Fire Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Scotsman(r) Commercial Modular Cube Ice Machines (Modular Cubers)
Units: About 43,000
Manufacturer: Scotsman Group LLC, of Vernon Hills, Ill.
Hazard: The solenoid, an electrical component in the product, can fail and result in an electrical arc that can pose a fire hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: The company has received four reports of fires and 37 reports of burned or melted components, resulting in replacement of machines and component parts. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled machines are designed to be installed on top of ice storage bins or ice dispensers, and typically are used in commercial establishments. Model numbers begin with C0322, C0330, C0522, C0530, C0630, C0830, C1030, C1448, C1848, C2148, EH130, EH222, EH330, or EH430, and serial numbers of the recalled machines within these model designations begin with 05, 06, 07, 08 or 09. Model and serial numbers are on the back of all machines and, depending on the model, behind the machine’s front panel either in the lower right corner of the machine or on the left side of the sheet metal wall that separates the larger (equipment) compartment from the smaller (ice-making) compartment.
Scotsman(r) commercial flake and nugget ice machines, commercial undercounter cube ice machines, and residential ice machines are not involved in this recall.
Sold Exclusively at: Commercial food service equipment distributors and dealers nationwide from September 2006 through December 2009 for between $4,000 and $14,000.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Customers should stop using the recalled ice cube machines immediately and contact the company to schedule a free repair.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Scotsman at (800) 541-0520 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the company’s Web site at www.scotsman-ice.com
To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10147.html
[A wonderful story included in this issue, read it on line...
granny]
Dollmaker’s Journey CUSTOMER CONNECTION
Dream ~ Imagine ~ Create ~ Grow ~ Believe ~ Magic
At http://dollmakersjourney.com we help your creative dreams come
true.
February 2010 Issue 99
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Copyright 2010 by Dollmaker’s Journey
Dollmaker’s Journey Customer Connection newsletter is a free e-mail
newsletter. Tell your friends, family and fellow dollmakers about us,
and feel free to forward this newsletter to those who might be
interested. You can visit our companion website at:
http://www.dollmakersjourney.com/
**Notice!**
You can view this issue online. Go to
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You can read all the past issues online. Go to:
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The archives include an easy to follow index to all the past issues.
LOL The hardest part would be keeping it cool in the summer!<<<
Not as difficult as you think, plant Thompson Seedless grape vines, train them inside to serve as shade, the leaves will fall in the winter and let the sun in, but keep it cool in the summer, have them a foot or more below the glass/roof and don’t ever cut them back, you will have a huge crop and a wonderful hiding spot for your escapes.
Or use the shade cloth or the lath, on the outside for shade.
Inside, leave dirt floors or maybe sandstone so you can wet it down.
The first summer we lived here, with a water style evaporative cooler on the roof, we almost roasted.
The second year the first attached greenhouse was up and by opening the door into it and allowing the moisture from the greenhouse to come in, it kept both areas cooler and nothing was changed on the cooler, simply more air circulating.
On the mountain, I used old sheets inside the greenhouse for shade on the west wall, during the summer.
Outside, you could plant something like gourds or winter squash and train it up to shade the greenhouse during the summer, or even corn and sunflowers.
LOL, you will find a way.
LOL, you weren’t gone that long, we are still on thread #3, beginning to creep up on #4.
Thank you for offering to send the pings, someone else has also, so I need to find out if they still plan on doing it or not.
Being without a computer is a shock to the systems of your mind, or it is mine.
It always amazes me that I will sit in front of a dead computer, as if it is the only place in the world.
It is good to have you back, we missed you.
The main thing is that you are ok.
Thompson grapes won’t grow here! LOL The only type of grapes that will take our heat and humidity are scuppernongs, or muscadines. They are native to this area. Even the first explorers commented on them, saying they had never seen the like, not even in France. They have a unique flavor, sweet and reminiscent of wood smoke. The skins are tough so you hold them up to your mouth, squeeze hard, and squirt the pulp into your mouth. They are full of seeds, which most people spit out once they’ve sucked the sweetness out of the mass. Scuppernongs are amazingly good for you, and a beloved treat around here. The mother vine, as it’s called, is over 400 years old, in Elizabeth City, IIRC.
Now you’ve had your trivia/history lesson for the day! LOL
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm202071.htm
Trader Joe’s Company Voluntarily Recalls Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars
Contact:
Press Contact: Alison Mochizuki
Office: 626-599-3779
E-mail: amochizuki@traderjoes.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — February 19, 2010 - Trader Joe’s Company of Monrovia, California is voluntarily expanding the recall of the Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars (SKU 82818) to include all code dates, manufactured by Bloomfield Bakery, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. because it has 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, 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.
The product involved in this recall was distributed at Trader Joe’s stores nationally and comes in a 7.4 oz box. Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and Bloomfield Bakery continue their investigation.
No illnesses have been confirmed to date in connection with this product.
At Trader Joe’s we take the safety of our customers and the integrity of our products very seriously. Customers who have purchased Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars are urged to return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe’s Customer Relations Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm PST at (626) 599-3817.
####
Photo: Product Labels
http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r100224.htm
For Immediate Release: February 24, 2010
Contact: CDC Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Recommends Universal Annual Influenza Vaccination
A panel of immunization experts voted today (February 24, 2010) to expand the recommendation for annual influenza vaccination to include all people aged 6 months and older. The expanded recommendation is to take effect in the 2010 – 2011 influenza season. The new recommendation seeks to remove barriers to influenza immunization and signals the importance of preventing influenza across the entire population.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine issues, voted on the new recommendation during its February 24, 2010 meeting in Atlanta. The vote took place against a backdrop of incremental increases in the numbers and groups of people recommended for influenza vaccination in years past, and lessons learned from the world’s still ongoing first flu pandemic in 40 years.
Prior to today’s vote, ACIP recommendations for seasonal influenza vaccination – which focused on vaccination of higher risk persons, children 6 months through 18 years of age and close contacts of higher risk persons – already applied to about 85 percent of the U.S. population.
Discussion at the ACIP meeting focused on the value of protecting all people 19 to 49 years of age, who have been hard hit by the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus, which is likely to continue circulating into next season and beyond. Another reason cited in favor of a universal recommendation for vaccination is that many people in currently recommended “higher risk” groups are unaware of their risk factor or that they are recommended for vaccination. The ACIP discussion also recognized the practicality and value of issuing a simple and clear message regarding the importance of influenza vaccination in the hopes that this would remove impediments to vaccination and expand coverage. Finally, new data collected over the course of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic indicates that some people who do not currently have a specific recommendation for vaccination may also be at higher risk of serious flu-related complications, including those people who are obese, post-partum women and people in certain racial/ethnic groups.
More influenza vaccine doses will be required to vaccinate all adults. However, based on current projections, more licensed types and brands of seasonal influenza vaccines will be available in the 2010-11 influenza season than has ever been available before. Historically, uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine has been less than half of the number of persons with a specific recommendation for vaccination.
Annual influenza vaccination is a safe and preventive health action that benefits all age groups. However, certain people have a higher risk for influenza complications, including people aged 65 years and older, children younger than 6 months of age, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.
These people, their household and close contacts, and all health care personnel should continue to be a primary focus for vaccination efforts as providers and programs transition to routinely vaccinating all people 6 months of age and older.
The composition of the Northern Hemisphere’s 2010-2011 seasonal influenza was announced at the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting yesterday in Bethesda, MD. Next season’s vaccine will be trivalent (with three different vaccine viruses) and include an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus, an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus, and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus. The H1N1 virus recommended for inclusion in the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine is a pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus and is the same virus used in the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccine.
Recommendations of the ACIP become recommendations of CDC once they are accepted by the director of CDC and the Secretary of Health and Human Services and are published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
####
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm202119.htm
LifeScan Recalls Specific Lots of Consumer and Professional OneTouch® SureStep® Test Strips Due To Inaccurate Readings at High Levels
Contact:
David Detmers, LifeScan, Inc.,
+1-408-942-5955
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ — LifeScan, Inc. is conducting a voluntary recall in the United States of eight lots of OneTouch® SureStep® Test Strips, used by people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose levels at home. The test strips are being recalled because they may provide falsely low glucose results when the glucose level is higher than 400 mg/dL.
The eight lots of consumer OneTouch SureStep Test Strips being recalled are:
Recalled Lot Size Description
# 2969251 100-ct OneTouch SureStep
# 2969798 100-ct OneTouch SureStep
# 2982369 100-ct OneTouch SureStep
# 2983467 100-ct OneTouch SureStep
# 2969795 50-ct OneTouch SureStep
# 2982566 50-ct OneTouch SureStep
# 2969481 50-ct Medicare/Mail Order
# 2998193 50-ct Medicare/Mail Order
Lot #’s are located on the outer carton and test strip vial.
Patients with test strips from the recalled lots are asked to call LifeScan at 800 574-6139 between 5:00 am and 7:00 pm Pacific Time, seven days a week or visit www.SureStep.com to request replacement product. Replacement product will be shipped immediately and provided free of charge.
While waiting for replacement product to arrive, it is important that patients with recalled test strips continue to test their blood glucose. Patients with access to a meter that does not use OneTouch SureStep Test Strips should use this other meter to test their blood glucose until replacement product from LifeScan arrives. If an alternate meter is not available, patients may continue to test using the recalled OneTouch SureStep Test Strips. However, if patients obtain results above 400 mg/dL, they should contact their healthcare professional for further instructions because their glucose may be significantly higher.
LifeScan estimates approximately fourteen thousand packages (50- and 100-count) of consumer OneTouch SureStep Test Strips were distributed nationwide between August 1, 2009 and January 28, 2010.
No injuries associated with these recalled test strips have been reported. However, if patients use the falsely low test results to determine their insulin dose, they may give themselves too little insulin, which could result in poor blood glucose control. Patients with high blood glucose may or may not have certain symptoms including increased thirst, frequent urination, headaches, difficulty with concentration, blurred vision and fatigue (weak, tired feeling). High blood glucose must be recognized and treated promptly to avoid serious complications, such as coma and death.
Hospitals, clinics and other multi-patient facilities using SureStep®Pro®, SureStep®Flexx® or OneTouch® SureStep® Hospital Systems have also been notified of this issue. All three of these systems use SureStep®Pro® Test Strips which also may provide inaccurately low test results when the blood glucose reading is greater than 400 mg/dL. LifeScan has advised these facilities of the appropriate actions to take in order to continue to use these SureStepPro Test Strips. However, healthcare facilities with access to alternative means of testing should consider temporarily discontinuing their use of their SureStep Systems until replacement test strips are available.
This field action is limited to eight lots of OneTouch SureStep Test Strips sold for consumer use in the U.S., and select SureStepPro Test Strips used in healthcare facilities. Similar recall actions are being taken in other countries where the affected product was distributed.
In 2006 LifeScan stopped selling OneTouch SureStep Meters in the U.S. but continued to provide test strips. Today, OneTouch SureStep Meter users represent a very small portion of LifeScan’s total customer base. The vast majority of LifeScan’s customers now use OneTouch® Ultra® Brand Meters, which use an entirely different technology.
LifeScan, Inc. is a leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes. For information about diabetes care and LifeScan products and services, visit www.OneTouchDiabetes.com1.
CONTACT: David Detmers, LifeScan, Inc., +1-408-942-5955
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Page Last Updated: 02/26/2010
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm202113.htm
Wholesome Spice Recalls 25 Lb. Boxes Of Crushed Red Pepper Because Of Possible Health Risk
Company Contact:
Michael Williams
(718) 388-1549
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 25, 2010 - Brooklyn, NY - Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, NY is recalling all lots of 25 lb boxes of Crushed Red Pepper sold between 4/6/09 and 1/20/10, 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.
The 25 lb boxes of Crushed Red pepper were distributed in the Northeastern U.S.. The product was not sold on the retail level to consumers.
The Crushed Red Pepper product is packaged in a clear plastic bag which is placed inside of a cardboard box with an adhesive white label with a blue border and blue and black lettering. The brand name on the product labels is WHOLESOME SPICES. The product name is listed as CRUSHED RED PEPPER.
It cannot be determined at this time if this product has been related to any illnesses to date.
The firm was informed that samples of its product have tested positive for Salmonella. The firm is currently working with the FDA to determine how the contamination occurred.
Manufacturers who have purchased 25 lb boxes of WHOLESOME SPICES brand Crushed Red Pepper are urged not to use the product and to recall any product they further distributed. Manufacturers with questions may contact the firm via telephone at (718) 388-1549. Our hours of operation are from Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30pm Eastern Standard Time.
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Page Last Updated: 02/25/2010
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