ML Interest Tag: notify

Recall Alert: More Than 24,000 Pounds of Raw Beef Recalled

by Erica Loop

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Inspection Service recently announced a recall of 24,428 pounds of raw beef products. The beef, produced by American Beef Packers, Inc. of Chino, California, was recalled after a carcass was, “Erroneously released and further processed into raw intact and non-intact beef products, which were distributed in commerce,” according to the FSIS.

If you think you may have the recalled beef, read on for important information.

Recalled Product Description: American Beef Packers Raw Beef

The affected beef was produced and packaged on Aug. 21, 2019 and bears the establishment number “EST. 34741” in the USDA mark of inspection. The recalled products were shipped to federal establishments in California and Oregon. Click here for a full list of recalled products.

Why the Beef Was Recalled

The recall was issued after American Beef Packers, Inc. notified the FSIS that a carcass pending lab inspection results was erroneously released. The carcass was then processed into other raw beef products.

According to the FSIS, there are no confirmed reports of illnesses or adverse reactions to the beef.

How To Tell If Your Beef Was Recalled

Look for the establishment number “EST. 34741” inside the USDA mark of inspection. For product names, lot numbers, dates and other label information, visit the USDA’s website here.

What Consumers Can Do

If you have the recalled beef in  your fridge or your freezer do not eat it. Throw the beef away or return it the place of purchase. Consumers with questions can contact Kari Godbey Houchens, Regulatory Manager, American Beef Packers, Inc. at 909-628-4888 ext. 123.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Rawpixel via Pexels

 

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Build-A-Bear’s Pay Your Age Event Is Back with One Major Change

by Shahrzad Warkentin

If you were one of the unlucky few that braved the mall last year in hopes of scoring a great deal at Build-A-Bear’s Pay Your Age debacle, you might not exactly be jumping for joy to learn that it’s back. This year promises to be quite different however.

In case you missed it, last year Build-A-Bear was forced to close its stores due to overwhelming response to its Pay Your Age event. After waiting in line, customers were turned away with no bears. However the company did offer vouchers to customers who were in line and even those who just thought about attending the event, but never went after the closures.

Now Pay Your Age is back, but in an effort to not repeat the same mistake, things are a little different this time. From Jun. 11-16 members of the Build-A-Bear Bonus Club rewards program who complete a birthday profile in their online account can enter the Pay Your Age limited ticket offer. If you receive a ticket, you can visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop during one of two assigned redemption periods in the week of Jun. 24 through Jun. 28 and “make one furry friend per child present, limit two furry friends per ticket.” Winners of the Pay Your Age Ticket will be notified by Jun. 21.

Members of the Build-A-Bear Bonus Club rewards program who complete the birthday profile can also enter the Count Your Candles sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to receive a grand prize of a birthday party experience to use any time in the next twelve months valued up to $250.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Build-A-Bear Workshop

 

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Recall Alert: Certain Ford Vehicles Pose Roll-Away Risk

by Erica Loop

Ford Motor Company recently released two separate safety recalls—both of which could cause your car to roll away on its own. In a press release earlier this week, Ford announced that the current recall includes 2,500 2019 Ranger trucks and 259,182 2013 to 2016 Fusion vehicles in the United States.

The recalled 2019 Ranger trucks may have a problem with their transmission shaft cable bracket fasteners. According to Ford, “On some affected vehicles, the two fasteners that secure the transmission shift cable bracket to the transmission housing may not have been torqued to specification. Over time, an improperly torqued fastener could allow the transmission shift cable bracket to become loose and the transmission to be in a gear state different from the gearshift position selected by the driver.”

photo: Courtesy of Ford

If you’re not automotively inclined, the basics are: the improper torque could result in your truck shifting out of park and rolling away. There are no current accidents or injuries reported due to this recall.

Ranger owners with the affected vehicles should call their dealer ASAP, because the dealer will torque the fasteners which will fix the problem. Ford cautions Ranger owners to use the parking brake when the vehicle is parked until they are able to bring the car to the dealer for the repair.

Along with Rangers, Ford’s recall also includes 2013 to 2016 Fusion vehicles. According to a press release, “Ford is issuing a safety recall for select 2013-16 Fusion vehicles with 2.5-liter engines for a shifter cable bushing issue. On affected vehicles, the bushing that attaches the shifter cable may degrade and detach from the transmission.”

While this safety recall differs from the Ranger recall, the end result is the same—the possibility of the car rolling away. Ford’s recall press statement also notes, “The root cause and final service repair are in the process of being confirmed. Dealers and vehicle owners will be instructed to always use the parking brake, and they will be notified when the final remedy is available. The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S16.”

—Erica Loop

 

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Does Your School Need an Edible Garden? Whole Foods Wants to Help It Grow

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Whole Foods has just donated $1.2 million to provide edible gardens at schools across the country—and here’s how your school could be next.

Whole Kids Foundation, the company’s nonprofit focused on kid’s nutrition and wellness, has just awarded grants to 602 schools in the United States and Canada to help implement new school gardens or support ones that already exist. School gardens provide hands-on learning that is linked to every common core subject, including math, science and English.

photo: Maggie Zhao via Pexels

“Through our Garden Grant program, schools and nonprofit organizations transform outdoor spaces into vibrant hands-on outdoor classrooms that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity, and inspire them to make healthier choices for meals and snacks,” said Tristana Pirkl, Outdoor Education Leader for Whole Kids Foundation. “We truly believe in gardens as powerful learning spaces for nutrition, wellness and for all subjects!”

Besides being a great learning tool having access to fresh produce also encourages kids to make healthier choices in their diets. Those healthy habits can extend into the home for the whole family as well.

The Whole Kids Foundation accepts applications for grants each year between Sep. 1 and Oct. 15. Schools are notified of their $2,000 grant award in Feb. For more information on the Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant program and to apply, check out the website here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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Your Parenting Journey: March & April 2019 Spoke Writing Contest

by Keiko Zoll

photo: Courtesy of Intrepid Travel

Spring is finally on its way—and it’s time for another Spoke Writing Contest! Don’t forget: our Writing Contests now run for six weeks at a time instead of monthly, so make a note of dates.

Let’s Talk Theme: Your Parenting Journey

They say life is a journey, and none more so than the experience of parenting. We want to hear about your family journeys, whether it’s a special story about the first time you took your kid to Disneyland or the journey of welcoming a new member to your family. We want your stories of where you’ve been—and where you’re headed—together as a family this year.

Contest Writing Prompts

Need some inspo? Here are a few ideas to get your started:

  • I Never Thought I’d Become a Parent: My Journey from Infertility to Parenthood
  • The Hilarious/Epic/Disastrous/Surprising Story of My Kid’s First Flight
  • A Parenting Road Map of Realistic Expectations During Your Baby’s First Year
  • Our Family’s Journey of Adoption
  • The Surprising Story I Found When I Made My Family Tree
  • Our Family Tree Looks a Little Different from Most & That’s Okay
  • Recapping Our Family’s Cross-Country Road Trip (& What We Learned Along the Way)
  • How I Overcame My Fear of Flying—with Kids
  • Our Family’s Trip of a Lifetime
  • The Weirdest Trip We’ve Ever Taken as a Family

Feel free to write about whatever you’d like as it relates to this theme, and make sure your post fits into one of our three Spoke post categories: Real Talk, Rockstar Parenting or Parenting Humor.

The Fine Print

Three winning posts will be selected by our editors and based on quality, originality and page views.

  1. Each winner will receive $100 each for their original post. (Remember, only original posts are eligible for Writing Contest prizes.)
  2. Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific by Apr. 30, 2019. Winners will be notified and announced the next month.
  3. To enter, please use of the following Red Tricycle Article Code with your post: #parentingjourney2019. (No caps and please include the hashtag.)

We can’t wait to read your awesome entries!

—Keiko Zoll, Spoke Contributor Network Editor

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Recall Alert: Chef Boyardee Microwavable Bowls Have Undeclared Allergens

by Erica Loop

Check your pantry, because there’s been a Chef Boyardee recall. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recently announced a recall of canned microwavable bowls of Chef Boyardee rice with chicken and vegetables due to misbranding and undeclared allergens. A representative from Conagra Brands (the makers of Chef Boyardee) said in an email statement, “Our top priority is the safety of our products and we apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.”

The recalled products contain undeclared milk and wheat products, making them potentially dangerous for anyone with an allergy to these ingredients. Read on for what you need to know about the recall.

photo: Chef Boyardee

Recalled Product Description: Chef Boyardee Rice with Chicken & Vegetables

The current recall includes 7.5-ounce canned microwavable bowls with Chef BOYARDEE rice with chicken & vegetables on the label. The bottom of the bowls includes the package code of 210090151050045L and ‘BEST BY’ date of Jul082020.

Why the Microwavable Bowls Were Recalled

On Mar. 8, the FSIS was notified of mislabeling on microwave beef ravioli bowls. The bowls, which contained beef ravioli, were incorrectly identified as chicken with rice and vegetables. The product in the bowls contains undeclared milk and wheat ingredients. As of now, there are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions.

How to Tell If Your Chef Boyardee Product Was Recalled

The affected products have “Chef BOYARDEE rice with chicken & vegetables” printed on the label. The products also bear the establishment number “EST 794” on the bottom. Affected products were shipped to retailers in Florida, Kentucky and New York.

What Parents Can Do

If your child, or household member, has a milk or wheat allergy do not eat this product. Throw the microwavable meals away or bring them to the place of purchase. Direct all questions about this recall to Conagra’s manager of quality at 1-800-921-7404.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: BN via Pexels

 

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Why Are There So Many More Food Recalls? You’re Not Imagining Things

by Erica Loop

Does it seem like there are more food recalls that usual? Between that massive romaine recall from the end of 2018 to thousands of pounds of beef, turkey and even our kids’ beloved chicken nuggets, it almost feels like nothing is safe to eat. Obviously, that’s not true—but the number of recalls is rising. Here’s why.

According to data from the Public Interest Research Group, food recalls increased by 10 percentb etween 2013 and 2018. A staggering 70 percent increase was in chicken-related recalls alone.

Photo: amsw photography via Pexels

Before you panic, keep in mind that these numbers aren’t static. They go up and down, and sometimes back up again. They also may indicate a trend towards increasing voluntary recalls. In other words, when companies issue their own voluntarily recalls for potentially contaminated products, the number of recalls go up.

Initiating a voluntary recall immediately has obvious advantages. The quicker the response, the sooner the public is notified—and can stop eating the affected product (or throw it out before eating it). This reduces serious and life-threatening illnesses and reactions. So while it seems like the number of recalls has risen, it’s out of an abundance of caution ultimately meant to protect consumers preemptively.

—Erica Loop

 

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We Can All Eat Romaine Lettuce Now, CDC Says

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This Organized Life: January & February 2019 Spoke Writing Contest

by Keiko Zoll

Photo: Eleni Koureas via Unsplash

New Year. New you—maybe? Maybe not. But there’s no denying there’s a certain kind of re-energy this time of year, inspiring us to do and be our best—if not for ourselves, then definitely for our kids.

New for Spoke this year? Our Writing Contests now run for six weeks at a time instead of monthly. We know it’s not easy trying to whip up brilliance in just four short weeks, so we gave you two extra.

Let’s Talk: Theme

For our first Spoke Writing Contest of the year, the theme is “This Organized Life.”

Everyone loves a fresh start and there’s something about this time of year that inspires us to do and be better. Whether it’s your parenting resolutions in the New Year, your rockstar organizational hacks or just how you stay motivated as a parent (or even motivate your kids), we’re here for all the ways you plan to make 2019 your best year yet.

This Organized Life: Writing Prompts

Need some inspo? Here are a few ideas to get your started:

  • The One Parenting Resolution I Promise to Keep This Year
  • The Parenting Resolution I’m Ditching This Year
  • How I Get My Kids Motivated & Out the Door on Time
  • Clever Organizational Hacks for…Kids’ Rooms, Pantries, Nurseries, Closets, etc.
  • How I Use __________ to Organize My Life
  • Ease Ways to Squeeze in a Workout/Meditation/Self-Care During a Busy Day
  • Why I Get Up Before Everyone Else (or, conversely: Why I Go to Bed After Everyone Else)
  • Time Management Tips for New Parents
  • Things Better/Easier/Cooler than a Family Calendar
  • Apps that Save Me Time (& My Sanity) as a Parent

Feel free to write about whatever you’d like as it relates to this theme, and make sure your post fits into one of our three Spoke post categories: Real Talk, Rockstar Parenting or Parenting Humor.

The Fine Print

Three winning posts will be selected by our editors and based on quality, originality and page views.

  1. Each winner will receive $100 each for their original post. (Remember, only original posts are eligible for Writing Contest prizes.)
  2. Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific by Feb. 28, 2019. Winners will be notified and announced the next month.
  3. To enter, please use of the following Red Tricycle Article Code with your post: #organizedlife2019. (No caps and please include the hashtag.)

We can’t wait to read your awesome entries!

—Keiko Zoll, Spoke Contributor Network Editor

 

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