Gills Onions Recalled

Gills Onions Voluntarily Recalls Diced and Slivered Red and Yellow Onions, and Diced Onion and Celery Mix Because of Possible Health Risk

By FoodSafety.gov

Gills Onions, LLC of Oxnard, CA is initiating a voluntary recall of a single day’s production of diced and slivered red and yellow onions and diced celery and onion mix because they may be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall, and no other Gills Onions products are affected by this recall. A list of recalled products is provided at the end of this release.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. 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 stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled products, which are packaged under the brand "Gill's Onions," were shipped between July 2-4, 2012 directly from Gills Onions to retailers in Canada and the following U.S. states: California, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington.

This voluntary recall was initiated when the company was notified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that a random sample of diced yellow onions taken at retail tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. As a precautionary measure, Gills Onions is recalling all products processed on the same day and on the same line as the sample that tested positive.

Gills Onions is notifying all customers who received the recalled product directly from the company and requesting that they remove it from commerce. We are also asking our direct customers to notify their customers of this recall. Gills Onions is keeping the U.S. Food and Drug Administration informed of its recall process to assure that consumers are properly alerted.

“Gills Onions is committed to protecting public health and to executing this voluntary recall effectively and efficiently,” said Steve Gill, president of the company. “We are a multi generational family business, and we work hard every day to earn the trust and confidence of customers and consumers who enjoy our high quality, healthy products.”

Anyone who has the recalled product in their possession should not consume it and should destroy or discard it. Consumers with questions may contact Gills Onions at 1-800-348-2255, M-F 8am-5pm PDT. Please visit our website at www.gillsonions.com for a copy of this release.

See the complete list of recalled items and the entire article here.

Seeking Lessons in Swine Flu Fight

By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN, M.D., The New York Times

As the three-month-old outbreak of swine flu raises havoc during the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere, officials in the United States are carefully seeking clues from there to deal with its likely return in this country in the fall, before a vaccine can protect large numbers of people.

Although much about the swine flu pandemic and the virus remains unknown, experts say this outbreak has exposed several weaknesses in the world’s ability to respond to the sudden emergence of a widespread illness.

Over all, the pandemic’s severity has been “moderate” compared with past influenza pandemics, the World Health Organization says, although it has spread with “unprecedented speed” to at least 168 countries. And although influenza typically strikes in colder months, the swine flu virus, A(H1N1), has swept through summer camps in the United States and Canada. That pattern has led to the prevailing belief that many more people will get swine flu than seasonal influenza this fall and winter, but that the country could face outbreaks of both strains, perhaps at different times.

FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE CLICK HERE.



~Sandy G.

House Passes Food Safety Bill

Measure to improve FDA wins on second try

By Martin H. Bosworth, ConsumerAffairs.com

The House of Representatives voted 283-142 to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (aka H.R. 2749), designed to improve the Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) ability to police food suppliers and processors for signs of foodborne illnesses and unsafe practices.

The bill was originally introduced on June 29, but failed on a vote of 280-150 as the rules required a two-thirds majority for passage. The bill was reintroduced today only requiring a simple majority to pass the chamber.

229 Democrats and 54 Republicans voted to pass the bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called "strong legislation that will protect lives and prevent illness."

FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE CLICK HERE.



~Sandy G.