Deadly Strawberries & Dog Treat Recall

Deadly Strawberries & Dog Treat Recall plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

An E coli outbreak in Oregon has been traced to strawberries sold at farm stands and farmers markets from Jaquith Strawberry Farm in Newburg. So far one person has died and 14 have been reported as sick. Investigators are not sure of the cause although deer are the suspected origin. According to Dr. Paul Cieslak there is still some concern.

CIESLAK: Mostly we’re concern that people go to the farmer’s stand and buy a mess of strawberries and freeze a lot of them or have made freezer jam with them and there being no kill step and E coli 157 can be preserved in the freezer indefinitely.

And speaking of tainted products, Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling a single lot of its Doggie Wishbone pet treat because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Merrick says 248 cases of this lot were manufactured and shipped to distributors in 10 states.  No illnesses have been reported to date and there have been no consumer complaints for the product. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products.  Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

After the debt ceiling agreement was signed by President Obama last week several federal programs now find themselves being steered towards the chopping block. But like flashy comic book characters in spandex tights the so-called “Super Committee” is now supposed to fly in and save the day. That is, save the day for some; others will not be so lucky. The Committee, to be made up of three Republicans and three Democrats each from the U.S. House and Senate are to come up with a list of proposed federal program cuts by Thanksgiving, or a carving job usually left for the holiday turkey will ensue across the board. It is highly unlikely that Farm programs will be able to escape untouched. The timing for all this is unfortunate, when considering work on the next Farm Bill will be quickly coming on its heels. Pat Westhoff, the Program Director for the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, says the good news is the Committee’s recommendations will be known by Thanksgiving, and whether they’re approved will be known by Christmas. Not exactly the present everyone looks forward to under their Christmas tree.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.