Current Events in April 2015

Saying there is "nothing safe about indoor tanning," New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today filed lawsuits against two tanning salon franchises -- Portofino Spas, LLC and Total Tan, Inc., and served notice he also intends to sue Beach Bum Tanning Salons and Planet Fitness.

The suits accuse the salons of false advertising by

• denying or minimizing scientific evidence linking tanning to an increased cancer risk;
• promoting indoor tanning as a safe way to reap the benefits of vitamin D and other purported health benefits; and
• asserting the safety of indoor tanning compared to tanning outdoors.

Altogether the four franchises operate 155 tanning salons around the state.

“Make no mistake about it: There is nothing safe about indoor tanning. The use of ultra-violet devices increases exposure to cancer-causing radiation and puts millions of Americans in serious danger – young adults, in particular,” said Schneiderman. “Irresponsible businesses that seek to rake in profits by misleading the public about the safety of their services will be held accountable by my office. Advertising and marketing cannot be used as a tool to confuse and endanger New York consumers.”

Danger documented

Over the past decade, scientific evidence has clearly documented the dangers of indoor tanning, Schneiderman said. By 2009, the World Health Organization added indoor tanning to its list of most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation and placed it in the highest cancer risk category: “carcinogenic to humans,” the same category as tobacco.

In July 2014, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a “Call to Action To Prevent Skin Cancer,” a report documenting the rise in skin cancers and outlining action steps to prevent these cancers going forward, including reduction of intentional, and unnecessary, ultraviolet (UV) light exposure for the purpose of tanning.

Indoor tanning increases the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer – which is responsible for 9,000 deaths in the United States each year. Indoor tanning also increases the risk of nonmalignant skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). While not deadly, these nonmalignant cancers can cause noticeable disfigurement. In addition to increasing the risk of skin cancer, UV exposure can also harm the immune system and cause premature skin aging.

New York law currently prohibits tanning for children under 17 and requires parental consent for children between the ages of 17 and 18.

Additionally, New York law requires that warning signs be posted outside of tanning beds, that tanning hazards information sheets and acknowledgement forms be distributed to tanning patrons, and that free protective eyewear be made available to tanning patrons.

The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleges that Portofino did not post the required state warning sign near every tanning devices as required by the law and that total tan required patrons pay for protective eyewear when the eyewear is required to be provided without cost to consumers.

In the face of the scientific evidence linking indoor tanning and early onset of skin cancer, some indoor tanning salon businesses have sought to counter the scientific evidence by purposefully advertising the opposite message – that indoor tanning actually improves health.

The U.S. Agriculture Department's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says American consumers waste billions of pounds of still-edible food because they aren't sure if the food has spoiled.

They look at the sell-by date and see that it is long past, so they throw it out. FSIS says they shouldn't. As we have previously reported, sell-by dates are different from use-by dates on packaging.

USDA estimates that 21% of the available food in the U.S. goes uneaten at the consumer level. It says on average, 36 pounds of food per person is wasted each month at the retail and consumer levels.

To help consumers better understand how different storing methods affect a product’s shelf life, FSIS has introduced a free app called FoodKeeper. It's designed to help consumers maximize the storage life of foods and beverages and remind them to use items before they are likely to spoil.

You can download the app here.

“Many products might have a sell-by date of April 1 but they could be good in your pantry for another 12 or 18 months,” said Chris Bernstein, spokesman for FSIS. “By throwing those out, what you're doing is contributing to food waste in the United States. Say you buy a box of fresh pasta, which is good for a limited amount of time, you can have your calendar tell you a couple of days before that fresh pasta is going to go bad that you should think about eating it.”

U.S. Food Waste Challenge

The app is part of an effort by USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called the U.S. Food Waste Challenge. Launched in 2 years ago, it urges players across the food chain – farms, agricultural processors, food manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, universities, schools, and local governments – to help reduce food waste by improving product development, storage, shopping/ordering, marketing, labeling, and cooking methods.

It also connects potential food donors to hunger relief organizations and, what isn't fit for human consumption, is redirected to feed animals or to create compost, bioenergy, and natural fertilizers.

Just Eat It

This all appears to be part of a growing trend to make sure more of the food we produce gets consumed. A recent documentary, “Just Eat It,” focuses on food waste at the producer and retail level. Much of the food we produce never makes it to the supermarket because of its appearance, for example.

The film follows one couple as they swear off grocery shopping and try to subsist on food that would otherwise go in the dumpster. The trailer is below.

For consumers, there are very good economic reasons to get on the anti-food waste band wagon.

When food product goes to waste, less of it gets to market. The laws of supply and demand would suggest that eating more of the food that currently goes in a landfill might not lower prices but might keep them from rising as fast.

RB -- formerly Reckitt Benckiser -- is recalling certain lots of liquid bottles of Mucinex Fast-Max Night Time Cold & Flu; Mucinex Fast-Max Cold & Sinus; Mucinex Fast-Max Severe Congestion & Cough and Mucinex Fast-Max Cold, Flu & Sore Throat.

The over-the-counter medications, which correctly label the product on the front of the bottle and lists all active ingredients, may not have the correct corresponding drug facts label on the back.

This mislabeling could cause the consumer to be unaware of side effects and/or risks associated with the ingestion of certain product ingredients which include Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Phenylephrine and/or Diphenhydramine.

Consumers would not be adequately warned of side effects which could potentially lead to health complications requiring urgent medical intervention, particularly in the case of acetaminophen use in people with liver impairment, taking three or more alcoholic drinks or when taking other medicines containing this active ingredient without consulting a doctor.

RB is asking consumers to dispose of any unused product in the following manner:

• Mix liquid medicines with an unpalatable substance such as kitty litter or used coffee grounds; place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag; and throw the container in your household trash.

Consumers who purchased the recalled products may contact the RB Mucinex Fast-Max recall toll free number at 1-888-943-4215 between 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m EST.

List of potentially affected batches

General Motors is recalling 4,907 model year 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V vehicles manufactured between September 6, 2003, and June 11, 2007.

The recalled vehicles are currently registered, or were originally sold, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Snow or water containing road salt or other contaminants may corrode the front brake hose fitting at the caliper. Corrosion may cause the brake system to leak which could lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front brake hose assemblies, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15149.  

This story has been removed because of questions about the accuracy of the news release on which it was based. 

Sales of new single-family houses dropped sharply last month.

Data released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development show sales were down 11.4% in March -- to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000. At the same time, the February rate was revised up from the initially reported 539,000 to 543,000.

Even with the large March decline, the sales rate is 19.4% above the year-ago level of 403,000.

Home prices

The median sales price of new houses sold in March was $277,400 -- down $4,900 from a year earlier. The average sales price was posted a year-over-year gain of $11,800 -- to $343,300.

The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of last month was 213,000, representing a supply of 5.3 months at the current sales rate.

From the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), word that its monthly House Price Index (HPI) was up 0.7% in February after rising 0.3% a month earlier.

For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes ranged from -1.3% in the East South Central division to +1.8% in the South Atlantic division.

The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +2.6% in the Middle Atlantic division to +6.9% in the Pacific division.

The FHFA HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The complete sales and price reports are available on the Commerce Department and FHFA websites, respectively.

Initial claims

Separately, the Labor Department reports first-time applications for unemployment benefits inched up by 1,000 in the week ending April 18 to a seasonally adjusted 295,000.

The government says there were no special factors affecting this week's initial claims.

The 4-week moving average was 284,500 -- up 1,750 from the previous week. The 4-week tally is less volatile than the initial claims data and considered a more accurate barometer of the labor market.

The full report is available on the DOL website.  

Kayem Foods of Chelsea, Mass., is recalling approximately 59,203 pounds of fully cooked chicken sausage products.

The products may be contaminated with pieces of plastic.

There are no reports of any injuries associated with consumption of these products.

The following chicken sausage products, produced on various dates in March 2015, are being recalled:

• 12-oz. packages of Trader Joe’s brand “Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage” with the case code 9605 and use by/freeze by dates of “4 22 15,” “4 25 15,” and “4 29 15.”
• 8-oz. packages of al fresco brand “Apple Maple Fully Cooked Breakfast Chicken Sausage” with the case code 9709 and use by/freeze by dates of “JUN 13 2015” and “JUN 20 2015.”

The recalled products bear the establishment number “P7839” inside the USDA mark of inspection, and were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered after the firm received complaints from two consumers who found small pieces of plastic in the product.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Joellen West at (800) 426-6100 ext. 247.  

Queseria La Poblanita of New York, N.Y., is recalling La Clarita Queseria Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese.

The product may be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus

No illnesses have been reported to date.

.

The recalled Spanish-style cheese is sold in 12-oz. plastic tub packages with a label declaring a plant # 36/8585, and a product lot code of MAY 13, 2015. It was distributed to stores and delis in the metropolitan New York area.

Consumers who purchased the recalled product should return it to the place of purchase or discard it.

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 3,646 model year 2015 Audi Q3 vehicles manufactured April 4, 2014, to November 5, 2014.

If the vehicle is turned off while the sunroof is closing, the sunroof may continue to close instead of stopping. If a vehicle occupant is in the sunroof's path, there is an increased risk of injury.

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the sunroof control module software, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2015.

Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 60C1.

Trek Bicycle Corporation of Waterloo, Wis., is recalling about 998,000 Trek bicycles equipped with front disc brakes in the U.S. and Canada.

An open quick release lever on the bicycle’s front wheel hub can come into contact with the front disc brake assembly, causing the front wheel to come to a sudden stop or separate from the bicycle, posing a risk of injury to the rider.

The company reports 3 incidents, all including injuries. One incident resulted in quadriplegia. One incident resulted in facial injuries. One incident resulted in a fractured wrist.

This recall involves all models of Trek bicycles from model years 2000 through 2015 equipped with front disc brakes and a black or silver quick release lever on the front wheel hub that opens far enough to contact the disc brake.

Bicycles with front quick release levers that do not open a full 180 degrees from the closed position, are not included in this recall.

The bicycles. Manufactured in China and Taiwan, were sold at bicycle stores nationwide from about September 1999, through April 2015, for between $480 and $1,650.

Consumers should stop using the bicycles immediately and contact an authorized Trek retailer for free installation of a new quick release on the front wheel. Trek will provide each owner who participates in the recall with a $20 coupon redeemable by December 31, 2015 toward any Bontrager merchandise. (The coupon has no cash value.)

Consumers may contact Trek at (800) 373-4594 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

Lenovo of Morrisville, N.C., is recalling about 166,50 ThinkPad notebook computer battery packs in the U.S and Canada. About 37,400 were recalled in the U.S. and Canada in March 2014.

The battery packs can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

The company has received 4 reports of incidents of battery packs overheating and damaging the computers, battery packs and surrounding property. One incident included a consumer's skin being reddened and burn marks on the consumer's clothing.

This recall involves Lenovo battery packs sold with the following ThinkPad notebook computers: the Edge 11, 13, 14, 15, 120, 125, 320, 325, 420, 425, 430, 520, 525 and 530 series; the L412, L420/421, L512 and L520 series; the T410, T420, T510 and T520 series; the W510 and W520 series; and the X100e, X120e, X121e, X130e, X200, X200s, X201, X201s, X220 and X220t series.

The battery packs were also sold separately. The black battery packs measure between 8 to 11 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide and about 1 inch high. Recalled battery packs have one of the following part numbers starting with the fourth digit in a long series of numbers and letters printed on a white sticker below the bar code on the battery pack: 42T4695, 42T4711, 42T4740, 42T4798, 42T4804, 42T4812, 42T4816, 42T4822, 42T4826, 42T4828, 42T4834, 42T4840, 42T4862, 42T4868, 42T4874, 42T4880, 42T4890, 42T4944, 42T4948, 42T4954, 42T4958, 45N1022 and 45N1050.

The battery packs, manufactured in China, were sold at computer and electronics stores, and authorized dealers nationwide and online at www.lenovo.com from February 2010, through June 2012, for between $350 and $3,000 when sold as part of ThinkPad notebook computers. The battery packs were also sold separately for between $80 and $150.

Consumers should immediately turn off their ThinkPad notebook computer, remove the battery pack and contact Lenovo for a free replacement battery pack. Consumers may continue to use their ThinkPad notebook without the battery pack by plugging in the AC adapter and power cord.

Consumers may contact Lenovo at (800) 426-7378 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

Federal safety regulators are frequently heard to complain that most of us drive too fast. Automakers, on the other hand, are moving way too slowly in carrying out safety recalls, top safety agency officials say.

Case in point: the older Jeep Cherokees with gas tanks behind the rear axle. They're prone to catch fire when struck from the rear but a recall of 1.56 million Jeeps has been creeping along with most vehicles still unfixed. Likewise, the recall of millions of cars equipped with Takata airbags, which can spray passengers with shards of metal. Millions of cars have yet to have their airbags replaced.

Other recalls great and small plod along with all manner of delays. In all too many cases, consumers' cars sit idle at dealerships waiting for parts while consumers make do with no car or a loaner.

Take Nikki of Mobile, Ala. "I have a problem with Chrysler not ordering the part for the safety,recall,of the rear quarter vent window switch. They dismantled my switch almost 7 months ago and I have been waiting for the part since then," she told ConsumerAffairs. They have only shipped 4 parts to the dealership in Mobile and they won't respond to complaints."

Nikki said she is number 19 on her dealer's list of customers waiting for the part.

What's the point?

BMW owner Patricia reported a similar situation:,"I own a 2003 325ci that is affected by the (airbag) recall,and I called the nearest dealership to schedule the repair., I was told, by them, that that the part is on backorder and they will call me when it becomes available."

"Not wanting to wait, I checked to see if the repair would be available elsewhere., I went to the website BMWusa.com and entered the required information from my VIN number and the response from the site says that 'remedy is not available,'" Patricia said.

"What is the point of issuing a,recall,when there is no remedy available?" she,asked. "Owners of the affected vehicles are told that that the problem with the airbag can cause 'serious injury to passengers and other occupants' yet they don’t have the ability to remedy the situation?"

Plodding pace

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn't seem particularly perturbed about this when David Strickland was at its helm. He "retired" last year along with his boss, ex-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, after working out a highly unusual Jeep recall deal with Chrysler.,

The agency's new head, Mark Rosekind, Ph.D., is an actual safety expert -- something rare in NHTSA's history. He was previously a member of the National Transportation Safety Board and has performed extensive research into human fatigue and other safety factors at NASA.

Now that he has settled into his new job, Rosekind has made it clear he expects automakers to be more "proactive" in handling safety issues -- an expectation that covers everything from building safer cars with fewer defects, being faster to identify problems and faster yet to conduct recalls when needed.

"The most important thing was to be able to generate a range of options for us to kind of decide where we want to address these issues in a strategic but timely way,” Rosekind said yesterday, Automotive News reports. “For both [the Takata and Jeep recalls], I think we’re one or two weeks away from actually having some concrete things to start taking action on.”

Bloomberg News reported earlier that the agency may be thinking about reopening the investigation into the Jeeps. Safety advocates have been highly critical of the unusual way in which the recall and a related safety campaign were arrived at -- in a secret airport meeting instead of in the laboratory where a tried-and-tested approach might have been found.

Instead, the agency gave its OK to retrofitting trailer hitches on the Jeeps, on the largely untested,theory that the hitch would protect the gas tank in a collision.

Jeep owners have complained that the hitch itself is a safety hazard, since dealers are installing only the hitch and not the other towing package components that are needed to tow a trailer safely. Future owners of the Jeeps may not know the hitches are unsafe, they say.,

Improvement across the U.S. pushed sales of previously owned homes to their highest level since September 2013.

Figures released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) show total sales -- completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops -- shot up 6.1% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.19 million.

Additionally, sales have now increased year-over-year for 6 consecutive months and are 10.4% above a year ago -- the highest annual increase since August 2013's 10.7%. The March surge in sales was the largest monthly gain since the 6.2% gain in December 2010.

Picking up steam

"After a quiet start to the year, sales activity picked up greatly throughout the country in March," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "The combination of low interest rates and the ongoing stability in the job market is improving buyer confidence and finally releasing some of the sizable pent-up demand that accumulated in recent years."

Total housing inventory at the end of March climbed 5.3% to 2.00 million existing homes available for sale, and is now 2.0% above a year ago. Unsold inventory is at a 4.6-month supply at the current sales pace, down from 4.7 months in February.

The median existing-home price for all housing types in March was $212,100 -- 7.8% above March 2014, marking the 37th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains and the largest since February 2014.

"The modest rise in housing supply at the end of the month despite the strong growth in sales is a welcoming sign," Yun noted. "For sales to build upon their current pace, homeowners will increasingly need to be confident in their ability to sell their home while having enough time and choices to upgrade or downsize. More listings and new home construction are still needed to tame price growth and provide more opportunity for first-time buyers to enter the market."

Regional Breakdown

• Existing-home sales in the Northeast increased 6.9% in March to an annual rate of 620,000, and are 1.6% above a year ago. The median price was $240,500 -- 1.6% below a year ago.
• In the Midwest, existing-home sales jumped 10.1% to an annual rate of 1.20 million, and are now 12.1% above March 2014. The median price surged 9.7% from the same time last year -- to $163,600.
• Sales in the South climbed 3.8% to an annual rate of 2.19 million in March, and are now 11.7 percent above March 2014. The median price was $187,900 -- up 9.3% from a year ago.
• The West posted an existing-home sales increase of 6.3% to an annual rate of 1.18 million in March; sales are now 11.3% and the median price is up 8.3% year-over-year to $305,000.

After posting a slight decline the previous week, applications for mortgages moved higher the week ending April 17.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey

applications were up 2.3% last week.

percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 17, 2015.

“Purchase applications increased for the fourth time in 5 weeks as we proceed further into the spring home buying season,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s Chief Economist. “Despite mortgage rates below 4%, refinance activity increased less than 1% percent from the previous week.”

That slight increase in the Refinance Index pushed the refinance share of mortgage activity down 2% -- to 56% of total applications, its lowest level since October 2014. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity rose to 5.5% percent of total applications.

The FHA share of total applications inched up to 13.6% from 13.5% the week prior. The VA share of total applications slipped decreased from 11.1% to 11.0%, and the USDA share of total applications was unchanged at 0.8%.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs) with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) dropped 4 basis point -- from 3.87% to 3.83%, its lowest level since January 2015. Points fell to 0.32 from 0.38 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,000) decreased inched down to 3.83% from 3.84%, with points decreasing to 0.22 from 0.35 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA dipped 2 basis points to 3.65%, its lowest level since May 2013, with points decreasing to 0.12 from 0.23 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year FRMs fell to 3.11%, its lowest level since January, from 3.16%, with points decreasing to 0.24 from 0.29 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs rose 7 basis points to 2.89%, with points decreasing to 0.29 from 0.40 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.

The survey covers over 75% of all U.S. retail residential mortgage applications.

In the wake of the financial crisis and the collapse of the housing market, mortgage lenders raised standards for qualifying for loans and Congress approved tighter regulation of the mortgage market.

It was not an unreasonable response after nearly a decade of very loose lending standards that resulted in many consumers buying homes without being required to prove they could actually afford them.

But Realtors complained from the beginning that the reaction went too far, choking off the housing market's recovery. They pointed out that each month, nearly a third of home buyers paid with cash without having to borrow the money.

Now, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is pressing its case to Congress, telling the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee that some of the new regulatory requirements are unnecessary and are blocking otherwise qualified, credit worthy consumers from buying a home.

Pendulum has swung too far

NAR President Chris Polychron told the committee that the industry supports strong underwriting standards, put in place after the housing crisis to protect consumers from risky lending practices. But Polychron insists the pendulum has swung too far.

“In some cases, well-intentioned, but over-corrective policies are severely hampering the ability of millions of qualified buyers to purchase a home,” he said. “I believe, and our members believe, that we have yet to strike the right balance between regulation and opportunity.”

To bolster their case the Realtors say the near record low mortgage rates that have prevailed since 2009 should have resulted in surging home sales. But that hasn't been the case.

Sales of existing homes in February were up a healthy 4.7% over the previous year, but at the rather anemic annual rate of 4.88 million. Anemic when compared to 2005's existing home sales, which totaled more than 7 million.

Homeownership rate is falling

Today, even with mortgage rates well under 4%, NAR says the number of first-time buyers entering the market is at the lowest point since 1987. The homeownership rate is back to 1990 levels.

So what exactly is it that the Realtors would like to see? For one, the industry trade group wants to change some new regulations it says limit opportunities for buyers to own condos. NAR says condos often represent the most affordable buying options for first-time homebuyers and minorities.

Concern about new rules

Realtors are also concerned about rules that haven't yet taken effect. Polychron says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) should be ready for problems that might crop up during the implementation of the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act and Truth in Lending Act changes.

Those rule changes just happen to take effect on August 1, the busiest transaction time of the year. To make loans close more smoothly, Polychron suggested the CFPB take a “restrained” approach to enforcement as the rule goes into effect.

Polychron also took aim at a provision in the Ability-to-Repay rules that limits mortgage fees and points to 3% in order for home loans to be considered Qualified Mortgages. The rule is designed to protect consumers but Polychron said the unintended consequence is that consumers, including lower-end buyers, are finding reduced choices and added obstacles in their efforts to buy a house.

“No one wants to see a return to the unscrupulous, predatory lending practices that caused the Great Recession, but some modifications to existing regulations would help restore the homeownership rate to pre-bubble levels,” said Polychron.

Superior Nut & Candy Co., is recalling 4-oz. packages of Pine Nuts.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the problem.

The recalled Pine Nuts were distributed nationwide in retail stores.

The recalled product comes in a 4-oz. package with a clear front and tan-colored label on the back and were sold in retail store produce departments nationwide.

The back label lists pine nuts as the only ingredient and has the UPC Number of 72549320016 with a Best By date between 10/22/2015 and 12/27/2015.

Customers who purchased the recalled product should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact customer relations at (773) 254-7900 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, CST.

Michigan Brand of Bay City, Mich. is recalling approximately 737 pounds of turkey and beef products.

The products contain sodium nitrite, which is missing the word “nitrite” on the product label.

There are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The following smoked turkey and beef items, produced on various dates between February 9 and April 16, 2015, are being recalled:

• 8 and 16 oz. packages of “Michigan Brand Honey Glazed Smoked Turkey.”
• 8 oz. packages of “The Jerky Outlet Jalapeno Flavored Smoke Beef.”

The recalled products bear the establishment number “EST. 10306” or “P-10306” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to retail and distribution locations in Michigan.

Consumers with questions may contact the company’s main line at (989) 893-9589.