Recall: Stone Fruits Pulled for Possible Listeria Contamination

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of certain lots of whole  white and yellow peaches, white and yellow nectarines, plums and pluots packed by Wawona Packing Company of Cutler, Calif.

Internal company testing led to the discovery of the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is an organism that can cause foodborne illness in a person that eats an item contaminated with it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and diarrhea. The illness primarily affects pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems. Most healthy adults and children rarely become seriously ill.

The affected lots can be viewed on this document.

The recalled fruits were shipped directly to retailers and wholesalers. A nationwide recall was initiated as the company does not know the locations of businesses that purchased products from its direct customers. The produce was packed between June 1 and July 12, 2014. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them and should discard them.

Questions about this recall?

Consumers who purchased this product can contact Wawona Packing at 1-888-232-9912 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

 

 

 

 

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information. 

Georgia Celebrates Peach Ice Cream Day

By Dallas Duncan

From left: Georgie Grown, Commissioner Gary W. Black, Caroline Black of
Jaemor Farms, Stratton Leopold of Leopold's Ice Cream, Duke Lane of Lane
Southern Orchards, Gov. Nathan Deal, Robert Dickey of Dickey Farms, First
Lady Sandra Deal and Secretary of State Brian Kemp

Gov. Nathan Deal declared Thursday, July 17, 2014, as Georgia Peach Ice Cream Day, and the crowd turned out in force to celebrate in style.

“There’s not a bad day to have ice cream,” Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black said. “It’s never a good day unless you’ve had ice cream, that’s the way I think.”

Stratton Leopold of Leopold’s Ice Cream in Savannah, Ga., drove all the way to the state Capitol with two ice cream jerks and a heaping amount of fresh, Georgia-made peach ice cream to commemorate the day. He was joined by peach growers Rep. Robert Dickey of Dickey Farms in Roberta, Ga.; Duke Lane of Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley, Ga.; and Caroline Black of Jaemor Farms in Alto, Ga.

“Leopold’s Ice Cream was absolutely delicious,” said Belle Doss, assistant clerk for administrative services for the Georgia House of Representatives. “It was a perfect way to celebrate Peach Ice Cream Day.”

Doss said it was great seeing producers come out to the event, and so was Leopold.

Leopold's peach ice cream, made with Georgia peaches

“I can’t wait to get back in touch with them. We want to have peach ice cream for as much of the season as we can,” Leopold said.

The commissioner unveiled a new GeorgiaGrown locator app during the event and demonstrated how Georgians craving Peach State ice cream can enter their zip code or location and get directions to the nearest location to satiate their craving.

First Lady Sandra Deal said she was thrilled to see so many come out and support Georgia’s ice cream and peach industries.

“We are thankful for our cream, our milk that makes our ice cream so good and we are just so grateful that all of you have come today to enjoy it as they share it with us today,” she told attendees. “Thank you for being Georgia peaches and enjoying Georgia ice cream.”

See Georgia Peach Ice Cream Day in action on our new YouTube channel!

Equine Commission Seeks Applicants for Advisory Board

The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Equine recently announced the open position on its advisory board for a southeast Georgia chair.  

This board serves as advisors to the commission members when dealing with topics of research, education and promotion of the equine industry in the state of Georgia. The commission is looking for a willing, experienced and hardworking individual from the southeast area of the state who is passionate about building and supporting Georgia’s equine industry. 

If you are interested in aiding the commission in this fashion, please contact Nathan Wilson at nathan.wilson@agr.georgia.gov with your resume to obtain application information. The deadline for submission is Monday, Sept. 1, 2014. 

For more information on this position, contact Wilson or ACC Equine Chairman John Clements at tiejc@bellsouth.net or at 404-863-2173.

Guest Post: Georgia ACC Soybeans Announces Funding Projects

Courtesy Greg Mims, chairman, and Billy Skaggs, executive secretary, Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Soybeans

The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Soybeans recently approved $213,910 in funding for a wide range of research projects as well as select promotional activities. At its March board meeting, the commission reviewed and approved funding for 11 projects.

The research projects funded included: soybean production research, soybean stem canker research, the continuation of soybean IPM sentinel plots, development of RR2Y/LL soybean varieties, soybean variety evaluation and continued research on kudzu bug resistance. In addition, the commission approved funding in support of the Georgia Weather Network, the Georgia-Florida Soybean Association and a new Extension soybean yield contest.

Like producers of other commodities, such as cotton, peanuts and dairy, Georgia’s soybean farmers collectively invest a portion of their revenue to fund research and promotion efforts. This collective investment is called a check-off. The Soybean Check-off is a nationwide effort supported entirely by soybean farmers with individual contributions of 0.5 percent of the market price per bushel sold each season.

Success for soybean farmers in today’s market takes more than just a good harvest. Increasing demand for soybeans is an essential part of the equation. The Soybean Check-off helps facilitate market growth and creation by funding research at land-grant universities as well as promotional efforts. In Georgia, more than 75% of the check-off funds collected go to fund research – which is crucial in the development of new varieties, improvements in production efficiency, and advancements in insect and disease management.

By investing in research and building demand, the US Soybean Check-off helps ensure a strong and profitable future for soybean farmers in Georgia and across the nation.

For more information about the commission, email gasoybean@gmail.com.