Consuming
Thoughts
by
Fay Strickler
Penn State Extension
Home Economist for
Berks Co.
Have you ever purchased a
food product and found that it
contains a foreign object or is less
than appetizing, or actually
makes you ill?
If so, you have several avenues
of recourse.
For example, your hot dog has
a strip of plastic inside, your
canned chili contains a metal
washer, you think a restaurant
dinner made you ill, or a sugar
coated roach was in your box of
cereal (true stories), don’t hesi
tate to make a report to the prop
er agency.
The following guidelines from
the Food Safety Inspection Serv
ice will help you know how to re
port problems, and thereby pro
tect your health and your rights
as a consumer.
For help with restaurant food
problems, call the restaurant
owner to report the problem. If
the problem is serious, also con
tact the Health Department in
your city, county or state.
For complaints about food
products that do not contain
meat or poultry such as cereal
call or write to the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).
Check your local phone book
under U.S. Government, Health
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and Human Services, to find a
FDA office in your area.
The FDA’s Seafood hotline is
1-888-SAFE-FOOD.
In order for the USDA to in
vestigate a problem with meat,
poultry, or egg products, you
must have: 1. The original con
tainer or packaging; 2. The for
eign object (the plastic strip or
metal washer, for example); and
3. Any uneaten portions of the
food (refrigerate or freeze it).
Information you should be
ready to report to hotline perso
nell on the phone includes the
following:
• Your name, address, and
phone number.
• The brand name, product
name, and manufacturer of the
product.
• The size and package type.
• Can or package codes (note
UPC bar codes) and dates
• Establishment number (EST)
usually found in the circle or
shield near the “USDA passed
and inspected” phrase.
• Name and location of store
and date you purchased the
product.
• As a courtesy gesture, it is
important to inform the store
and/or the product’s manufactur-
er even if you don’t choose to
make a formal complaint to the
USDA.
If you think you are ill, see a
physician. 1. If an injury or ill
ness allegedly resulted from use
of a meat or poultry product, you
will also need to tell the hotline
staff about the type, symptoms,
time of occurrence and name of
attending health professional (if
applicable). 2. If you can’t reach
the hotline staff or if an injury or
illness allegedly resulted from
restaurant food, call your local
Health Department. 3. If an in
jury or illness allegedly resulted
from non-meat food products,
call or write the FDA.
The bottom line: If you sense
there’s a problem with any food
product, report it and don’t con
sume it.
“When in doubt, throw it out.”
If food is not fit for human
consumption, do not feed it to an
animal.
Regional Christmas Tree Meeting
Scheduled In Hazleton
HAZLETON (Luzerne Co.)—
The seventeenth annual North
east Regional Christmas Tree
Growers Meeting and Trade
Show will take place Saturday,
March 1, at Genetti Lodge and
Conference Center in Hazleton
from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The
meeting is sponsored by Penn
State Cooperative Extension.
Topics to be discussed include
the following: Agri-Tourism:
Taking Choose and Cut to the
Next Level; Weed Control Up
date; Rhabdocline Needlecast,
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Cumberland County 4-H
Quiz Bowl Team Places First
The Cumberland County 4-H Farm Safety Quiz
Bowl Team is pictured above with their coach. They
placed first in the 4-H division at the 2003 Pennsyl
vania Farm Show. From left: Sara Gutshall, Morgan
Creek, Megan Kutz, Levi Smith and their coach, Kris
Speers.
Chemical Control Research; Ca
naan Fir Keepability Study; Ter
minal Bud Selection on Fraser
Fir and Elongated Hemlock
Scale.
The purpose of this meeting is
to educate new and established
growers on the most up-to-date
cultural and marketing practices
available.
Attendance at this meeting
qualifies licensed pesticide appli
cators to receive credits towards
recertification. Update training
credits will be assigned by the PA
Department of Agriculture.
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Changes in the meeting agenda
may result in adjustments in the
assigned credits.
There is a fee for this program
and enrollment will be limited to
the first 200 people who pre-reg
ister. All registrations must be
postmarked by February 21,
2003.
For a registration form contact
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion of Susquehanna County at
(717) 278-1158. For additional in
formation, contact the Carbon
County cooperative extension of
fice at (570) 325-2788.
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