ALG's Daily Grind: Republican? Democrat? What's the difference?

Feb. 17, 2012

Republican? Democrat? What's the difference?

Members of the House need to get back to the basics of why they are in charge and not be afraid to throw their weight around.

Video: Greece In Ruins, Can It Ruin All Of Us?

Here is an illustration of what financial woes in Greece can mean for the rest of us.

Food Police go after preschooler, confiscate homemade lunch for being "unhealthy"

Since when does the government decide what types of food children are allowed to eat for lunch?

Zerohedge.com: While You Were Sleeping, Central Banks Flooded The World In Liquidity

"[I]t is sheer idiocy to assume that the printers will stop here... or anywhere for that matter. They simply can't, now that the marginal utility of every dollar is sub 1.00 relative to GDP creation."

NH DHHS - Test Results of Recalled Infant Formula Negative

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

(DHHS) Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) issued precautions

recently about the voluntary recall of a powdered infant formula following

the death of an infant in Missouri. The infant died from a Cronobacter

sakazakii infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

issued findings that samples they tested were negative so there is no need

for a recall of infant formula and parents may continue to use Enfamil

Newborn powdered infant formula, following the manufacturer’s directions on

the printed label.


A total of four infants in the U.S. with Cronobacter infection were

included in the investigation, which is ongoing. There is currently no

evidence to conclude that the infant formula or nursery water was

contaminated during manufacturing or shipping or to suggest the cases were

related. The CDC will continue its investigation, however, to determine the

source(s) of the infection.


“Since all testing has come back negative we feel safe in telling parents

to resume use of the voluntarily recalled formula,” said DHHS’ Public

Health Director Dr. José Montero. “We continue, as always, to remind

parents and caregivers to take precautions when preparing, storing, and

feeding infant formula to prevent contamination.”


The bacteria Cronobacter can be found naturally in the environment and has

been found in many foods, including powdered infant formula and water.

Cronobacter sakazakii rarely causes illness in humans; however, it can

cause infections in infants including meningitis which can be fatal.


For infants who are fed with powdered infant formula, DHHS continues to

recommend careful adherence to infection prevention measures while

preparing formula. These include washing your hands with soap and water

before preparation, cleaning all feeding equipment in hot, soapy water and

preparing formula for just one feeding at a time. U.S. Department of

Agriculture guidelines on the safe preparation of powdered infant formula

are available at on the DHHS website at

www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/wic/documents/formula.pdf .

NH DHHS - State Health Officials Issue Precautions After Infant Formula Recall

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

(DHHS) Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) is advising parents of the

voluntary recall of a powdered infant formula following the death of an

infant in Missouri. The infant died from a Cronobacter sakazakii

infection. While the source of this bacteria has not yet been determined,

as a precaution, powdered infant formula retailers including Walmart,

Supervalu, and Walgreens have pulled Enfamil Newborn formula with the lot

number ZP1K7G until tests on the formula are complete.



“We want to exercise the utmost caution while we await the results of the

testing and further investigation,” said DHHS’ Public Health Director Dr.

José Montero. “At this time we are advising parents not to use the product

with the lot number ZP1K7G until additional information is available.”



The bacteria Cronobacter can be found naturally in the environment, and has

been found in many foods, including powdered infant formula and water.

Cronobacter sakazakii rarely causes illness in humans; however, it can

cause infections in infants including meningitis that can be fatal.



For infants who are fed with powdered infant formula, DHHS continues to

recommend careful adherence to infection prevention measures while

preparing formula. These include washing your hands with soap and water

before preparation, cleaning all feeding equipment in hot, soapy water and

preparing formula for just one feeding at a time. The World Health

Organization guidelines on safe preparation of powdered infant formula are

available at: http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/files/pif_guidelines.pdf



Anyone who has received this formula through NH’s Women, Infants and

Children (WIC) program, you can contact your local WIC office or the State

WIC office for further assistance.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Drug

Administration labs are conducting the tests on the formula and will

release new information as soon as it is available.

NH DHHS Provides Recommendations on Food Safety After Power Outage

Concord, NH - The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

(DHHS) is releasing food safety recommendations for retail establishments

and residents who have lost power or been affected by flooding as a result

of the recent snow storm.


For residential homes:

DHHS recommends taking the following steps during and after a loss of

electrical power:

Never taste food to determine its safety

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to

maintain the cold temperature

The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it

is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature approximately

48 hours (24 hours if its half full and the door remains closed)

Food can be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is

at 40ºF or below

Get block ice or dry ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as

cold as possible if the power is going to be out for an extended

period of time

Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish,

soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items after 4 hours

without power

When in doubt, throw it out.


For retail establishments:

Retail establishments are reminded that they should cease operation and

contact the Food Protection Section when they have experienced any of the

following:

disruption of water service or interruption of electrical service for

longer than 2 hours,

have a contaminated water supply or failed sewer system


The Food Protection Section will approve the resumption of operations when

an imminent health hazard no longer exists or when the establishment has

offered a plan to mitigate all threats to health and safety.


Retail establishments with questions about safe food handling during a

power outage should visit the DHHS website at

http://www.dhhs.state.nh.us/dphs/fp/documents/emergency.pdf for a copy of

the Emergency Action Plan for Retail Establishments. Consumers or

establishments can reach the DPHS Food Protection Section at 603-271-4589

or after business hours at 271-5300; or by email at

foodprotection@dhhs.state.nh.us

NH DHHS - Food Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

Concord, NH – During this busy holiday season, the Department of Health and

Human Services’ (DHHS) Bureau of Food Protection wants to remind everyone

to follow some important food safety practices to avoid foodborne

illnesses, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter.


According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an

estimated 48 million cases of illness, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000

deaths occurred in 2011 in the United States due to foodborne diseases.

Symptoms can vary depending on the illness, but some common symptoms are

diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea. It is difficult to say with

certainty which microbe is causing a given illness without laboratory

testing.


“Don’t let germs ruin your holiday activities by not taking proper

precautions against foodborne disease,” said Dr. José Montero, Director of

Public Health at DHHS. “There are simple tips for safe food preparation

that we should all be following every day, not just at holidays, but large

gatherings and people cooking outside their comfort zone can present an

opportunity for bacteria to be introduced into our food.”


The following simple precautions should always be followed by cooks and

food handlers to reduce the possibility of anyone becoming sick:

Separate: Use a separate cutting board for cooked foods and raw foods

and always wash them after use. Do no cut raw vegetables on the same

cutting board as raw meat. Avoid cross contamination. Wash any

utensil after preparing one food item before going on to the next

item.

Clean: Always wash hands before touching any food. Wash hands and

surfaces often during food preparation and afterward.

Cook: Make sure all meats are thoroughly cooked by using a meat

thermometer: turkey, stuffing, and casseroles to 165ºF; veal, beef,

and lamb roasts to 145ºF; and ham, pork, ground beef, and egg dishes

to 160ºF. When reheating, leftovers should be thoroughly heated to

165ºF.

Chill: Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours. The

refrigerator should be maintained at 40ºF or lower and the freezer

should be at 0ºF or lower. Keep hot foods

hot, 140ºF or hotter, and cold foods cold, 40ºF or below. Never

defrost food at room

temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in a cold-water bath, or

in the microwave. When using a microwave, meat must be cooked

immediately after. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.

Report: Report suspected foodborne illnesses to the NH Department of

Health and Human Services by calling 603-271-4496. Often calls from

concerned citizens are how outbreaks are first detected. If a public

health official calls you to talk about an outbreak your cooperation

is important, even if you are not ill.


For more information visit www.usda.gov, www.cdc.gov, www.befoodsafe.org ,

or www.dhhs.nh.gov .