FDA Warning Issued For Oysters From Copano Bay In Aransas County, TX

January 20, 2014 FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat raw or partially cooked oysters harvested from Copano Bay, in Aransas County, Texas, harvested between Dec. 26, 2013 and Jan. 9, 2014. Oysters harvested from Copano Bay, Texas, on Dec. 26, 2013, and then shipped by Alby’s Seafood of Fulton, Texas, have been linked to six norovirus illnesses in Louisiana.

'Free Range' & 'Pasture Raised' Officially Defined By HFAC For Certified Humane Label

January 20, 2014 Humane Farm Animal Care

Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) announces new standards for products that are labeled Certified Humane® and either "Free Range" or "Pasture Raised."  There is currently no legal definition for "Free Range" or "Pasture Raised" in the United States, therefore these terms are often used on poultry packaging with no unilateral definitions for the consumer to trust.  HFAC's 28-member Scientific Committee has spent nearly two years reviewing all of the current research, which has resulted in new standards for the Certified Humane® label.

Colorado Firm Recalls Beef & Pork Products Due To Misbranding & Undeclared Allergen

January 20, 2014 USDA FSIS

European Meat Products Inc., a Lakewood, Colo., establishment, is recalling approximately 130,000 pounds of fresh and ready-to-eat beef and pork products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products contain wheat, a known allergen which is not declared on the labels.

Gusto Packing Recalls Sliced Spiral Hams For Possible Listeria Contamination

January 20, 2014 USDA FSIS

Gusto Packing, a Montgomery, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 67,113 pounds of sliced, spiral ham products due to concerns about possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

Association Of Specialty Cut Flower Growers To Host Growers & Designers In Fort Worth

The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) is holding its 2014 Growers' School at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The day and a half program will feature sessions on both cut flower production and floral design.