Windsor Foods, with operations in Lampasas, Texas, and Oakland, Miss., is recalling approximately 1.7 million pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) beef taquito and chicken quesadilla products that may be contaminated with salmonella.

The packages of beef taquito and chicken quesadilla products contain as an ingredient the specific Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), which was previously recalled, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced late Tuesday night. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of the HVP product on March 4.  Check this article for label information:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Recall_049_2009_Release/index.asp

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2010 - Nestlé Professional North America, a Cleveland, Ohio establishment, is recalling approximately 6,000 pounds of a ready-to-eat (RTE) bacon base product that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The packages of bacon base contain as an ingredient the specific Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), which was previously recalled, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_015_2010_Release/index.asp

WASHINGTON—Ruiz Foods, Inc., a Denison, Texas, firm, is recalling approximately 115,700 pounds of a ready-to-eat (RTE) beef product that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The packages of beef product contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), which was recalled on March 4.  Package label info can be found here:

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2010/03/ruiz-foods-recalls-rte-beef-over-hvp.aspx

Meat flavored potato chips are not to be left out of the fray.  This is a reminder that our meat is not always “meat”.  We have the same flavoring in our meat flavored potato chips as we do in our bacon.  One of my favorite quotes I found on one of the comments to an article on this was a guy proclaiming mock shock saying, “What someone put poison in our poison?”  Here is the info on the Pringles recall:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/pringles-recall-chips-rec_n_491892.html

I have some more commentary to offer on this later, but for now be sure to check your freezer… and eat real food where you can!

Additional Reading:

1. HVP Recall: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Recall and Food Safety Concerns If you google Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, you will be...
2. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Food Recall I ran across this news article today. It’s another...
3. More HVP Food Recall: Kroger Recalls, Trader Joes Recalls and more Many of you have been following the HVP food...

I ran across Ruth Stout last year when a friend of mine (Thanks, Sherry) apologizing gave me a video about Ruth Stout. I say apologizing because Ruth Stout was a bit quirky and odd in some of her thinking and practices. Despite that fact, there is a wealth of gardening knowledge that one can gain from her. Ruth Stout was an amazing organic gardener that taught organic mulch method gardening. She claimed it was the No Dig/No Work organic gardening method that produced a good garden, good soil without plowing, without chemical fertilizers and without weed poisons.

After using her mulch gardening method last year, I have to say that I am sold on hay mulch gardening. We didn’t spend hours and hours of back breaking work weeding the garden last year. We also hardly watered our garden all summer long. The mulch kept the ground moist and the weeds a bay. The weeds that did spring up were easily covered up with more mulch or pulled up easily because they were unable to develop deep roots.

I’m a real country girl now.  Last year we bought some old rotten looking hay for $7 a big round bale for the garden.  It was a happy moment in my life driving home with all that old rotten hay in the back of our trailer! 

Here are a few interesting articles on her:

Ruth Stout System

Ruth Stout, The No-Dig Dutchess

You can watch the Ruth Stout gardening video called Ruth Stout’s Garden on You Tube here! It is a 3 part series.

Additional Reading:

1. Mulch Gardening I have tried to be way more proactive in trying...
2. Weed Control for the Garden — Mulch I have tried to keep the weeds under control this...
3. Organic Gardening Composting and Pest Control Tips I will add some of my tips to this question:...

Many of you have been following the HVP food recall or Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein recall that has been coming out in the news this week.   Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) paste and powder distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc was contaminated with Salmonella and has caused a nation wide recall on a variety of snack food items, dips, dressings and seasonings. 

Added to the list, Kroger has announced a recall on Kroger private label dill dip for concerns about salmonella contamination.  Trader Joes has also announced a recall on some of its products including their organic ranch dressing and dip.  Walmart (Sams) and Safeway announced recalls yesterday on a variety of dips, dressings and snack foods. Concord Foods, Fresh Foods Concepts and McCormick foods have also issued recalls on their food products.  Herbox boullion cubs and jars were also  included.  Check here for the rest of the companies and products that are included and check your pantry and refrigerator for recalled items. 

So basically, just avoid HVP, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein which is in an amazing amount of food found at the grocery store! 

Here is a ongoing list of items: 

CASTELLA IMPORTS

Chicken Soup Base 1 lb plastic jar
Lot: 0912039918, 1001121915, 1002013074, 1002194266
Expiration  12-3-2010 – 2-28-2011
UPC: 7 50144 33000 5

Chicken Soup Base 25lb white bucket
Lots:0911259508, 0911259508A, 0912150738, 0912180973, 0912211087, 1001192342, 1001282925, 1002194267
Expiration: 11-25-2010 – 2-28-2011
UPC: 7 501144 3320 9

CONCORD FOODS

Vegetable Dip Seasoning – Homestyle 1.5 oz 943grams)
Best By: 07/27/12
UPC: 041409002066

CULINARY CIRCLE

Pesto Ranch Dip 10 oz
UPC: 41130-38063
Use By: 12/12/09 – 4/16/10

Cucumber Dill Dip 10 oz
UPC: 41130-38062
Use By: 12/12/09 – 4/16/10

Spinach Dip 10 oz
UPC: 41130-38061
Use By: 12/12/09 – 4/16/10

EARTH ISLAND

BBQ Braised Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-01001-4

BBQ Braised Tofu 8 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-07025-4

Cheezy Garlic Pasta 8 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/06/10
UPC: 0-49568-01006-9

Cheezy Garlic Pasta 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/06/10
UPC:0-49568-04006-6

Curried Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-01010-6

Curried Tofu with Rice 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/09/10
UPC: 0-49568-04011-0

Heartsmart Burger 7 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/19/10
UPC: 0-49568-01098-4

Kung Pao Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-01023-6

Kung Pao Tofu with Rice 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-04003-5

Savory Tofu Saute 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/10/10
UPC: 0-49568-01038-0

Savory Tofu Saute 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/10/10
UPC: 0-49568-04014-1

Smoked Chicken Pasta 8 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/14/10
UPC: 0-49568-01076-2

Smoked Chicken Pasta 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/14/10
UPC: 0-49568-04076-9

Sweet & Sour Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-01430-2

Sweet & Sour Tofu 7 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-04430-9

Thai Peanut Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-01028-1

Thai Peanut Tofu Wrap 12 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/11/10
UPC: 0-49568-01034-2

Thai Peanut Braised Tofu 8 lb
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/08/10
UPC: 0-49568-04407-1

Texas Tofu 10 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/12/10
UPC: 0-49568-01037-3

Veggie Burrito with Cheese 12 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/05/10
UPC: 0-49568-01070-0

Low Fat Veggie Burrito 12 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/05/10
UPC: 0-49568-01069-4

Beef Au Jus 224 oz
Use By: 11/10/09 – 03/19/10

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing 12 oz
Use By: JUN 14 10, JUN 21 10
UPC: 0-49568-66012-7

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing 32 oz
Use By: JUN 14 10, JUN 21 10
UPC: 0-49568-66032-5

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing 128 oz
Use By: JUN 14 10
UPC: 0-49568-66128-5

HERB-OX

Beef Bouillon Packets 1.13 oz (32g) 8 packets
Code Date: Mar 2012 V02220
UPC: 0 336303 9

Chicken Bouillon Net Wt 1.13 oz (32g) 8 packets
Code Date: Mar 2012 V01280
UPC: 0 336313 6

Chicken Bouillon Net Wt 7.05 oz (200g) 50 packets
Code: V01290 ,V02040, V02080
UPC: 0 33600 34793 0

Vegetable Bouillon Net Wt 7.05 oz (200g) 50 packets
Code: V02020
Carton Code: 0 33600 35562 1

Beef Bouillon Net Wt 7.05 oz (200g) 50 packets
Carton Code: 0 33600 35188 3

Jarred Bouillon
Beef Bouillon Net Wt 4.0 oz (113g)
Code date: Feb 2013 V01210
UPC: 0 336203 0

Chicken Bouillon Net Wt 4.0 oz (113g)
Code date: Feb 2013 V01200, Feb 2013 V01250, Mar 2013 V02030
uPC: 0 336213 7

HOMEMADE GOURMET
 
1.96 oz packages
Lots: S1004812411,S1004912111
Sold:   2/17/2010 – 3/1/2010

1.96 oz (55.6 g) pouch part of Let’s Make Dinner Collection
Lots: S1004812411, S1004912111
Sold: 2/17/2010 – 3/1/2011
Stock number: 40.1032

1.96 oz (55.6 g) pouch
part of $800 pre-select order for consultants
Lots: S1004812411, S1004912111
Sold 2/17/2010 – 3/1/2012
Stock number: 37.0320

JOHNNY’S FINE FOODS

French Dip Powdered Au Jus 6 oz bottles
Expiration date: 0332

1.1 oz foil packets
Expiration date: 02212

OAK LAKE FARMS

French Onion Chip Dip 16oz plastic tubs
Best By: APR2310F, JUN1110F, JUN2610F
UPC: 73534 43480

GREAT VALUE (Wal-Mart, sam’s Club)

Ranch Chip Dip 16 oz plastic tubs
Best By: 042810F, 050810F, 052910F, 053010F, 053110F, 060410F, 060510F, 061110F
UPC: 78742 43099

MCCORMICK & CO.

French Onion Dip Mix
BEST BUY: OCT 06 11,OCT 07 11, NOV 03 11, NOV 06 11, DEC 04 11, JAN 04 12, JAN 23 12
UPC: 52100168609

RESER’S FINE FOODS

Ranch House Dressing 8 lb
UPC: 54627.20327 Carton
Use by: 1/23/10 – 4/27/10

Creamy Ranch Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00171
Use by: 5/1 2/10 – 6/9/10

Clam Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00240
Use by:  3/22/10 – 6/5/10

French Onion Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00243
Use by: 3/1/10 – 6/5/10

Cheese and Bacon Dip 8 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.00249
Use by: 4/2/10 – 5/27/10

Creamy Ranch Dip 8 lb. Carton
UPC: 71117.16981
Use by: 5/2/10 – 6/4/10

Creamy Ranch Dip 4 oz Plastic Cup
UPC: 71117.17050
Use by: 4/29/10 – 6/5/10

Redskin Potato Safeway 16 oz Plastic Container
UPC: 21130.06741
Use by: 3/14/10 – 4/10/10

Potato RedSkin Walmart 16 oz Plastic Container
UPC: 1131.91681
Use by: 12/27/09 – 4/6/10

Potato RedSkin Walmart 32 oz Plastic Container
UPC: 81131.91687.
Use by: 12/27/09 – 4/6/10

Redskin Potato 5 lb
UPC: 71117.06031. Plastic Tub
Use by: 2/24/10 – 4/5/10

Ranch Dip 8 lb Carton
UPC: 71117.14751
Use by: 4/25/10 – 6/5/10

TIM’S CASCADE SNACKS

Kettle Style Potato Chips – Sweet Maui Onion:

1 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 10
UPC: 1159400116

1.5 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 11
UPC: 1159402213

2 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 12
UPC: 1159420211

5 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 13
UPC: 1159400503

8 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 14
UPC: 1159410034

18 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 15
UPC: 1159402005

32 oz bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 16
UPC: 1159403201

2 oz 15 pack
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 17
UPC Bag: 1159420211
UPC Box: 1159499007

1.5 oz
It’s Time for Tim’s Variety Pack, 36 count
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 18
UPC Bag: 1159402213
UPC Tray: 1159436001

70 gram bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 19
Tray UPC: 1159436002

210 gram bags
Code: MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 20
Tray UPC:  1159436003

908 gram bags
Code:  MAR 09 10 – JUN 07 21
Tray UPC: 1159436004

Sweet Maui Onion Rings

0.75 oz bags
Code: MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 10
UPC: 1159407501

1.5 oz bags
Code:  MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 11
UPC: 1159402022

4 oz bags
Code: MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 12
UPC: 1159440401

42 gram bags
Code: MAR 23 10 – JUN 21 13
UPC: 1159401501

T.MARZETTI

Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip 15.5 oz plastic tubs
Best By: APR2010F, APR2810F, MAY1610F, MAY3110F, JUN0610F, JUN1410F, JUN1910F
UPC: 70200 52004
 
Fat Free Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip 13 oz plastic tubs
Best By: MAY1610F, MAY3010F, JUN0810F, JUN1210F, JUN2510F
UPC: 70200 5203

Spinach Veggie Dip 15 oz plastic tubs
Best By: APR1910F, MAY0910F, JUN0710F
UPC: 70200 52059

Spinach Veggie Dip, Epinards, Trempette A Legumes
340 gram plastic tubs
Best By: 10AL11F, 10AL17F, 10AL24F, 10AL30F, 10MA08F, 10JN12F
UPC: 70200 58843
 
Southwest Ranch Veggie Dip, Ranch style sud-ouest americain Trempette A Legumes
340 gram plastic tubs
Best By  10AL17F, 10AL24F, 10AL30F, 10MA08F, 10JN05F, 10JN14F
UPC: 70200 58844

TRADER JOES

Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip 12oz
Use By: JUN 13 10
UPC: 0069-6890

Additional Reading:

1. HVP Recall: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Recall and Food Safety Concerns If you google Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, you will be...
2. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Food Recall I ran across this news article today. It’s another...
3. The HVP Recall Ramifications Continue – 750 Tons of Meat Recalled Windsor Foods, with operations in Lampasas, Texas, and Oakland,...

If you google Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, you will be overwhelmed with the amount of articles that show up about the recent recall of a additive, not a food!  This recall is reported to be heading in the direction of the largest food recall in U.S. history.  It’s not the spinach and it’s not the peanuts.  It’s a additive added to a large majority of our food!

I’d highly recommend reading about the HVP recall as it sheds light on a very serious issue we have with our industrial food system.  The industrial monster is a raging diseased animal and is on the loose!

Check out some of these articles:

It’s Not a Food. It’s in Everything…And Now It’s Tainted with Salmonella

FDA announces a recall of an acronym – HVP, or “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” – found in soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, snack foods, dips and dressings. It could lead to the largest food recall in U.S. history

Salmonella found in food additive sparks recall

Stores including those operated by Safeway are pulling items that could contain tainted hydrolyzed vegetable protein.

Salmonella Scare Leads to FDA Recall of Processed Foods

A list of more than 50 recalled foods on the Web site includes several dips manufactured by T. Marzetti, Sweet Maui Onion potato chips manufactured by Tim’s Cascade Snacks, Tortilla Soup mix made by Homemade Gourmet and several prepackaged “Follow Your Heart” tofu meals manufactured by Earth Island.

List of Walmart Recalled Items

List includes several different sizes, kinds and flavors of dressings and dips as well as some snack food items.  Some Brands include: T. Marzetti, Oak Lake Farms, Great Value Ranch Chip Dips (Walmart Brand), Tim’s Cascade Snacks, and Reser’s Fine Foods brand.

Recall:  Products Containing HVP Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein from the FDA

Additional Reading:

1. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Food Recall I ran across this news article today. It’s another...
2. The HVP Recall Ramifications Continue – 750 Tons of Meat Recalled Windsor Foods, with operations in Lampasas, Texas, and Oakland,...
3. More HVP Food Recall: Kroger Recalls, Trader Joes Recalls and more Many of you have been following the HVP food...

I ran across this news article today. It’s another food recall except this time it’s a bit more complicated!  How about Salmonella found in a widespread common food additive!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) March 5, 2010– U.S. food regulators announced a voluntary recall on Thursday of food made with a common flavoring that could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria but did not estimate how broad the recall will be.

The flavoring — hydrolyzed vegetable protein — is used in soups, sauces, hot dogs, snack foods, dressings and dips and is made by privately held Basic Food Flavors Inc of Las Vegas, Nevada.

“At this time there are no known illnesses associated with this contamination and obviously we’d like to keep it that way,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told reporters in a teleconference.

“The manufacturer had many first-level consignees who obviously had individuals who had firms that they sold to who sold to the other firms,” said Dr. Jeff Farrar, associate commissioner for food safety at FDA’s Office of Foods.

“We expect this to get larger over the next several days, actually several weeks,” Farrar said.

A handful of companies have recalled products ranging from dips, potato chips and dressings to tofu, burritos and pasta. They include T. Marzetti, a unit of Lancaster Colony Corp, which said on March 1 it was recalling various dips.

You can read the full article, U.S. recalls common flavoring after contamination for more information.

Unfortunately the big concern for American’s who believe in freedom is Big Brother’s solution to controlling  and treating the diseases of the the self made industrial food monster!  The solution isn’t more laws and regulation!

The FDA, CDC and USDA are currently working with Congress to overhaul U.S. food safety regulation.

Deputy FDA Commission Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said this outbreak showed why new regulatory powers were needed.

“The shift in the food safety system that we can accomplish with the food safety legislation is one toward prevention and we would like to set strong preventive standards that keep contamination from occurring in the first place,” he said.

Since 2006, the U.S. food supply has been battered by a series of high-profile foodborne outbreaks involving meat, lettuce, peppers, peanuts and spinach.

I don’t know about yall, but we have been becoming big believers in local food and growing a lot of your own food.  Not only does it taste better, but it is safer, healthier for everyone involved!

Additional Reading:

1. HVP Recall: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Recall and Food Safety Concerns If you google Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, you will be...
2. The HVP Recall Ramifications Continue – 750 Tons of Meat Recalled Windsor Foods, with operations in Lampasas, Texas, and Oakland,...
3. More HVP Food Recall: Kroger Recalls, Trader Joes Recalls and more Many of you have been following the HVP food...

I’ve been aching to start gardening.  We’ve been pouring over seed catalogs.  We have a lot of seeds already that we saved from our plants last year, but it is always nice to look at all the nice pretty pictures in the seed catalogs.  I love all the variety that the heirloom seeds offer.  Green stripe tomatoes, yellow and red stripe tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, orange tomatoes, purple sweet peppers, chocolate peppers….  all amazing fruits and vegetables that God created for us to enjoy that are rarely, if ever, seen in a grocery store.

Here’s some of our garden load from last year’s garden.  We grew several different varieties of tomatoes.  We not only enjoyed the wonderful taste of heirloom, home grown garden tomatoes, but we all enjoyed watching our tomatoes grow and marveled at the diversity and uniqueness of these rarely seen garden varieties.  By the way…Wow, look at that green carpet of grass!  We’re looking forward to seeing that again!

Additional Reading:

1. In the Garden… Besides getting bit by bugs and kissed by the sun…working...
2. Spring Cleaning With spring comes an increase in the amount of things...
3. Gardening with little ones… Many have asked me how in the world do you...

It sounds like a wonderful conference if you are in the area.   Saturday has a full line up of great speakers.  Joel Salatin is on the line up several times with talks on:  Marketing, Local Food and Salad Bar Beef.  The Barefoot Farmer, Jeff Poppen, is also scheduled to be there and speak.

Cost is $50 for just Saturday as the Friday Farm Day Tours are sold out.

Check out more information here:  TOGA 6th Annual Conference

Additional Reading:

1. A Mother, Her Family and Natural Health: Highlights From a Recent Conference I attended an exciting health conference in St. Louis this past...
2. Tennessee House Bill 3297 By Representative Niceley AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated,...
3. Review on the Christian Homemakers Conference We thoroughly enjoyed the Christian Homemaker’s Conference last Saturday even...

How often do you get to see an albino deer in the wild? Depending on where you find the statistics on the web, you have somewhere between 1 and a million to 1 and 100,000 chance that you will see one.

But the real question is how often will you actually have a camera with you when you see one? I couldn’t find statistics for that one! But what ever the odds are, we were blessed with both of these “against all odds” events a few years ago. These were taken on Hwy 46 between Grassland and Leipers Fork, just south of the Harpeth River.

I originally posted them on the Vision Tennessee site, which has since been removed, so I thought I’d keep a copy of them posted here.

Of course, this is a good opportunity for a redneck test.  When you see this picture do you admire the incredible diversity of creation or do you say to yourself, “hum – bet that would make a good roast”?  Admittedly, I had an internal conflict.  First I said “wow that is an incredible creature”, then I lamented not having my gun… then I realized I had my camera.  I quickly snapped these shots and turned the truck around and pulled into the driveway just above the rise seen in the picture below.

As you can tell from the different shots, I was able to spend a few moments watching them.  Once I was in the driveway I was trying to figure out the best way to get close to them.  As I was headed down one side of a rock wall the three deer headed up the other side.  I heard one of them break a branch or make some noise and quickly ran back up towards the edge of the driveway to see the two brown deer dart across the other side of the road.  The white one was scared by the car and circled back within 20 feet of me.  Unfortunately the shot was washed out from the reflection of the sun either in the guardrail or the stopped car – I forget.

Either way, it made for a fun mini adventure on the way into town and some pretty cool pictures to look at.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Additional Reading:

1. Tennessee Wildlife On a recent trip to look for some farm land...
2. Unusual Friend Some dear (no pun intended) friends of ours, the Carpenters,...

Over the last 14 months, Mr. Watson and three other purchasing managers, at Frito-Lay, Safeway and B&G Foods, have pleaded guilty to taking bribes. Five people connected to one of the nation’s largest tomato processors, SK Foods, have also admitted taking part in the scheme…

… The scheme, as laid out by federal prosecutors, has two parts. Officials say that Mr. Salyer and others at SK Foods greased the palms of a handful of corporate buyers in exchange for lucrative contracts and confidential information on bids submitted by competitors. This most likely drove up ingredient prices for the big food companies.

In addition, prosecutors say that for years, SK Foods shipped its customers millions of pounds of bulk tomato paste and puree that fell short of basic quality standards — with falsified documentation to mask the problems. Often that meant mold counts so high the sale should have been prohibited under federal law; at other times it involved breaching specifications in the sales contracts, such as acidity levels or the age of the product.

The scope of the tainted shipments was much broader than the bribery scheme, touching more than 55 companies.

…In 2007, faced with a product shortage, Mr. Salyer allegedly ordered subordinates to ship 3.4 million pounds of moldy tomato paste to Kraft. It was accompanied by documentation falsely claiming that it met federal mold limits…

Michael P. Doyle, the director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, said there had been several cases in recent years in which ingredient suppliers were suspected of falsifying documentation to mask quality or safety faults in foods, especially with imports. He said that should make companies more aggressive in testing, not only to guard against pathogens but also to check quality.

“As a consumer I wouldn’t want to have moldy tomatoes in my tomato ketchup or my tomato products,” Dr. Doyle said.

(As if it s not bad enough that you can’t by ketchup without GMO High Fructose Corn Syrup!  But that’s… another post.)

Where do you go with news like this?

• Do you call for a boycott?
• Do you write your congressman?
• Do you show up and picket your local grocery store?
• Or fly to the corporate offices of one of these industry giants hoping to be heard?

Honestly, what I do, is say thank you New York Times for the reminder of why I grow my own food or buy it local as much as possible!

How about you?  How do you respond to such news?

Additional Reading:

1. Real or Fake Food? Here’s another good reason why you should know where your...
2. Comparing Tomatoes Comparing tomatoes— one of the boys took some pictures of...
3. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Food Recall I ran across this news article today. It’s another...

Going on the offensive, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is bringing suit against the FDA.  Some may think, I’ve been a little hard on the government with my constant ranting against the “Raw Milk Nazis”.  But, I don’t know what else you call an organization that persecutes small farmers trying to make a living and people who disagree with the so-called science of the FDA.  Regardless, of what we think we should call “them”, “they” are now rightly on the defensive.

Our friends, truly friends of all small farmers, The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense fund is taking the Raw Milk fight directly to the FDA.  In this press release, Pete Kennedy explains the reason for the action:

“This is a lawsuit of historical significance” said Pete Kennedy, President of the Legal Defense Fund, “because it directly challenges for the very first time the legality of the ban against the interstate distribution of raw milk in final package form for human consumption.”  Kennedy went on to explain, “Too often we have seen FDA take actions against dairy producers, and recently in Georgia against a virtual farmers’ market, that attempt to deny the individuals’ right to consume the food of their choice.  The interstate ban is unjust and needs to be overturned.”  The complaint for declaratory judgment brings five claims alleging violations of the right to travel, the right to privacy, the non-delegation doctrine, substantive due process, and that FDA’s action in promulgating the two rules exceeds the authority granted by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

David Gumpert has more details of this historic lawsuit on Grist.  The main points he identifies from the filing are as follows:

The FTCLDF suit argues that the FDA’s role is a problem on several levels:

• It maintains that raw milk isn’t dangerous in the food-borne-illness scheme of things. “According to CDC statistics for 2007, there were 7,031 reported cases of foodborne outbreaks associated with bacteria, which resulted in 678 hospitalizations and 11 deaths (3 deaths of which were from pasteurized milk). According to those same CDC statistics for 2007, there were only 32 reported cases of illnesses attributed to fresh, unprocessed, raw milk (0.5 percent); there were only 2 reported hospitalizations attributed to fresh, unprocessed, raw milk (0.3 percent); and there were no reported deaths attributed to raw milk.” It concludes: “More people are killed each year from lightning strikes on golf courses than die from milkborne illnesses.”
• That consumers who cross state lines with raw milk could at any time be penalized for violating the FDA’s prohibition, even though the agency has generally limited itself to going after farmers. It points to a case last October, in which one of the plaintiffs, Eric Wagoner, who runs a Georgia food buying group over the Internet, had 110 gallons of raw milk already purchased by Georgia consumers confiscated because the milk had been purchased in South Carolina, where raw milk sales are legal, and brought back to Georgia, where they aren’t. “Upon reaching Georgia, Plaintiff Wagoner’s truck was searched and seized by officials from Georgia without a warrant. The raw milk in Wagoner’s truck was embargoed by officials from Georgia without a warrant. On Oct. 19, 2009, the 110 gallons of raw milk, including milk owned by Plaintiffs Wagoner and Cooper, were destroyed at the order of the Georgia officials and the FDA without a warrant or other legal process.”
• That the FDA, if it so chose, could take a less harsh approach to raw milk. “For example, FDA has a regulation at 21 C.F.R. 101.17 that pertains to unpasteurized juices, and provides, in part, that a warning label on a juice container is an acceptable alternative to pasteurizing the juice, to wit: ‘WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.’”
• That the FDA is singling out raw milk for special harsh treatment. According to the suit, “There is nothing in the PHSA [Public Health Service Act] that authorizes the FDA to find that a product that is legal to sell in more than half the States and where it is legal to consume in all 50 States should be banned as a ‘communicable disease’ or ‘illness’ particularly when there are other foods in the United States that cause more cases of foodborne illness.”

This should be an interesting case as the FDA has been unwilling to debate their positions in a public forum.  Perhaps, a judge will force the discussion, and bring to light some of the motivation for the FDA’s position up to this point.

Additional Reading:

1. You Can Support the Raw Milk Bill – HR 778 This is from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF).  Please...
2. Milk Nazis Shift Their Tactics in the War on Raw Milk There is a preceptive piece from David Gumpert on...
3. Michael Schmidt Acquitted of all Raw Milk Charges Michael Schmidt Acquitted of 19 Raw Milk Charges Here is a...