The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday cautioned people to avoid select Similac, Alimentum or EleCare powdered infant formulas due to potential contamination with Cronobacter, a type of bacteria that can cause severe food-borne illness.
The recall impacts formula produced in Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, MI facility and those with the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2; the expiration date is April 1, 2022, or later. The codes are located near the expiration date on the product packaging.
Image via iStock
Four children were hospitalized and one baby died of bacterial infections, and an investigation into the source of the bacteria is ongoing. The infections were found in Texas, Ohio and Minnesota, the FDA said in a news release. They also noted that “Parents and caregivers of infants who have used these products, and are concerned about the health of their child, should contact their child’s health care provider.”
Three infections stemmed from Cronobacter, a bacteria that can cause severe, life-threatening infections or inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spine. The third infection was from Salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause digestive illness and fever.
However, “During testing in our Sturgis, Mich., facility, we found evidence of Cronobacter sakazakii in the plant in non-product contact areas. We found no evidence of Salmonella Newport,” Abbott Nutrition said in a news release. “Importantly, no distributed product has tested positive for the presence of either of these bacteria, and we continue to test.”
This news comes at a bad time—the US is facing a shortage of baby formula due to challenges across the supply chains, including impacts on transportation, labor and logistics. According to market research firm IRI, stores’ infant formula inventories in mid-January were down 17% from where they were in mid-February 2020, just before the pandemic hit US shores.
Let’s be honest, when it comes to the morning makeup routine, well, it’s probably fallen to the wayside. But did you know there are a ton of natural beauty tips that can get your day at home off on the right foot by helping you look great and feel confident (even if you’re still wearing yoga pants)? Keep reading to discover our list of tried-and-true beauty hacks for busy moms everywhere!
Castor Oil
Beauty Hack: Use for thicker brows. Why? Castor oil contains an Omega 9 Fatty Acid and boasts anti-inflammatory properties to help hair grow uninhibited
Beauty Hack: Use for softer lips, feet, and hands. Mix a DIY sugar scrub with olive oil, lemon juice, and sugar to soften rough heels, hands, and lips.
Beauty Hack: Use for anti-aging. Apply a honey mask to clean skin for its anti-bacterial and healing properties (honey can heal acne scars!) as well as anti-aging effects.
Beauty Hack:For detoxing skin. A good sweat session (be it at your fitness class, chasing your kids, a visit to the sauna) is good for your skin as it helps flush toxins from the body.
Beauty Hack:For detoxing skin. Run a washcloth under warm water and apply it to your face before your masks for optimal results. This opens the pores and allows the product to really absorb into the skin. You can also boil water on the stove and hold a towel over your head to create a makeshift steam room.
Beauty Hack: Use for clean, precise mascara. Hold a business card behind your lashes as you apply mascara. This lets you get to the root of your lashes without leaving smudges on your skin.
Beauty Hack: Use to keep brows in place. Dip your spoolie in a little glycerin soap and brush your brows upward for a full look and to keep them in place.
Beauty Hack: Use as a cheek stain. If you don’t have time (or the makeup stash in your bag!), use a little lipstick as a stain on your cheeks for a fresh, healthy flush.
Beauty Hack: Spritz it on throughout the day for an instant skin (and spirit) pick-me-up. You can make your own face mist by steeping a couple of bags of white tea with the zest from one lemon in boiling hot water. Let it sit at room temperature before transferring it to a spray bottle and letting it chill in the fridge. Spray your face whenever you’re feeling the baby blues. Make a new batch after a week.
I came home the other day to find a white envelope sitting on my front doorstep—its bright whiteness caught my attention immediately and I hesitated to pick it up. When I unfolded the note from inside, I immediately wondered if this writer had ever mailed a letter before; the plain, unlined paper was folded in the most unintuitive way.
In looping blue handwriting it literally said:
“We are all so disappointed in how you have let this beautiful front yard go down the tabes. We pride in our neighborhood and were so proud of the previous owner. Don’t let this street go to waste!! Please!! gin pride to our street and ownership.”
After spending 18 months house hunting, putting in seven unsuccessful offers on other houses, we took a long break from looking for a place to buy. It was with great hesitation when we started looking again, and it was with mixed emotions that we submitted an offer on our current home.
My husband and I debated as to how much money to put down. I wanted to keep cash on hand to proceed with egg donation, after the crippling realization that I was just too damn old to have a second baby. My husband thought it would be best to put more money down and finance the egg donation. I cried and then agreed that in the long run, it would make more financial sense.
Ten days after moving in, at the end of January 2020, my husband was laid off without notice and given one final paycheck.
My anger turned to the house. I hated the house. I had three bedrooms but no baby to place in the third bedroom. I cried. I went to therapy.
Six weeks later my son’s preschool shut down due to COVID. The next day I was sent to work from home. We quarantined. It was a wet spring with lots of rain. Spring turned to summer. We stayed home. The 4th of July came without fireworks and the heat of the summer brought the end of July, along with a single file line of tall weeds between the garden’s front wall and the sidewalk, the unexpected diagnosis of my mom’s brain tumor, and the bright white envelope on my doorstep—four days before my mom’s surgery.
My anger was hot and quick—every neighbor turned into a suspect, and any peace that I had made with this house and its bedroom void of a crib was shattered. I penned a response the same night:
“Dear Passive-Aggressive Neighbor and author of the above note which you anonymously left on my porch,
If you have a problem with my yard, my house, my cars, my dog, my kid or my family, knock & talk to me. Talking is neighborly and achieves results.
We pride ourselves on a well-educated neighborhood and neighbors who spell correctly. So please use your spare time to work on your spelling and grammar. There are multiple mistakes in your short note.
1. Disappointed is spelled with one “s”
2. It’s “down the tubes” not “tabes”
3. Gin is a beverage, “give” is a verb
4. And the sentence should read, “we TAKE pride in our ….”
I’m homeschooling my son, while working, supporting my family on a single income, and caring for a sick parent but I have time to tutor you as well since you obviously need it. Please knock and we can arrange your first tutoring session.
Sincerely,
Your neighbor”
I bought poster board and fantasized about posting both notes in the front yard.
My mom had her surgery, her attempt at recovery, the discovery of a bacterial infection on her brain, a second surgery, and the note ate away at me in the back of my mind. My neighborhood was no longer a place of comfort where I could get out of my car in proximity of my house coming back from my mom’s and feel relief that I was home. I felt guarded. My house was no longer the place where I could be as is; I stubbornly forbid my husband to pull the weeds, but he did it anyway.
And I felt the tiredness of it, of having a young kid and an old parent, watching a savings account disappear and not knowing what happens when it runs out, being old and infertile, but junior staff in my third career, of losing the safe space of community, of being judged. But mostly I felt tired of greeting the world with kindness and feeling minimal returns.
August has turned into September. My mom’s doing well and my son started Kindergarten online. Some days, I still fantasize about posting both notes in the front yard but for now, the poster board has been put to use for a Kindergarten project. And some nights I still dream about holding a tiny baby in that third bedroom, but most days I know I’m just too damn tired for that, and the third bedroom makes a nice home office.
And two days ago I found out the neighbors on either side of me, both single retired men, each got a note as well. We had the best neighborly chat on the sidewalk comparing notes. It is a different kind of community than I had hoped for, but it sure was fun!
I live with my husband, son and dog! When not at my desk working, I can be found in the backyard playing lava-guys or ice climbers. I have a day job, but being a mom is my favorite job!
Ask any new parent, and they will probably be able to describe (in great detail) the contents of their newborn’s diaper. Meconium, the earliest stool of an infant, is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus. A new study published in Pediatric Obesity found that the types of normal bacteria found in the meconium may predict an infant’s likelihood of later developing obesity.
The study looked at 212 newborns. The meconium bacterial makeup of the babies who were overweight at three years of age differed from those with a normal weight. The overweight babies had a higher proportion of bacteria in the Bacteroidetes phylum.
“The concept of fetal microbiome is controversial and the colonization process after birth is better understood than the possible fetal colonization; however, there are many prenatal factors affecting the microbial composition of the baby’s first stool, such as the mother’s use of antibiotics during pregnancy and biodiversity of the home environment during pregnancy,” said corresponding author Katja Korpela, MD, of the University of Oulu, in Finland. “It is very interesting that the microbiome formed before birth is possibly linked to a child’s subsequent weight status.”
As pediatric nurses and moms with eight kids between us, we know that kids rarely get sick or injured at a ‘convenient’ time. In fact, if your life is anything like ours, these things happen at just about the absolute worst time possible.
You may be heading on the trip of a lifetime to Disney World and hear the words no parent longs to hear: “I don’t feel so…(insert vomiting).” Maybe ten kids are coming over for the-best-2-year-old-birthday-party-ever! Ten minutes before everyone arrives, the birthday boy is laying on the floor sleeping and at first you think, “That is so sweet,” (famous last words); then you think, “This kid never stops at this time of the day, and he looks a little flushed.” Holding your breath, you reach down to feel his forehead with your Mom-ometer and sure enough, he is on fire!
One of the main things we have dealt with in our homes and as after-hours nurses are the 2 a.m. calls that include everything from fever, vomiting and diarrhea to eye drainage and croup. The one consistent thing about injuries is that they are always unexpected. From the minor knee scrapes at the zoo to face plants when learning to walk—we have been there!
So, how do we plan for the unexpected at home and everywhere else our kids exist?
The answer is simple. We create two kits: one for on-the-go and one for home.
On-the-go First Aid Kit
This is a small, secure backpack to throw in the car or in your stroller. It should include an index card with emergency names and numbers, poison control number, pediatrician’s number and any allergies or medical issues. This kit should include:
Minor cuts and scrapes:
BandAids®
Anti-bacterial wash
Pack of 4”x4” gauze and 2”x2” gauze
Ace Bandage
Medical tape
Itching and/or allergic reactions:
Hydrocortisone 0.5%
Diphenhydramine
Fever:
Digital thermometer
Children’s acetaminophen (pay attention to dosage instructions)
Medicine dosage syringes
Acetaminophen suppositories (to deliver meds when vomiting kids have a fever)
Miscellaneous:
Tweezers
Squeezable ice pack
At-Home First Aid Kit
Ideally, this kit should have a combination lock; at the least, it should be kept well out of reach of curious kiddos. Like the on-the-go kit, this kit should include a card with emergency names and numbers, poison control number, pediatrician’s number and any allergies or medical issues. The at-home first aid kit should include everything listed above, plus a few additions:
Congestion:
Saline nose drops
Gas/constipation:
Gas drops (can give drops directly or mix in with formula or expressed breast milk)
Glycerin suppositories (for true constipation)
Miscellaneous:
Pedialyte® to replenish electrolytes (Pedialyte® freezer pops are great, too!)
Vaseline®
As with all medications, always check with your pediatrician for instructions on when to give and dosage. Many pediatricians have a “medication dosage” guide that will give you instructions on dosage by weight of many of the approved over-the-counter medications.
Minor injuries and illnesses are a normal part of parenthood. Always remember your children are strong, adaptable and resilient—and so are you. There will always be a first bump on the head, a first virus…and you’ll both get through it and come out stronger because of it. Be prepared, trust your gut and remember that you’re the very best parent for your little one. You’ve got this!
We’re Laura Hunter and Jennifer Walker, also known as Moms On Call. We’re pediatric nurses with 20+ years of experience, plus eight kids between us—including two sets of twins! We understand parents because we are parents. We started Moms On Call to cut through the noise with honest, common-sense advice.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a recall for Growers Express packaged fresh butternut squash, zucchini and butternut squash-based veggie bowls sold under the Green Giant Fresh, Growers Express, Signature Farms and Trader Joe’s brand names out of a Listeria monocytogenes contamination concern. Representatives from Growers Express did not immediately return Red Tricycle’s request for comment.
While there are no reported illnesses as of now, if you think you may have purchased the affected products, read on for more information on the recall.
The current recall includes the packaged varieties of butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini and butternut squashed based veggie bowls sold under the Green Giant Fresh, Growers Express, Signature Farms and Trader Joe’s names. The products were produced at a facility in Biddeford, Maine and were distributed to multiple states and retailers. Visit the FDA’s website for a complete list of products, states and retailers.
Why the Vegetables Were Recalled
The products were recalled out of a possible bacterial contamination concern. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause headaches, GI symptoms and stiffness. It can also lead to miscarriage or stillbirth in pregnant women.
Tom Byrne, President of Growers Express, said in a press release, “The safety of our consumers is our first priority.” Bryne also added, “We self-reported the need for this recall to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and stopped production immediately after being notified of a single positive sample by the Massachusetts Department of Health. We are deep sanitizing the entire facility and our line equipment, as well as conducting continued testing on top of our usual battery of sanitation and quality and safety tests before resuming production.”
How to Tell If Your Veggies Were Recalled
According to the FDA’s website, the majority of recalled veggies have a “Best If Used By” date of Jun. 26 through Jun. 29, 2019. Visit the FDA’s website here for a full list of products and UPC numbers.
What Parents Can Do
If you have the affected products, don’t eat or serve them. Throw the products away and visit the Growers Express website here for more information.
There’s nothing you want more than to lick the ooey, gooey cookie dough off the spoon as you mix and blend soon-to-be baked awesomeness. But then there’s the whole raw egg/Salmonella thing.
Now Nestlé has an answer to your unbaked cookie dough woes—with a completely edible product. No heating required!
The new Nestlé Toll House Edible Cookie Dough comes in two sweet, sweet flavors—the classic fave Chocolate Chip, and a much more decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Monster (which includes oats and candy gems).
Even though Nestlé is well known for making cookie magic, this dough is not meant for heating (so don’t try it). However you can safely spoon the chocolate chip goodness into your mouth without the fear of food-borne bacterial infection.
The edible cookie dough was spotted in Publix stores recently and according to reports, will eventually make its way to select Meijer and Walmart stores in July.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a voluntary melon recall following a Salmonella Carrau outbreak. The recall includes Caito Foods fresh cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and mixed fruit. Representatives from Caito Foods did not immediately return Red Tricycle’s request for comment.
Along with already-purchased cut melon, the recall also includes products that are possibly still on store shelves. So whether you bought your melon days ago or are heading to the store, read on for the need-to-know details.
Caito Foods, LLC Voluntarily Recalls Fresh Cut Melon Product Because of Possible Health Risk https://t.co/jOqcGnlXYU
The recall includes cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and mixed fruit produced by Caito Foodsin the company’s Indianapolis facility. The affected melon products are packaged in clear plastic clamshell containers sold by or in Caito Foods Distribution, Gordon Food Services, Kroger, SpartanNash Distribution, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Amazon/Whole Foods stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Why the Melon Was Recalled
The recall was issued following state department of public health investigations into unexplained Salmonella-related illnesses. The u.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA have linked 93 illnesses to this outbreak.
Salmonella infection can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting in otherwise healthy adults. Young children, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system may experience more severe symptoms. In some cases this type of bacterial infection can prove fatal or lead to arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.
How to Tell If Your Melon Is Part of the Recall
Check the packaging carefully. For a full list of descriptions, UPC codes, brands, plant identifier codes and use by dates, visit the FDA’s website here.
What Parents Can Do
If you have recalled melon, don’t eat it. Throw the melon away immediately. Contact Caito Foods at 844-467-7278 Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT and Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.
Hometown Food Company has issued a voluntary recall of Pillsbury flour. The recall, which affects over 12,000 cases of Unbleached All-Purpose Flour products is due to potential salmonella contamination. Representatives for Hometown Food Company, the manufacturer and marketer for the Pillsbury brand, did not immediately return Red Tricycle’s request for comment.
Anyone with baking supplies in the pantry should immediately check their products to see if it falls under the recalled lot codes. Keep reading to find out all the recall specifics.
About 12,185 cases of Pillsbury Unbleached All-Purpose Flour have been recalled. Each case contains about eight five-pound bags and was sold to primarily Southeast supermarkets, including Publix and Winn-Dixie.
Why It Was Recalled
Certain lots of Pillsbury Unbleached All-Purpose Flour products have been recalled due to potential salmonella contamination. Salmonella is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract and can cause flu-like symptoms including fever, nausea and stomach cramps.
How to Tell if Your Flour Is Part of the Recall
According to the USDA, products affected under the recall have lot codes of 8 292 and 8 293, with a “best if used by” date of April 19, 2020 and April 20, 2020.
What Parents Can Do
If you find your Pillsbury flour is a recalled product, absolutely do not use it. Either throw away the contaminated product or return to stores for a full refund.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also taken the opportunity to remind consumers to never consume raw cookie dough due to the risk of contracting salmonella.
If you’re wondering which RXBAR flavors have been recalled, we’ve got answers. The bars, which were sold at Trader Joe’s and other retailers across the United States and Canada, were voluntarily recalled in December 2019. But after an investigation, the makers of RXBAR expanded the recall to include several additional varieties. Representatives from RXBAR did not immediately return Red Tricycle’s request for comment.
This recall was issued after finding the potential for some bars to contain undeclared peanut allergens. If you or your kiddo has a peanut allergy, you absolutely need to know about this.
We're issuing a voluntary recall on a variety of RXBAR and RXBAR Kids flavors in the US and Canada due to a potential undeclared peanut allergen. This affects those flavors with “Best By” dates of 1/14/19 -10/19/19. For more information, please visit: https://t.co/sqnyEYzvX1pic.twitter.com/4U3uL3OdxF
The initial recall in December included the Chocolate Sea Salt and Coconut Chocolate varieties. The expanded recall expands this list to include the following flavors.
RXBAR Flavors
Apple Cinnamon
Blueberry
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Hazelnut
Chocolate Sea Salt
Coconut Chocolate
Coffee Chocolate
Mango Pineapple
Maple Sea Salt
Mint Chocolate
Mixed Berry
Pumpkin Spice
RXBAR Kids Flavors
Apple Cinnamon Raisin
Berry Blast
Chocolate Chip
Why the RXBARS Were Recalled
Again, this is not a bacterial or other microorganism contamination issue. The affected bars may have undeclared peanut-containing ingredients in them, making them potentially dangerous for anyone with a peanut allergy.
Consumer complaints about allergic reactions, following the December recall, led to a deeper investigation. This revealed the potential for peanut products in a specific ingredient supplied by a third party. As of the current recall, RXBAR has changed suppliers.
How to Tell If Your RXBARS Are Affected
If you have one of the RXBAR or RXBAR Kids flavors listed above, check the “Best By” date. The recalled bars all have “Best By” dates from Jan. 14, 2019 to Oct. 19, 2019.
Along with the flavor and “Best By” date, check the UPC code. Vie a complete list of the affected bars’ UPC codes on the FDA’s website here.
What Can Parents Do
If you, your child, a family member or anyone else who will eat one of the bars you have has a peanut allergy, throw the RXBAR away. Anyone with a peanut allergy should not eat the recalled bars. Contact the retailer where you bought the bar for a refund or replacement.
Direct questions to RXBAR consumer service at 312-624-8200 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central. You can also email consumer service at info@rxbar.com.