Press Releases

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In cooperation with Beef Packers, Inc.'s (Cargill) recall of 22,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that may be linked to an outbreak of Salmonella, Safeway Inc. is recalling fresh ground beef products with "Sell By" dates of September 28 through October 11, 2009. The recall affects all stores in Arizona and one store in New Mexico in the city of Gallup.

While the recalled product is no longer in stores, Safeway is asking its customers to check all ground beef in their freezers. The recall includes fresh ground beef products sold during the dates listed above at the full-service counter in brown butcher paper and at the self-service area wrapped on black Styrofoam trays. These products include fresh ground beef, fresh ground beef patties, fresh meat balls, fresh meat loaf and fresh bell peppers stuffed with beef and pork. These products should be discarded or returned for a full refund.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella Newport can cause salmonellosis. Salmonella Newport infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, infants, the elderly, and persons undergoing chemotherapy. This particular strain of Salmonella Newport is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may include chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

Safeway is committed to providing safe, wholesome products for its customers. The company employs rigorous food safety standards in stores and insists on the same level of commitment from suppliers and vendors. Safeway's food safety standards and practices are among the most stringent in the industry.

The US Department of Agriculture recommends the following measures for Preventing Salmonellosis:

    --  Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and
        after handling raw meat and poultry. Also wash cutting boards, dishes
        and utensils with hot soapy water. Clean up spills right away.
    --  Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be
        cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg
        products and cooked foods.
    --  Cook raw meat and poultry to safe internal temperatures before eating.
        The safe internal temperature for meat such as beef and pork is 160 F,
        and 165 F for poultry, as determined with a food thermometer.
    --  Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase (one
        hour if temperatures exceed 90 F). Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry
        within two hours after cooking.

Consumers seeking additional information regarding the recall can contact Beef Packers Inc. (Cargill) at 877-435-4071. Members of the media can call Beef Packers Inc 952-742-6211. Safeway customers can contact 1-800-SAFEWAY for more information about their specific product. Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

    Source: Safeway Inc.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Chicago Sun-Times announced today that long-time sports columnist Rick Morrissey will join the Chicago Sun-Times and suntimes.com.

"Not only has Rick established a strong voice in Chicago, he is one of the best sports columnists in the country," Sun-Times Sports Editor Chris De Luca said. "Adding Rick Morrissey is a major step forward as we continue to improve what is and has long been Chicago's best sports section."

Mr. Morrissey, who grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, had been at the Chicago Tribune since 1997 and became a sports columnist in 2000.

"Now we have the best one-two punch in the country with Rick Morrissey and Rick Telander providing their award-winning commentary," Mr. De Luca said.

"Adding Rick to our already top-flight sports staff shows how serious we are about being the best and staying the best," said Sun-Times Editor in Chief Don Hayner. "Nobody competes in this market as hard as we do. This is our city."

Prior to joining the Tribune, Mr. Morrissey worked for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, spending eight of his 10 years there covering the Denver Broncos. He also had reporting stints at the Charlotte Observer, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette and Star Publications in the south suburbs. Mr. Morrissey is a graduate of Fenwick High School and Northwestern University.

About the Chicago Sun-Times

The Chicago Sun-Times is owned by Sun-Times Media, which is dedicated to being the premier source of local news and information for the greater Chicago area. Sun-Times Media's properties serve more than 300 communities across the region and include the Chicago Sun-Times and Suntimes.com; seven suburban daily newspapers, including the Beacon-News (Aurora), Courier-News (Elgin), Herald-News (Joliet), Lake County News-Sun, Naperville Sun, Post-Tribune (Merrillville, Ind.) and the SouthtownStar; 39 weekly newspapers published by the Pioneer Press and 12 weekly Sun newspapers, as well as Web sites for those newspapers, centerstagechicago.com, RogerEbert.com and YourSeason.com.

    Source: Sun-Times Media Productions

OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 12/04/09 -- Audio clips available at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/relations/indexaude.shtml.

The public warning issued on December 2, 2009 has been expanded to include additional products. These additional retail products were prepared using the original cream cheese recalled by Western Creamery, a division of Liberte Natural Foods.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Cream Cheese products described below because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The following Cream Cheese products in variable weight packages, sold at deli counters or clerk-served between November 25 and December 4, 2009, are affected by this alert:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product                       Sold from
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canadian Cream Cheese Spread  Certain of the following stores in Ontario:
Nacho Dip                     Loblaw
Nachos with Dip               Real Canadian Superstore
Nachos with Salsa Party Tray  Your Independent Grocer
                              Fortinos
                              Zehrs

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plain Cream Cheese            Metro
                              1050 Don Mills Rd., North York, ON

                              Metro
                              3090 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON

                              Metro
                              80 Front St. E, Toronto, ON

                              Metro
                              444 Yonge St., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cream Cheese - Plain          Sobey's
                              9200 Bathurst St., Vaughan, ON

                              Sobey's
                              147 Laird Dr., Toronto, ON

                              Sobey's
                              1015 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON

                              Sobey's
                              710 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cream Cheese                  Leslieville Cheese Market
                              891 Queen St. E, Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lana's Cream Cheese           Daiter's Fresh Market
                              3535 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cream Cheese                  Galati Market Fresh
                              5845 Leslie St., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The CFIA is continuing its investigation to identify other retail locations where the affected Cream cheese may have been sold. Consumers are advised to contact the retailer if they are unsure whether the Cream Cheese product they have is affected.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

The manufacturer and various retailers are voluntarily recalling the affected cream cheese products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit our web site at: www.inspection.gc.ca

Contacts:
CFIA Media Relations
613-773-6600

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 4, 2009) - Audio clips available at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/relations/indexaude.shtml.

The public warning issued on December 2, 2009 has been expanded to include additional products. These additional retail products were prepared using the original cream cheese recalled by Western Creamery, a division of Liberte Natural Foods.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Cream Cheese products described below because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The following Cream Cheese products in variable weight packages, sold at deli counters or clerk-served between November 25 and December 4, 2009, are affected by this alert:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product                       Sold from
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canadian Cream Cheese Spread  Certain of the following stores in Ontario:
Nacho Dip                     Loblaw
Nachos with Dip               Real Canadian Superstore
Nachos with Salsa Party Tray  Your Independent Grocer
                              Fortinos
                              Zehrs

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plain Cream Cheese            Metro
                              1050 Don Mills Rd., North York, ON

                              Metro
                              3090 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON

                              Metro
                              80 Front St. E, Toronto, ON

                              Metro
                              444 Yonge St., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cream Cheese - Plain          Sobey's
                              9200 Bathurst St., Vaughan, ON

                              Sobey's
                              147 Laird Dr., Toronto, ON

                              Sobey's
                              1015 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON

                              Sobey's
                              710 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cream Cheese                  Leslieville Cheese Market
                              891 Queen St. E, Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lana's Cream Cheese           Daiter's Fresh Market
                              3535 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cream Cheese                  Galati Market Fresh
                              5845 Leslie St., Toronto, ON

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The CFIA is continuing its investigation to identify other retail locations where the affected Cream cheese may have been sold. Consumers are advised to contact the retailer if they are unsure whether the Cream Cheese product they have is affected.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

The manufacturer and various retailers are voluntarily recalling the affected cream cheese products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA's Food Recall Report at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety facts, visit our web site at: www.inspection.gc.ca

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
        CFIA Media Relations
        613-773-6600

Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Governors John Hoeven and Chet Culver, chair and vice-chair of the 36-member Governors' Biofuels Coalition, today said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's announcement will likely allow higher ethanol blends, such as E15, and is a step in the right direction. At the same time, they urged the agency to move forward with the waiver as quickly as possible.

The Governors' Biofuels Coalition first called for research and testing on the efficacy of utilization of intermediate ethanol blends - E13 to E20 - in 2005. Hoeven and Culver acknowledged that the EPA signaled the possibility of allowing the use of E15 in all vehicles manufactured after 2001, reflecting the rapidly emerging capacity of newer vehicles to utilize a wide range of liquid fuels.

The two governors also called "significant" EPA's announcement that it would initiate a fuel pump labeling process to ensure that consumers use the proper gasoline for their vehicles and equipment should the use of ethanol blends greater than 10 percent be ultimately approved. Although the EPA labeling initiative seems to signify that further research data expected by May will corroborate these early findings about E15, they urged that any labeling scheme should make access to E15 convenient and simple. They said it should encourage consumers to use blended fuel as part of their normal gas purchases, and one way to accomplish that is with blender pumps, which allow consumers to choose the blend appropriate to their vehicles at the pump.

Jointly, the governors said: "The EPA's final approval of an E15 blend will help to attract the necessary private investment to support the next generation of biofuels, and will usher in an expanded role for advanced biofuels in the transportation fuels market. That will benefit the rural economy, the environment and the nation."

Ethanol's contribution to the American economy at the E10 blend level is well documented by a 2009 study. "In 2008, ethanol displaced the need for 321 million barrels of oil or roughly 5 percent of U.S. oil imports valued at $32 billion - money that stayed in the U.S. economy and supported 494,000 jobs," said Governor Hoeven. "The move to E15 will not only expand the economic and environmental value of biofuels, it will diminish the impact of future gasoline price spikes on consumers," said Governor Culver.

For fifteen years, the Governors' Biofuels Coalition has provided national leadership on biofuels issues. The Coalition's policy activities address all biofuels, including ethanol, biodiesel, advanced biofuels, co-products, and technologies yet to come. For more information, visit www.GovernorsBiofuelsCoalition.org.

Contact:
Larry Pearce 402-651-2948
David Terry 703-395-1076
Phil Roeder (for Governor Culver) 515-281-4294
Lance Gaebe (for Governor Hoeven) 701-328-2200

SOURCE Governors' Biofuels Coalition