Recall: Listera Threat Prompts Caramel Apple Recall

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of select lots of caramel apples produced by Happy Apples of Washington, Mo.

The company has been working with the US Food and Drug Administration in its investigation of the outbreak of listeriosis, which has been associated with caramel apples. The company received notice from one of its suppliers that there may be a connection between this outbreak and the apples it supplied to Happy Apples' California facility.

The apples may be contaminated with 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 products are as follows:

• Single pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014
• Three-pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014
• Four-pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014
• Eight-pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating illnesses associated with this recall.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers who purchased any pre-packaged caramel apples are advised not to eat them, but to return it to the store of purchase or dispose of it per instructions from the CDC.

Questions about this recall?

Consumers  who purchased this product can contact Happy Apples at 800-527-7532 Monday through Friday or via email at customercare@happyapples.com.

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. 

agriCULTURE: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (#GaMktBulletin style)

Originally published in the Dec. 25, 2013, issue

 

By Dallas Duncan

Letter from the Editor

 

 

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the farm

 

Not an animal was stirring, not even in the barn.

 

The coveralls were hung by the fire to dry,

 

And we all waited for Santa Claus to drop by.

 

My kids were nestled snug in their beds,

 

While visions of Fords and Allis Chalmers danced in their heads.

 

And Bonnie Jo in her curlers and I in my ball cap

 

Had just settled down for a good night’s nap,

 

When out near the pasture I heard such a ruckus,

 

I leapt out of bed and reached for my musket.

 

Out to the porch I flew like a flash,

 

To see what on Earth could’a caused that loud crash.

 

The moon in the sky was shining mighty bright

 

And I squinted to see in all the white light.

 

What I saw on the roof made me grasp the porch rails –

 

Santa Claus on a tractor pulled by eight massive Clydesdales!

 

That jolly old man looked a lot like Phil, my Pappy,

 

As he let off the gas and said, “I’m so happy, happy, happy!”

 

He called to his elves, who were riding a plow,

 

And they ran to him just as fast as their little legs would allow.

 

“Now Gary! Now Peaches, now Peanut and Piney,

 

On Zippy! On Jersey, on Haygood and Honey!”

 

"To the top of the fence! To the top of the wall!

 

"We’ve got Christmas spirit to sow, there’s no time to stall!”

 

Next thing I knew they were headed to the chimney

 

Carrying so much stuff – how’d it all fit on that jitney?

 

They had trucks for my boys and a saddle for my daughter,

 

Those elves even brought my cattle bottled water!

 

As I slipped back inside to watch the delivery,

 

Santa and crew came down in their Christmas livery.

 

He was dressed all in red, from his head to his boots,

 

And his elves wore glittery green camo suits.

 

Those burlap sacks full of toys they’d laid by the tree

 

And as they unpacked them I couldn’t wait to see.

 

There were fruitcakes from Claxton and pecans from Lane;

 

A Market Bulletin subscription and bags of new grain.

 

The elves giggled and laughed as they stuffed our stockings

 

With so many Georgia Georgia gifts, I just kept gawking.

 

Santa Claus supervised the entire exchange,

 

Eating cookies as he made himself at home on our range.

 

He had a big smile and a round potbelly

 

That shook when he laughed, like a jar of mayhaw jelly.

 

He admired our Christmas tree, its lights all a-twinkle,

 

And Bonnie Jo’s wrapping, done with paper that crinkled.

 

He glanced at the clock and then at his elves:

 

“Y’all, we better get a move on, ourselves.

 

There’s all of Atlanta and north Georgia to visit, you know,

 

So we must be on our way before that rooster crows.”

 

They sprang up the chimney as quick as they came,

 

Loaded on their tractor and Santa took the reins.

 

But I heard him exclaim as they flew out of sight,

 

“Merry Christmas to all Georgia agriculture tonight!”



Recall: Snack Bars Recalled for Possible Health Risk

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of select lots of snack bars produced by Perfect Bar of San Diego, Calif.

Routine company testing revealed the products could contain  Salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium known to cause salmonellosis in humans and animals. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. In some cases, they are known to be severe enough to require hospitalization and can cause serious complications or death in young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

The affected products are as follows:

• 2.5-ounce Peanut Butter bars with best by date of Sept. 2, 2015
• 1.6-ounce Cranberry Crunch bars with best by date of Sept. 2, 2015
• One-pound variety pack of bars with best by dates of Sept. 2, 2015, Sept. 1, 2015, and Nov. 24, 2015

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 these products are asked to dispose of them immediately

Questions about this recall?

Consumers  who purchased this product can contact Perfect Bar at 619-316-8494 Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, or via email at pj@perfectbar.com.

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 Grown Profile: Georgia Pest Control Association

Originally published in the April 30, 2014, issue

 

Members do far more than killing bugs

By Erica Lummus, spring intern

 

Killing bugs, inspecting for bad things under houses, working with chemicals; sometimes it’s all that folks think about when they hear about the members of the Georgia Pest Control Association, former Executive Director Valera Jessee said. 

 

Aside from the obvious, GPCA also deals with food safety, protecting the structural integrity of a structure and ensuring the health and wellbeing of Georgia’s citizens.

 

GPCA was established in 1950 and has been around for 64 years. Because GPCA works with pesticides and remedies for infestations, each of its members is licensed, regulated and educated. The company not only educates its own members, but also the general public about the industry and how important its services are to the health and wellbeing of the community. 

 

The association has 1,000 members that attend training about the biology, identification and management of every possible home-invading critter. 

 

“From lady bugs, who by the way are just a big nuisance, to bed bugs, who are a serious problem, there are products, methods and solutions that will protect your home, health and food,” Jessee said.   

 

The University of Georgia established one of the largest urban entomology departments in the nation with the help of GPCA. The association has three committed researchers and professors who are well-respected as leaders in urban pest management. 

 

“So, next time you wonder if your house will get termites – likely it will – or if you can get rid of those persistent ants yourself – very challenging – think about calling in a professional. We do good work, we give guarantees and we offer peace of mind,” Jessee said.



Consumer Q&A: Exotic Plants

Q: I live in south Georgia, and we have quite a lot of palm trees in our landscapes. I have one that has ripe yellow fruits each year. It has fernlike fronds and is a full-grown tree. I really like it and want to treat it properly. My concern is what to do with the brown fronds that hang from the lower section. Do I cut these off?  If I do, at what length and at what time of year? Does it have any special fertilizer needs?

A: According to your description, your palm sounds like a jelly palm (Butia capitata). It is also called the wine palm and pindo palm.

The brown fronds on the lower section are dead and can be cut off at any time of year. You do not have to cut the dead fronds off, but you may want to do so to make the palm look neater. There is no rule about how far back to cut the dead fronds, just don't damage the trunk. Most people leave a few inches of stub and make all the "boots" uniform. Boots are the stubs of dead fronds that encircle the palm trunk. They create the cross-hatch pattern that is familiar on our native cabbage palmetto. The fronds are easy to cut off with a large pair of loppers. Leave the green fronds. They are manufacturing food for the tree. Be careful when you are on a ladder doing any kind of pruning!

Your jelly palm doesn't have any special nutrient or fertilizer needs. When it comes to fertilizer, too little is always better than too much especially with woody, mature plants. Jelly palms are naturally slow growing. You should not try to force a lot of growth with fertilizer, even when they are young. If you apply any fertilizer it should be in the late spring or early summer. Your tree probably doesn’t need any fertilizer at all.

Q: I saw a ‘Flying Dragon’ tree with lemon-like fruits in a catalog. Is it hardy in Georgia? Is the fruit edible?

A: ‘Flying Dragon’ is a variety of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), the most cold-hardy member of the citrus family. It will grow throughout Georgia and even farther north. Unlike the regular form of trifoliate orange, ‘Flying Dragon’ has spiraling stems and curved thorns that give the appearance of a Chinese dragon taking flight.

Trifoliate orange is almost exclusively grown as ornamental for its dark green thorny branches, white flowers and attractive fruits.

Although the fruit is fragrant and citrusy, the pulp is extremely sour and chock full of seeds. We have heard of people using the fruit to make marmalade, but have never tried it ourselves.

The thorns of trifoliate orange are formidable. Back in the 1980s Fort Bragg was planting them as a barrier. We haven’t heard how successful the effort was, but a hedge of trifoliate orange is a lot more difficult to get through than barbed wire and would give even Brer Rabbit pause. Removing a thicket of trifoliate orange would be like going into battle against a syringe-laden army of octopuses. ‘Flying Dragon’ would be less dangerous since the thorns do not stick straight out, but it still needs careful handling.

Trifoliate orange is listed as an invasive species in some areas – a scary thought if you’ve ever accidentally bumped into one. For more information, see the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

On a lighter note, branches of standard form of trifoliate orange are used in Christmas decorating to make gumdrop trees. The decorator removes the needle-like tips and sticks gumdrops on the thorns. The branches of the standard form and the contorted ‘Flying Dragon’ may also be used (with care, of course) in Good Friday and Easter floral arrangements to signify the suffering of Jesus.

Q: Can we grow ‘Fuyugaki’ and other oriental persimmons in Atlanta?

A: Yes. ‘Fuyugaki’ (sometimes simply called ‘Fuyu’) and most other oriental persimmon varieties will do well in all of Georgia, except perhaps the mountains. ‘Sheng’ is one of the most cold-hardy varieties and it would be a good choice for someone in the mountains who wants to give oriental persimmons a try. ‘Maekawa Jiro’ is also listed as a very cold-hardy variety that might work in the mountains.

‘Fuyugaki’ is the most popular variety of oriental persimmon. Other varieties you may want to consider include ‘Wase Fuyu’ (sometimes listed as ‘Matsumoto’), ‘Gwang Yang,’ ‘Hana Gosho,’ ‘Jiro,’ ‘Eureka,’ ‘Tanenashi,’ ‘Ichi Ki Kei Jiro,’ ‘Saijo,’ ‘Great Wall’ and ‘Kyungsun Ban-Si.’

Many oriental persimmons are sold bare-root although some nurseries do sell them in containers. The bare-root ones are shipped in late winter while the trees are still dormant. Get your order in soon.

Q: What is the “goya melon” I see on television infomercials that people on Okinawa eat? Can we grow it in Georgia? If so, where can I find seeds?

A: The “goya melon” you see on infomercials is Momordica charantia, more commonly known in this country as “balsam pear.”  It also goes by the names “bitter melon” and “bitter gourd.”

Balsam pear/goya melon is a tropical vine that likes full sun and fertile soil. It is easy to grow. If you can grow cucumbers or gourds, you can grow it. It has long been grown in America as an ornamental novelty. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello.

The fruit is a bumpy curiosity that turns golden orange when ripe and splits open to reveal seeds covered with bright red pulp like a screaming Technicolor cucumber. The fruits are edible when green but supposedly toxic when ripe. The red pulp is edible, but the seeds are also supposed to be toxic. There is a similar species, Momordica balsamina, known as “balsam apple” that is less frequently grown and generally considered less ornamental.

Recall Roundup: Dec. 13 through 19

Editor's Note: Food recalls related to a foodborne pathogen will be featured on individual blog posts. Food recalls related to food allergens, mislabeling or other causes will be rounded up, when applicable, in a Recall Roundup blog post. For up-to-the-minute information on food recalls, follow @GaMktBulletin and @GDAFoodSafety on Twitter, and visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture's food recall website.

Recalls were issued on select lots of the following products:

Flat Creek Farm & Dairy: Aztec Cheddar with lot code 140802XAZ; Low Country Gouda with lot code 140702XAZ; Aztec Cheddar with lot code 140725XGO.
Recalled Dec. 11; potential Salmonella contamination. Read more ...

Recipe: Vidalia Onion Pizzas, Two Ways

Originally published in the April 30, 2014, issue

 

Editor’s Note: Sweeten up Georgia’s own sweet Vidalias with a tangy barbecue twist, or turn them savory and delectably cheesy with these two pizza options. Add your own favorite toppings to customize them further.

 

Ingredients:

2 loaves frozen white bread dough

Oil

½ cup barbecue sauce

½ cup store-bought alfredo sauce

1 cup roasted or sautéed Vidalia Onions, sliced

1.5 cups cooked chicken, chopped

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, separated

Instructions:

1. Create the crust. Generously cover a large bowl with oil. Place frozen dough in the bowl and allow to thaw and rise. This can be done overnight or for at least eight hours.

2. Spread the crust on two greased 12-inch pizza pans. Press crust to the sides of the pans and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Split the chicken and onion portions in two.

5. On one crust, spread barbecue sauce, one portion chicken, one portion onions and one cup mozzarella.

6. On the second crust, spread alfredo sauce and remaining chicken, onions and mozzarella.

7. Bake until crust is browned and cheese is melted.



Peanut Genome Project to Lead to Faster Development of New Varieties

Originally published in the April 30, 2014, issue

 

By Dallas Duncan

 

Now that the peanut genome has been
sequenced, breeders will be able to create
resistant cultivars at a faster pace using
traditional breeding methods. Photo by
Dallas Duncan

Recent breakthroughs in peanut breeding could significantly decrease the time it takes to develop new cultivars.

 

The International Peanut Genome Initiative, of which University of Georgia’s Scott Jackson was chair, completed sequencing the entire peanut genome this spring.

 

“The state of Georgia produces 40 percent of the US peanuts,” Jackson said. “One of the things we wanted to do was accelerate the improvement of peanuts – get better faster and finding varieties of peanuts with improved traits and characteristics and yield we can provide to the farmers.”

 

And one of the best ways to do that, he said, is to understand the genetics of the peanut itself.

 

“The genome sequence gives us a picture of all the genes in the cultivated peanut in one database,” Jackson said. “Now the hope is that we can use this information to make more informed decisions on what genes to move into improved varieties and how to deploy those, how to stack genes and get improved yield and improved disease resistance.”

 

The peanut joins a list of other organisms with sequenced genomes, including the chicken, peach, rice, soybean and even human, which is only slightly larger than the peanut genome. The peanut genome initiative was funded through commodity groups, shellers, growers and packers, he said.

 

Based on genetic studies, breeders can look at which pieces of DNA correlate with a trait. This leads to using the DNA and not a trait to base selection on, said Peggy Ozias-Akins, horticulture professor at the University of Georgia-Tifton campus.

 

“It’s more long-term to actually select based on the trait,” she said. “If you’ve already shown that DNA is associated with resistance to that disease, then you can still make progress in that year selecting lines out of the population that would carry resistance.”

 

Without a sequenced genome, it could take anywhere from 10 to 20 years to determine what genes control certain traits. Jackson hopes that the sequenced peanut genome will cut that time to less than a decade.

 

“Before, a breeder had to grow the plant for a whole season to see if it contained a particular trait,” said Don Koehler, executive director of Georgia Peanut Commission. “Now after the initial cross takes place … he can look for specific markers to know if a gene is present or not.”

 

The actual sequencing process is like a complicated jigsaw puzzle, Jackson said.

 

“We take the DNA from a plant and chop it up into very small fragments and we sequence those fragments using machines … then we use computer algorithms to try to put it back together in the correct order,” he said.

 

In other words, Jackson said, it’s as if that jigsaw puzzle was a picture of blue sky.

 

The next step uses more computer calculations to determine where the genes are in that puzzle, and tie the genes to a function, such as disease or drought resistance.

 

“The actual figuring out of what the genes do will take a number of years,” Jackson said. “We’re already making progress.”

 

Some of the major diseases affecting Georgia peanuts are tomato spotted wilt virus, white mold and leaf spot.

 

“By finding resistant gene strains in the peanut, the technology will allow for peanut cultivars that will help enhance production on the farm and save the farmer time and money when treating the disease,” Koehler said.



Arty's Garden: Walk Like an Egyptian ... Onion

Originally published in the April 16, 2014, issue

 

Whenever I hear The Bangles sing “Walk Like an Egyptian,” I think of ‘80s fashions as well as the highly stylized paintings adorning the tombs of the pharaohs. And I think of onions: Egyptian walking onions.

 

Egyptian walking onions (Allium cepa var. proliferum) are a type of multiplying onion that forms small bulbs called bulblets on top of their stalks where you expect to find a cluster of flowers. The bulblets may even have small stalks of their own, giving the plants an interesting Medusa-like appearance. Sometimes they will also have a few flowers, too.

 

As these bulblets grow and as the stalk holding them ages and withers, the bulblets weigh down the stalk and take root where they touch the ground. In a sense, they “walk” across the garden.

 

T. Greiner wrote of Egyptian walking onions in The New Onion Culture back in 1904 that the “quality is inferior, but the bulbs may be readily sold when better varieties are wanting” and that “if planted deep in rich, loose soil, the stalk blanches in the manner of leeks … and makes a green onion of fairly good quality.”

 

The bulbs can be eaten fresh as spring onions or cooked; the tops can be used as scallions and the bulblets can be pickled. Though raw Egyptian walking onions can be strong and hot, sautéing or other cooking methods will reduce or moderate their heat.

 

However, in all my years of growing these onions, I have only eaten them twice. I don’t fear or dislike them, I just think of them as ornamentals rather than vegetables. In fact, I have them growing with daylilies and daffodils and in pots along with dianthus and violas. Their leaves are a sturdy blue-green all winter, and the stalks in spring are interesting, attractive and a conversation starter.

 

Egyptian walking onions will withstand a wide range of growing conditions and are almost as durable as the pyramids. Even the ones growing in pots did not suffer any cold damage this winter. 

 

Not many commercial sources sell Egyptian walking onions. They are usually passed along from gardener to gardener. You may see them offered in the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. Subscribers can place a free advertisement to see if readers have any to sell or share.

 

One last thing – though “walking” in the name is easily explained, “Egyptian” is not. No one is sure where these onions originated, although I like to think they are truly connected with the mystic land of the Nile.

 

Arty Schronce is the Department’s resident gardening expert. He is a lifelong gardener and a horticulture graduate of North Carolina State University who encourages everyone to walk into a nursery or garden center this spring and learn more about the fascinating world of plants.

Recall: Georgia Company Removes Cheese for Potential Health Risk

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of select lots of raw milk cheese produced by Flat Creek Farm & Dairy of Swainsboro, Ga.

Routine sampling by the Georgia Department of Agriculture revealed the cheeses could contain Salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium known to cause salmonellosis in humans and animals. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. In some cases, they are known to be severe enough to require hospitalization and can cause serious complications or death in young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

The affected products are as follows:

• Aztec Cheddar with lot code 140802XAZ
• Low Country Gouda with lot code 140702XAZ
• Aztec Cheddar with lot code 140725XGO

No illnesses have been reported to date. Flat Creek is no longer producing raw milk cheese and began gently pasteurizing its artisanal cheeses.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers who purchased these products are asked not to consume them, but to return them to the place of purchase.

Questions about this recall?

Consumers  who purchased this product can contact Flat Creek at 478-237-0123 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

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.