Family and Consumer Sciences Timely Topics

 

Holiday Safety Tips

To help make the upcoming holidays as safe and festive as possible, we have two items to share with all of you today: 

1)      A new NSN poster related to toy safety -

www.cpsc.gov/nsn/toysafety07.pdf.  This poster is aimed at addressing many of the concerns consumers have this year about how to purchase a safe toy for a child.  We are doing all we can at CPSC to ensure that toys placed on store shelves are as safe as possible, but parents should still expect to hear about more toy recalls in the weeks to come.

 2)      A safety message about decorating for the holidays. CPSC estimates there are more than 14,000 candle-related fires each year, which result in about 170 deaths and $350 million in property loss.

Dried-out Christmas trees are involved in about 200 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, and about $10 million in property damage.

During November and December of each year, about 10,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms as a result of falls, cuts, shocks and burns related to holiday decorating.  Please use the following safety tips when decorating this year: 

Trees and Decorations: 

*         When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning.

 *         When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

 *         When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic, and do not block doorways.

 *         In homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp or breakable decorations, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

 Lights:

 *         Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA. Use only newer lights that have thicker wiring and are required to have safety fuses to prevent the wires from overheating.

 *         Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets.

 *         If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use.

 *         Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

 *         When using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacles or a portable GFCI.

 *         Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

  Candles:

 *         Keep lighted candles away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, other evergreens, decorations, curtains and furniture.

 *         Always use non-flammable holders and keep away from children and pets.

 *         Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room or leave the house.

 Thank you and enjoy the holidays.

 

BRONSON REMINDS CONSUMERS TO CHECK OUT CHARITIES

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is urging consumers to check out charitable organizations before making any donations. As the holidays get under way, charities are gearing up for their busiest time of the year. Many collect about half their annual donations in the short time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

Florida law requires most charities that do business in the state -- regardless of where they are headquartered -- to register with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and provide financial information about income and expenditures. There are 12,597 charitable organizations registered with the state.

"The number of charities registered with the department continues to rise, and the barrage of requests for help that consumers receive can be daunting," Bronson said. "But consumers have a wealth of information at their fingertips if they just take a little time to research a charity to ensure it is legitimate and that donations are being spent in a prudent manner."

Consumers should always make sure a charity is registered before donating and check on the complaint history. However, even if a charity is properly registered, consumers should get information about how donations are spent. The Department does not endorse any charity, even those properly registered. In addition, the Department does not have authority to dictate how a charity spends its funds, but does provide financial information so consumers can make informed decisions about contributing. An annual "Gift Givers' Guide" lists all registered charities and provides a breakdown of how much is spent on fundraising and administrative costs, such as salaries and operating expenses, and how much actually goes toward program services. The guide also includes the names of professional solicitors and consultant who are working on behalf of a charitable organization.

"Unfortunately, some con artists don't think twice about taking advantage of someone's generosity and giving spirit," Bronson said. "That's why it is important for consumers to find out if a charity has registered or is exempt. Failure to properly register should raise a huge red flag with consumers."

Bronson provided the following tips to consider when deciding whether to donate to an organization:

-- Don't judge an organization based on an impressive-sounding name. Find out what it actually does.

-- Be wary of emotional appeals and organizations that have only vague plans for spending the funds they collect.

-- Never give cash. Write a check payable only to an organization, not to an individual.

-- Be wary of organizations that offer to send a "runner" to pick up your donation. Reputable charities are willing to wait for your contribution.

-- Ask the organization to send you its financial report and written information about its activities.

-- Get the organization's federal tax identification number, which you will need to claim your contribution as a tax deduction.

-- If an organization is not registered, contact the Department.

Consumers can get information about a charity by calling the Department's Consumer Hotline at 1-800-HELPFLA (1-800-435-7352). Up-to-date information on charities is also available by visiting the Division of Consumer Services web site at http://www.800helpfla.com.

BRONSON ANNOUNCES FOOD SAFETY PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today announced that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will work with the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), to develop and deliver statewide food safety educational materials and training for agricultural producers and workers.

The Food Safety Partnership Program will enhance the safety and competitiveness of Florida specialty crops.  The program is funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant in the amount of $253,000 and will be a multiyear program.

"It is critical to develop and provide materials, training and outreach activities, so that producers and production personnel adopt and adhere to good food safety practices to protect the public," Bronson said.

The training and materials, which will be printed in both English and Spanish, will be provided statewide by Florida extension professionals to producers, field workers, packers and re-packers of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Currently, few materials exist to train farm workers in food safety practices.  Food safety requirements must be clearly communicated at all levels of production and handling, Bronson said.

To keep Florida specialty crops competitive and to ensure safe consumption, a series of practices must be followed to prevent and reduce microbial or chemical contamination.  The Food Safety Partnership Program will target crops associated with the highest risk of food-borne illness and at the greatest level of production in Florida -- tomatoes, leafy greens, melons and berries.

Florida is the No. 2 producer of fruits and vegetables in the nation.  Cash receipts for agriculture production in Florida for 2005 were $7.759 billion.  According to USDA data, more than 45 percent of this amount was derived from specialty crop production of fresh fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that 12 percent of food-borne illnesses associated with outbreaks are caused by produce consumption.

Bronson said the food safety training and educational materials will address safe handling, production and packing of fruits and vegetables.

"While this issue is important for our growers to remain competitive in the global marketplace, it is critically important for the safety of the consuming public," Bronson said.

For more information on Food Safety, visit Solutions for Your Life, Family and Consumer Sciences, Food Safety (link)
 

Massive Food Recall for Tainted Beef

BRONSON URGES PUBLIC TO COOK GROUND BEEF THOROUGHLY AS MASSIVE FOOD RECALL FOR E. COLI-TAINTED PRODUCT IS UNDER WAY

10-02-2007 - TALLAHASSEE -- With yet another major recall of ground beef under way, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today reminded consumers that cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F kills E. coli O157: H7 bacteria, as well as most other pathogens.

While state and federal regulators will continue to test meat supplies and remove dangerous products from the marketplace, thoroughly cooking ground beef patties removes the risk of getting sick from a tainted product, he said.

"If we could deliver a single message when it comes to cooking hamburgers, meatloaf and other recipes that use ground beef, it would be to cook the meat thoroughly," Bronson said. "While our department and our federal counterparts will continue our vigilance in testing food products, consumers themselves can be their own best line of defense in this area by cooking the ground beef thoroughly."

Food safety experts recommend cooking the beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F and using a food thermometer to verify the temperature.  Making sure that juices in cooked hamburgers run clear is an indication of proper doneness, but it is not as reliable as a thermometer in determining that the proper temperature has been reached.

The current nationwide recall involves more than 20 million pounds of ground beef produced by the Topps Meat Company LLC of Elizabeth, New Jersey.  A number of New York residents initially reported becoming ill, and an investigation by officials in that state and the federal government detected E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in a sample of the product.  A South Florida teenager reportedly was also sickened by the product and hospitalized for 21 days, which has led to a lawsuit by her family against the Topps Meat Company.

The strain of E. coli involved in the illnesses is a particularly harmful one, as it can cause potentially fatal complications.  Symptoms generally include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, but the most acute cases can trigger serious or even fatal kidney failure.

DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO:
Terence McElroy
mailto:mcelrot@doacs.state.fl.us
(850) 488-3022
 

Grocery Cart Makeover

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Free Antibiotics?

There has recently been an announcement by Publix that they will start providing the following antibiotics for free:

amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin (excluding ciprofloxacin XR), erythromycin (excluding Ery-Tab), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (or SMZ-TMP) and penicillin VK.

Customers must bring in a prescription to get up to a 14-day supply for free.
This is great news, especially for low income families!
Heidi
Heidi Liss Radunovich, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Family, Youth and Community Sciences
University of Florida
Box 110310
Gainesville, FL 32611-0310
(352) 392-1778 x233

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