Friday, February 20, 2009

Wild Bird Seed Recall

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Ongoing Issues Regarding Peanut Corporation of America Result in Scotts Voluntarily Recalling Five Wild Bird Food Suet Products That May Contain PCA Peanut Meal
Contact:Jim KingSenior Vice President, Corporate Affairs(937) 578-5622

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Marysville, Ohio -- February 16, 2009 -- The Scotts Company LLC announced today that it is voluntarily recalling specific lots of five varieties of suet wild bird food products after learning those products may contain peanut meal purchased from the Peanut Corporation of America's (PCA) plant in Blakely, Georgia, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated bird seed and/or pet food products. People handling wild bird food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Scotts ("the Company") has requested that its retailers, distributors and sub-distributors recall the affected products, using proper recall notifications, and remove these products from retail shelves or warehouses, and return them to the Company. In addition, the Company also is requesting that those parties that sell the affected products to consumers not only advise those consumers of the recall, but also tell them to throw the product away, avoid touching unsealed product with bare hands, and wash their hands thoroughly after touching unsealed product.
Scotts has not received any reports of illness involving its products that may contain the PCA peanut meal, and it is no longer using any products from the Blakely facility. Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, Scotts is recalling the following five products with the specific manufacturing date codes below that were manufactured between December 27, 2008 and January 17, 2009:

For full release and additional information visit http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/scotts02_09.html

Sunday, February 15, 2009

How Smart they are

Anyone who knows a Quaker Parrot already knows just how smart and sassy they can be. We thought this was a very interesting article about these lovely green parrots. We are also know some of the participants (humans and birds alike) and wanted to share their story as well.

http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-behavior-and-training/bird-medium-bird-behavior/quaker-intelligence.aspx