03.09.09
Ch-ch-changes
The economy is in a bad way. I know, it’s an understatement. Everyone is struggling, including the newspaper industry and The Gazette is not immune to the belt tightening. If you subscribe to the printed product, the daily paper, you’ve been reading about the changes coming to the format of the paper.
Starting tomorrow (March 10), The Gazette will now be three sections instead of four. The A or front section, Sports and local news will combine to the B section and features section (Accent ) will now be the C section. Unfortunately, the Accent section will be much smaller. For more explanation of what’s to come, please read Lyle Muller and Steve Buttry’s blogs.
I’ve published the wire stories that can’t make it to the paper at www.gazetteonline.com/food. I’ll be doing that more and more, but please check the site for stories and recipes that were once in the Accent section. I’ll try to refer folks to the page every now and then, but expect a new story every day. Don’t forget our searchable database for recipes.
If you have comments about the new format, please call calling (319) 398-8333 or 1-(800) 397-8222 or e-mail feedback@gazcomm.com. There will an online chat with Lyle Muller about the changes at noon tomorrow at GazetteOnline.
01.17.09
Salmonella warning for peanut butter
Gazettefood photograph
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a Salmonella Typhimurium warning for peanut butter and peanut paste. So those peanut butter cookies you bought, don’t eat them. Hy-Vee has issued a voluntary recall for all items made in their bakery, which contains the following list:
Peanut Butter Cookies, Monster Cookies, Peanut Butter Reese’s Pieces Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lunchbox Reese’s Pieces Cookies, Lunchbox Peanut Butter Cookies, People Chow Party Mix and Assorted Truffle Fudge. All sell-by dates are included in this recall. The products are sold in various packaging and quantities and have a Hy-Vee price label attached. All items should be destroyed or returned to Hy-Vee for a full refund.
A full news release and item list can be found here.
Also, Kellogg is also affected by the outbreak and is voluntarily recalling:
Austin® and Keebler® branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and select snack-size packs of Famous Amos® Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler® Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No other products are involved in this recall.”
The outbreak is believed by the FDA to have originated in the Georgia plant of the Peanut Corporation of America.
MSNBC reports:
“So far, more than 470 people have gotten sick in 43 states, and at least 90 had to be hospitalized. At least six deaths are being blamed on the outbreak. Salmonella is a bacteria and the most common source of food poisoning in the U.S., causing diarrhea, cramping and fever.”
The FDA has a page of frequently asked questions about salmonella outbreak you should check out.
09.30.08
Today’s column
I plan to keep up this blog and will write my column for the Gazette, for a little while longer, at least, but you won’t find me in the newsroom anymore. Read today’s column here.
