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Kenmore Microwave Ovens Recalled Due to Burn Hazard; Made by Guangdong Galanz; Sold Exclusively at Sears and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores

November 14, 2019 - from CPSC :

Kenmore Elite Microwave Ovens have been recalled becau;se incorrect wiring causes the microwave’s exterior to reach temperatures exceeding 183 degrees Fahrenheit, posing a burn hazard to the user.

This recall involves 1,000-watt countertop convection microwave ovens manufactured under the Kenmore Elite brand name on April 27, 2017. This manufacturing date of the recalled microwave ovens is identifiable by the first six digits of their serial numbers, each of which begins with the numerals “170427”. The model number of the recalled microwaves is “204.77603610”. The brand name, model number and serial number can be found on the data plate on the back of the microwave ovens. The brand name is printed near the bottom of the door.

Consumer Contact: Sears at 800-659-7026 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or online at www.sears.com and click on “Product Recalls” for more information.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled microwave ovens and contact Sears for a free in-home repair.

Sold At: Exclusively at Sears and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores nationwide from May 2017 through July 2018 for about $350.

November 7, 2019 from the Forbes:

"In a win for the First Amendment, Mississippi will no longer ban plant-based food companies from labeling their products with terms like 'veggie burgers' and 'vegan bacon.' On Thursday, the state dropped rules that would have enforced the labeling ban, and instead replaced them with common sense."

"Under the new regulations now in effect, a plant-based meat alternative won’t be considered “mislabeled” if it uses an adjective like 'meatless,' 'plant-based,' or 'vegan,” on its labeling. Previously, meatless marketers could risk fines of up to $1,000 “per offense,” even jail time. "

"Claiming Mississippi’s law violates the First Amendment, the Institute for Justice sued the state in July on behalf of Upton’s Naturals, a Chicago-based vegan food business, and the Plant Based Food Association. Without the lawsuit, plant-based businesses would have faced severe financial consequences. In order to operate legally, Upton’s Naturals would have had to pull out of Mississippi entirely or drastically overhaul its packaging and design. "

"Not only would the latter be enormously expensive and time-consuming (especially if they’d be used in just one state), the new labels would have created confusion where none existed before. Instead of widely understood terms like 'veggie burgers' or 'vegan sausages,' plant-based companies would have been forced to use unwieldy (and frankly, unappetizing) alternatives like veggie 'discs' or vegetable 'protein tubes.' "

"Federal and state laws already bar deceptive or misleading advertising. If consumers understand that buffalo wings aren’t from flying bison and that chickens don’t have fingers, they can surely grasp that a “veggie burger” is made from plants. In reality, Arkansas and Mississippi are only protecting established businesses from competition. "

November 7, 2019 from the Food Dive:

• "A U.S. olive growers association and Deoleo, the largest global producer of olive oil, have jointly submitted a citizen petition to the FDA asking the agency to adopt science-based, enforceable standards for olive oil. They said such standards would ensure consumers know the quality of what they're buying.
• "Buying quality extra virgin olive oil is hard, but not because there aren't quality products on supermarket shelves. It's because there are just no rules to stop bad actors from misrepresenting what they're selling."
• "The FDA could decide to adopt standards of identity for olive oil, as it has for other products such as canned tuna and bottled water, following a public comment period and adoption of a final rule. If that happened, it would be the first time the federal agency has regulated olive oil."
• "This petition was partly sparked by a 2015 National Consumers League investigation that found that six of 11 U.S. and European brands it tested misrepresented the extra virgin quality grade on their products. That investigation led to a separate four-year audit of olive oil products between 2015 and 2019 that found half of them failed to meet international quality standards, according to the release. "
• "Currently, the USDA regulates grades of olive oil in the U.S. and describes the quality of each based on flavor, odor, oleic acid content and other variables. In other countries where olive oil is produced — mainly Spain, Italy, Greece and France — the International Olive Oil Council sets quality standards based on production method, acidity content and flavor."
• "The process of updating existing standards of identity, getting rid of outmoded ones and adopting new ones is likely to take quite a while, but there seems to be a growing consensus that it's overdue. Movement in this area might benefit the olive oil industry and others looking to enforce quality standards for their products and bolster consumer trust."

FDA Shares FY16–17 Microbiological Sampling Summary Report for Cucumbers

November 5, 2019 - from FDA and FDA Testing

The FDA released a report on testing of cucumbers that they did starting in November, 2015. The FDA "collected and tested 1,601 samples to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in the commodity. About 76 percent of the samples collected and tested were from imported cucumbers and the rest were from domestically grown cucumbers, comparable to their respective U.S. market shares at the start of the assignment. The agency designed its sampling plan to detect rates of contamination of one percent or greater if present in the commodity."

"The agency found the prevalence of Salmonella in the cucumbers sampled to be 1.75 percent. The agency did not detect E. coli O157:H7 or other pathogenic E. coli in any of the samples."

Microbiological Surveillance Sampling: FY16-17 Cucumbers is here

Hit Promotional Products Recalls Ceramic Mugs Due to Burn and Laceration Hazards

October 29, 2019 - from CPSC :

Coastline Ceramic Mugs have been recalled because the mugs can crack or break when used with or exposed to hot liquids, posing burn and laceration hazards.

This recall involves the Coastline Ceramic Mug that was given away as a free promotional item at meetings or events. The mugs are decorated with various logos and come in a variety of colors with a gray bottom. “China” is printed on the bottom of each mug.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled mugs and contact Hit Promotional Products for a free replacement mug.
Hit Promotional Products has received ten reports of the mugs cracking or breaking when in use with hot liquids. No injuries have been reported.
iven to consumers as free promotional products at meetings or events nationwide from October 2018 through September 2019.

Consumer Contact: Hit Promotional Products at 800-237-6305, Extension 2691, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at lthibado@hitpromo.net or visit www.hitpromo.net and click on product recalls under the Support menu near the bottom of the page.