FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

September 28, 2012 

LATE JULY SNACKS CONSUMER AFFAIRS / (508) 362-5859

LATE JULY SNACKS VOLUNTARILY RECALLS MINI PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH CRACKERS BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

Late July Snacks, LLC, of Barnstable, MA, out of an abundance of caution, is cooperating fully with the Sunland Inc. voluntary recall of nut butter products manufactured by Sunland at its New Mexico facility between May and September 2012. In its press release (http://www.sunlandinc.com/788/html/pdfs/SunlandRecall.pdf) Sunland identified the Sunland Extra Stabilized Organic Creamy Peanut Butter as part of the voluntary recall. Sunland is one of our peanut butter suppliers and this peanut butter was an ingredient used in recent production of our Late July Mini Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers.

The Organic Mini Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers are being recalled because Sunland states that their peanut butter has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at http://www.cdc.gov for more information.

No illnesses have been reported to date with consumption of the Sunland Extra Stabilized Organic Creamy Peanut Butter or Late July Organic Mini Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers. Late July Snacks is committed to producing the highest quality products and our top priority is the safety of our customers. For this reason we are issuing this voluntary recall of the products below as a precautionary measure:

Late July Organic Mini Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers:

UPC Code: 890444000700

Pack Size: 5oz box

Best Before Codes/Lot Codes: 19MAY13 through 11JUL13 (stamped on box of bottom)

UPC Code: 890444000724 & 890444000717

Pack Size: 8ct carton/1.125oz (single serve caddy) & 1.125oz pack (single serve pack)

Best Before Codes/Lot Codes: 15JUN13 through 10JUL13 (code is stamped on each individual pack or on the end of the carton)

No other code dates of this product are included in this action.

No other Late July Snacks products are involved in this action.

Customers who purchased this item are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with further questions may contact the company at (508) 362-5859 or visit www.LateJuly.com.

Produce notes from Allen....156 Local Items!!

There are some great offerings this week.  The 5 pound bag of Organic White Potatoes from Hepworth Farms are $2.55 per bag, or only $.51 per pound which is quite a price for an Organic Potato.

Photo by Julie

If you buy Organic Brussels Sprouts at this time of year, a typical price may approach $10.00 per pound.  We have a bountiful supply of local (Hepworth Farms) Organic Brussels Sprouts stalks, at only $2.55 per stalk.  And with every purchase of these Brussels Sprouts, you get a free entirely useless stalk.

Member Ah Ling Neu - photo by Ginger

The local Kiwi Berry season has just begun, but unfortunately has already ended.  We have about a one week supply on hand.  Our local grower has had a crop failure, and we bought whatever remained of their inventory.  Next week we will bring Kiwi Berries from far away Oregon.  These miniature Kiwis have thin fuzz-free skin and you can eat them just like a Grape.  Ripen them at room temperature until they begin to wrinkle and enjoy fuller flavor at room temperature.  You may store the ripened Berries for up to two weeks refrigerated, but the grower recommends bringing them back to room temperature before eating.  My cousin Rita only eats cold fruit and will never fully appreciate these.

We have received a small quantity of Young Local Ginger from Blue Moon Farm in Bloomsbury, New Jersey and quite a lot of it from Old Friends Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts.  This Young Ginger is harvested for only a few weeks a year and happens to be available in the gap between Hawaiian Organic Ginger harvests.  If you haven't tried this Ginger before, it is harvested at a very young tender stage, so it is less fibrous and has no tough skin.  It will last up to ten days refrigerated, whereupon any unused portion may be frozen.  Once frozen, do not thaw.  Simply grate the frozen Ginger and return unused portion to the freezer where it may be stored for several months.  If you are not satisfied with the Peruvian and Brazilian Gingers we have been offering, give this Local Ginger a try.

Photo by Julie

We have been enjoying (enjoying?) a sporadic supply of Bitter Melon from De-Glae Farm of the Lancaster Family Farm Cooperative in Leola, Pennsylvania.  This Green Melon may be ripened until it begins to turn yellow, which increases the bitterness, for all of you who embrace bitterness in your food.  (Not me).  The Bitter Melon, which is popular in many Asian cuisines, has also grown in popularity with those who favor it's nutritional and healing properties.  My favorite use for it is to dice it into soup and then throw the soup away; don't ask me how to use it.

Photo by Julie

A member asked me this week why we have such gigantic displays of Tomatoes in the store. 

9,998 pounds sold last week is why, and there is simply no room for them in the basement.

Allen Zimmerman - Produce Buyer - General Coordinator

Ricotta Salata Recall

This post is to address concerns regarding the recall of Ricotta Salata that the coop purchases from Forever Cheese.

When we learned of the recall of Ricotta Salata due to a possible Lysteria contamination through the FDA's email alerts, the first thing we did was to pull all product from the shelf. Following that  I put a sign on the cheese case itself instructing people to destroy all product that they might have on hand and return to the Coop for a full refund.

By researching invoices and checking delivery lots with Forever Cheese's warehouse we were able to determine the dates we received the possibly tainted product. Unfortunately some product went out of rotation. Although we received the product on August 6th, there was still one wheel left in the store. I believe (and there is no real way to verify this) that that one wheel was the only one that was out of rotation and the Ricotta Salata that we sold in the store for the previous 4 weeks was from a different source.

We got the word out immediately on Twitter and I addressed some of our followers' concerns directly. I was mistaken in saying that everyone was probably fine. The incubation period on Lysteria can be up to 70 days. However, I believe that none of the Ricotta Salata from the possibly tainted lot was sold in the Coop from August 20th to September 10th.

On the day we learned of the recall we determined who had purchased RIcotta Salata in the 5 weeks the Coop may have sold the possibly contaminated lot and made a list of those names and phone numbers. A script was made to communicate the seriousness of this matter and all people on the list were called that day. Those we were unable to reach by phone were send an email with the same information. Those without email were sent a letter in the mail.

In cooperation,

Yuri Weber
Cheese and Fine Foods Buyer

Produce notes from Allen......150 Local Items!

 

 

 

Just in time for the canning season, Amy Hepworth has agreed to fantastic price on her organic Plum Tomatoes.  They are $1.02 per pound or $24.20 for a 25 pound box.  Here's a view of our largest Tomato display ever, and it doesn't include round red and orange, or the red yellow and orange Plum Tomatoes.  In the back on the left are the mini Heirloom cups.

 

 

 

 

New items this week:

• Organic Carambola (Starfruit)
• Organic Galia Melons
• Minimally treated Red Bartlett Pears
• Minimally treated Devoe Pears.  The Devoe Pear, which can also be found at farmer's markets, has a French sounding name, and the Pear does suggest an elegant, classic old world Pear.  It was in fact developed by Amy Hepworth's dad who must have had a flair for marketing.
• We have two new organic Pluots, the Green Goose and the Flavor Fall.  On Monday we will have our first arrival of Flavor Grenade.
• We have our first "fall" harvest of local organic Barack-olli.
• Baby Brussels Sprouts return from Holland, and adult Brussels Sprouts return from California.
• We have a small supply of organic Cardoons (Cardoni). They are the same species as globe Artichokes, and steamed or braised, have a similar flavor.
• Organic local Cauliflower
• Enoki Mushrooms (Brown and White Beech, and King Trumpet coming Monday)
• Organic Red Kabocha and Buttercup Squash
• Organic Pumpkins for cooking
• Organic bunched Japanese Turnips
• Organic Habanero Peppers
• We have finally found loose and bagged Russet Potatoes that are good enough for the Park Slope Food Coop

Very, very busy as we are entering the peak of the harvest and no more time to write.

 

 

Allen Zimmerman - Produce Buyer - General Coordinator

 

Daniella Mango Recall - We're in the clear.

Some members have expressed concern about the recent Mango recall in the news.  Rest assured, we have not carried any Mango's from this, or any, non-organic grower in some time.  Any Mango that you have bought here, that is in any way edible and currently resides in your kitchen, is certified organic and is entirely unaffected by this recall. 

If you would like to read some more details, click here to read a detailed article.