Current Events in January 2019

Chipotle has started offering “Lifestyle Bowls,” a new lineup of meals that fit into consumers’ paleo, ketogenic, and Whole30 diets.

On Wednesday, the restaurant chain began rolling out the new options, which include the Whole30 Salad Bowl, the Paleo Salad Bowl, the Keto Salad Bowl, and the Double Protein Bowl.

“These first-to-category, diet-driven menu offerings are helping those who have committed to living a healthier lifestyle by making it easy to order delicious bowls that only contain the real ingredients permitted by certain diet regimens,” the company said in a statement.

The new diet-friendly bowls can be ordered in-store on a walk-in basis, as well as online and via the chain’s mobile app.

Here’s what’s included in each bowl:

• Whole30 Salad Bowl. Romaine lettuce, carnitas, fajita veggies, tomato salsa, and guacamole

• Paleo Salad Bowl. Romaine lettuce, barbacoa, fajita veggies, green salsa, and guacamole

• Keto Salad Bowl. Romaine lettuce, carnitas, red salsa, cheese, and guacamole

• Double Protein Bowl. White rice, black beans, chicken (full portion), steak (full portion), red salsa, romaine lettuce, and sour cream

Chipotle has been trying to recover from a sales slump set in motion by a series of E. coli outbreaks dating back to 2015. The new diet-friendly menu options mark the chain’s latest effort to regain consumers’ favor.

Best overall diets

While the popularity of some of the trendy diets Chipotle is catering to have been fueled by social media, others have earned the stamp of approval from respected nutritionists and medical professionals.  

The editors at U.S. News and World Report recently consulted these professionals and dubbed the Mediterranean Diet the best overall diet.

Followers of the Mediterranean Diet are encouraged to eat mostly plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Instead of butter, the use of products containing healthy fats, such as olive oil, is recommended. Research has shown that the Mediterranean Diet is associated with heart protection, a longer lifespan, and fewer illnesses.

The Ketogenic (or “Keto”) Diet ranked as the 38th best overall diet out of 41. U.S. News cited its strict carb limits and extreme nature as drawbacks of the diet, but the agency said it was a good option for fast weight loss.

"While these diets enable quick weight loss for those with a short-term goal—there's a strong chance you'll drop significant weight within the first 12 months—keep in mind that this is markedly different from long-term weight loss, which is more important for your health,” the report said.

Wells Fargo has agreed to pay the state of California $5 million to settle claims that the financial services company established insurance policies for its customers, and then charged them without their approval.

In addition, the company also agreed to surrender its insurance licenses for two years and to pay an additional $5 million if it decides it wants to sell insurance in California at any time in the future.

The genesis of Wells Fargo’s consumer breach dates back to 2008 when company employees would, on occasion, tell consumers to enter their personal information on a policy application simply to receive a quoted rate. However, that rather innocent act took a wrong turn when company employees later submitted the application to the insurer to purchase the policy without getting consumers’ permission.

"The Department of Insurance’s investigation found that Wells Fargo was signing up and charging customers for insurance without their consent," said California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "Banks and other financial institutions should never be allowed to prey on their customers’ trust without being held accountable."

In a statement, Wells Fargo spokeswoman Catherine Pulley said that the company has worked to make things right for customers and earn back their trust and had previously stopped issuing new insurance policies.

It’ll be awhile before Wells Fargo gets a good night’s sleep. This move comes on the heels of the company agreeing to pay $575 million to settle allegations made by all 50 states and the District of Columbia that the bank violated consumer protection laws.

As 2018 came to a close, General Motors officially hit 200,000 total electric vehicles sold. The fourth-quarter figure gave way to a phase-out of a $7,500 federal tax credit over the next 15 months.

The sales achievement means the tax credit will fall to $3,750 in April, and then drop to $1,875 in October for six months. The credit will be completely phased out by April 2020, sources told Reuters.

When the tax credit was first introduced in 2009, Congress set the phase-out threshold at 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer. GM and fellow automaker Tesla, which hit the same sales mark in July 2018, have both fought to get rid of the cap or extend the existing EV tax credit.

Tesla seeking to ‘partially absorb the reduction’

On Tuesday, Tesla’s tax credit dropped to $3,750. Tesla has said that it’s seeking to reduce the impact of the lower tax credit by cutting prices.

“Moving beyond the success of Q4, we are taking steps to partially absorb the reduction of the federal EV tax credit (which, as of January 1st, dropped from $7,500 to $3,750). Starting today, we are reducing the price of Model S, Model X, and Model 3 vehicles in the U.S. by $2,000,” a Tesla spokesperson told Elektrek.

“Customers can apply to receive the $3,750 federal tax credit for new deliveries starting on January 1, 2019, and may also be eligible for several state and local electric vehicle and utility incentives, which range up to $4,000. Combined with the reduced costs of maintenance and of charging a Tesla versus paying for gas at the pump – which can result in up to $100 per month or more in savings – this means our vehicles are even more affordable than similarly priced gasoline vehicles,” the spokesperson said.

At this time, it’s not yet clear if GM has a similar plan to help offset the reduction in the tax incentive.

Apple stunned Wall Street Wednesday when it issued first quarter guidance that was sharply lower than what investors expected.

The tech giant reduced its estimates of revenue based on a number of economic factors, including the trade war with China and a stronger dollar. And it turns out Apple may not be alone in having to deal with less-than-expected revenue.

New data released Wednesday show U.S. manufacturing slowed considerably in December. The U.S. Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), compiled by IHS Markit, fell to 53.8 last month, down nearly two points from November.

Not only was it the index’s lowest number over the last 15 months, it showed job creation had slowed to an 18-month low. A strong labor market, with near-record low unemployment, has been a major factor in propelling the U.S. economy.

"Output and order books grew at the lowest rates for over a year and optimism about the outlook slumped to its gloomiest for over two years," Chris Williamson, Markit's chief business economist told CNBC. "Some of the weakness is due to capacity constraints, with producers again reporting widespread difficulties in finding suitable staff and sourcing sufficient quantities of inputs."

Negative impact of tariffs

The issue of tariffs imposed against U.S. trading partners appears to be having a negative impact. Williamson said there are signs of slowing demand, along with concerns over the tariffs. Two-thirds of manufacturers are attributing higher costs to the tariffs.

Optimism, which was sky-high 12 months ago, has fallen. Manufacturers’ confidence in their business has fallen to the lowest level in two years. In particular, manufacturers are concerned about how long the growth in new business will last.

Apple applied more gloom to the manufacturing situation when it warned investors that it doesn’t expect to earn as much revenue from iPhone sales as previously forecast. It blamed the drop in sales on trade tensions with China, noting that sales to the country have been sharply lower. Other analysts, however, pointed out that iPhones selling for around $1,000 are having to compete with much cheaper Android devices.

Apple lowered revenue guidance to $84 billion, down from the nearly $93 billion it had previously forecasted. At the same time, Apple warned that its profit margin would be lower.

Wall Street is reeling, manufacturing is slowing, and economists are beginning to whisper the “R” word (recession). But from all indications, consumers are doing just fine, at least for now.

Retail sales were markedly higher during the holiday shopping season as rising wages and low unemployment gave consumers a little more confidence to spend. And job growth may be expanding even further in 2019.

In its monthly payroll survey, ADP/Moody’s Analytics reports the economy produced a staggering 271,000 private sector jobs in December, significantly more than consensus forecasts. That suggests employers are feeling confident enough to expand payrolls and that people who have been out of work for a while are getting jobs.

The Labor Department is scheduled to release the government’s official employment report on Friday.

Smaller firms did the heavy lifting

According to ADP/Moody’s report, it was small and midsize businesses that produced the most jobs last month. Small business payrolls grew by 89,000 while midsize companies -- those with more than 50 but fewer than 500 employees -- added 129,000 positions. Large companies grew their workforces by 54,000.

“Businesses continue to add aggressively to their payrolls despite the stock market slump and the trade war. Favorable December weather also helped lift the job market,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “At the current pace of job growth, low unemployment will get even lower.”

That comes as desperately needed good news for the financial markets, which have been roiled by the impact of U.S. tariffs and the retaliatory tariffs imposed on the U.S. The battered stock market went into a steep nose dive today after Apple warned investors that it sees lower revenue and shrinking profit margins in the first quarter.

According to the December report, companies that provide services accounted for almost all of the job growth, adding 224,000 jobs. The business/professional sector expanded by 66,000 jobs while education/health services grew by 61,000.

Despite an earlier report showing a slowdown in manufacturing, factories created 12,000 jobs. The only sector to shrink was mining, which fell by 2,000 jobs.

Consumers who bought a new car or truck in December paid an average of more than $37,000, according to the latest data from Kelley Blue Book (KBB). That’s up 1.3 percent from December 2017.

It doesn’t mean car dealers are jacking up their prices, only that consumers are purchasing more expensive vehicles like trucks and SUVs.

"Despite higher interest rates and incentives remaining flat year-over-year, this was the strongest growth in transaction prices since 2013,” said Tim Fleming, an analyst at KBB.  “Average transaction prices were boosted in 2018 by tax reform and low unemployment, as well as the rapid ramp-up of Tesla and its Model 3."

When you subtract Tesla sales from the average, the rest of the auto industry posted a 2.5 percent price increase. Another factor resulting in a higher average transaction price (ATP) was consumers buying fewer small sedans, which typically carry a much smaller sticker price than a pickup or SUV.

Fewer sedans available

Fleming says that as more automakers like Ford stop making sedans in favor of SUVs and trucks, the average new-vehicle price will continue to grow.

GM is also emphasizing sales of larger, more expensive vehicles. The automaker reports sales of the GMC Terrain rose 34 percent in 2018, while sales of the Chevrolet Traverse were up 19 percent.

GM says pickup sales were also strong, with the Chevrolet Colorado having its best year ever, increasing sales 19 percent. Total sales of all large GM vehicles, including pickup trucks, rose 7 percent  in 2018.

“We have built the most successful pickup, SUV and crossover business in the industry and we gained considerable momentum in the fourth quarter of 2018 as dealers began delivering the all-new Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Cadillac XT4,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president for Sales Operations.

Second thoughts about owning a car

The rising cost of a new set of wheels has coincided with the growing popularity of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. It recently prompted personal finance expert Kevin O’Leary, a regular on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” to recommend that consumers go without a car.

"Cars cost a fortune in maintenance and insurance and just the amortization, which means as they go down in value, you're losing money," O'Leary told CNBC. "Let's say I pay $25,000 for it. Two years later, it might be worth only $12,000."

O’Leary says leasing a car is a bad deal as well since you’re paying for the initial deprecreciation up front. He told the network he doesn’t own a car now and uses ride-sharing services.

Loblaws Companies of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, is recalling about 2,000 pairs of Joe Fresh baby girls' running shoes sold in Canada.

The hook and loop fastener on the shoe may detach which could pose a choking hazard for young children.

The company has received five reports of the hook and loop fastener coming off the shoes, but no reports of injury.

This recall involves Joe Fresh baby girls' running shoes with light purple sole and lining. The athletic running shoe has a style code BFG8F50151 along with UPC numbers 060697639938, 060697639945, and 060697639952.

The shoes, manufactured in China, were sold in Canada from August 2018, to December 2018.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should immediately stop using it and return it to any Loblaw banner store for a full refund.

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Consumers with questions may contact Loblaws Companies customer service at (800) 296-2332 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST), or online at https://www.loblaw.ca/en.html.

The Chef's Warehouse is recalling Soom brand tahini products that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Some illnesses associated with the consumption of these products have been reported.

The following products, sold throughout Canada, are being recalled:

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased.

Consumers with questions may contact the firm by email using this link.

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has a little egg on his face over his year-end wrap-up.

Unless you’ve been on Mars for most of 2018, you know that Facebook’s dalliances in protecting its users’ data has been a regular occurance this year. And rather than coming clean about the company’s privacy missteps, Zuckerberg opted to post a photo of himself and his wife drinking champagne and declaring that he was “proud of the progress we’ve made.”

Yep.

And critics castigated him for his indifference.

“Zuckerberg’s tone-deaf remarks read like 1,000 words of patting himself on the back,” wrote TechCrunch. Facebook user Sairah Zaidi replied to Zuckerberg’s post with “Nothing about selling our data without our consent I see. I guess it's just too deeply ingrained in Facebook's 'DNA',” a sentiment given the thumbs-up by more than 800 of her fellow Facebook’ers.

The overhaul is in full swing

The Facebook chief spent most of his ink clamoring about the technical improvements in preventing election interference, pinpointing fake accounts, and disrupting the spread of harmful content.

“We've fundamentally altered our DNA to focus more on preventing harm in all our services, and we've systematically shifted a large portion of our company to work on preventing harm. We now have more than 30,000 people working on safety and invest billions of dollars in security yearly,” wrote Zuckerberg.

Consumer security is always welcome, and Zuckerberg’s pro-consumer efforts should have a chance to work their magic. For one thing, Zuckerberg hopes that Facebook’s new Clear History tool “will give people more transparency into their browsing history and let people clear it from our systems.”

He also let something new out of the bag. Making reference to the development of “ephemeral messaging,” Facebook might be saying that users’ messages might take on the nuance of having a short life, if we’re to believe the definition of “ephemeral.”

When social media becomes too much

One thing Facebook has gotten wise to, however, is the “tech addiction” that many of its followers have fallen prey to.

“For making sure our services improve people's well-being, we conducted research that found that when people use the internet to interact with others, that's associated with all the positive aspects of well-being you'd expect, including greater happiness, health, feeling more connected, and so on,” Zuckerberg wrote.

“But when you just use the internet to consume content passively, that's not associated with those same positive effects. Based on this research, we've changed our services to encourage meaningful social interactions rather than passive consumption. One change we made reduced the amount of viral videos people watched by 50 million hours a day. In total, these changes intentionally reduced engagement and revenue in the near term, although we believe they'll help us build a stronger community and business over the long term.”

Zuckerberg’s comments about “meaningful social interactions” will no doubt catch the eye of mental health observers who have raised concerns about the impact social media can have on people.

In a recent study, researchers found a positive relationship between video chatting and reduced risk of depression symptoms in older adults. On the other hand, social media has been found to be the root cause of some negative emotions, with several studies nailing social media as one of the primary causes of the increase in depression and suicide among young people.

“Facebook’s rise as a global arbiter of mental distress puts the social network in a tricky position at a time when it is under investigation for privacy lapses by regulators,” wrote the New York Times on Monday.

The Times cited a forthcoming article in a Yale law journal where Mason Marks, a fellow at Yale Law School, contends that the suicide risk scoring software Facebook uses, coupled with its calls to the police that might lead to mandatory psychiatric evaluations, essentially constitutes the practice of medicine.

Marks suggests that governmental agencies should regulate the situation and require Facebook to produce safety and effectiveness evidence.

“In this climate in which trust in Facebook is really eroding, it concerns me that Facebook is just saying, ‘Trust us here,’” said Marks.

Following its announcement last week that the 2018-2019 flu season has officially started, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a report showing flu activity is elevated nationally.

Although health officials say it’s "too soon to make any assessment about this season's severity,” the CDC said the H1N1 virus is the primary virus being detected nationally. In previous years, this virus has been associated with severe illness among children.

So far this season, there have been 11 pediatric deaths associated with the flu, and many more children have been hospitalized for their symptoms. The top 11 states experiencing widespread flu outbreaks include Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and North Carolina.

"At this point, most flu activity has been driven by illness in school-aged children, and hospitalization rates among children younger than 5 years old (7.7 per 100,000) are now the highest among all age groups. Usually adults 65 years and older have the highest hospitalization rates," the CDC reported.

Vaccination recommended

The agency said the average duration of a flu season is typically about 16 weeks, with a range of 11 weeks to 20 weeks.

"With significant flu still to come this season, CDC continues to recommend that anyone who has not yet gotten a flu vaccine this season should get vaccinated now. It takes approximately two weeks for the protection provided by vaccination to begin,” the CDC said.

Health officials noted that during most flu seasons, about 80 percent of reported pediatric deaths occurred in unvaccinated children. However, a study conducted last year showed flu vaccination cut the risk of flu death among healthy children by 65 percent and among children with a high-risk condition by 50 percent.

The 2017-18 flu season, which was recently declared as one of the most severe on record, claimed the lives of 185 children, according to the CDC. There were estimated to be a record-breaking 900,000 hospitalizations for flu-related illnesses like pneumonia and more than 80,000 deaths.

Netflix is no longer allowing new members to sign up for its service through Apple's app store, according to an update on the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of the company’s website.

"We no longer support iTunes as a method of payment for new members," Netflix says. "Existing members who currently use iTunes as a method of payment can continue to do so."

The move to cut Apple out the equation will translate to a financial loss for Apple and a financial gain for Netflix. By asking all customers to use its website or app for billing and payments, Netflix will be able to keep all of the subscription revenue that comes in instead of giving 15 percent to Apple.

The change could result in a loss of up to $700,000 per day in iOS revenue for Apple, while Netflix stands to save millions annually.

In May of last year, Netflix got rid of the option to subscribe to its streaming service via Google Play. The company’s moves to boost its overall revenue by cutting out exorbitant fees come as an increasing number of consumers are turning to mobile streaming entertainment first.

"Consumers honestly don't care about screen size — they simply want to be entertained at a compelling price/value,” Rich Greenfield, media analyst and managing partner at the investment firm BTIG, told Axios.

The uptick in mobile streaming consumption has fueled Netflix’s growth in recent years, resulting in a boost in mobile revenue of nearly 100 percent year over year in its fiscal third quarter.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in a statement on Monday that it’s prepared to shutter most of its operations by midday on Thursday if the Trump administration’s partial government shutdown continues.

“At that time, employees will have up to four hours to complete an orderly shutdown of operations. However, work required for the protection of life and property will continue,” the FCC said.

The federal agency said it will continue to carry out “work required for the protection of life and property,” as well as any work related to spectrum auctions. The Office of the Inspector General will also remain open.

How this will impact consumers

In the short-term, the FCC’s “orderly shutdown” could impact electronics manufacturers as it would result in “a pause in testing and approvals for new devices during the furlough period.”

The agency outlined a few other impacts that would stem from its possible shutdown on Thursday.

“Consumer complaint and inquiry phone lines cannot be answered; consumer protection and local competition enforcement must cease; licensing services, including broadcast, wireless, and wireline, must cease; management of radio spectrum and the creation of new opportunities for competitive technologies and services for the American public must be suspended; and equipment authorizations, including those bringing new electronic devices to American consumers, cannot be provided,” the FCC said.

The government has been partially shut down since December 22 over President Trump’s refusal to rescind his demand for a border wall. Trump is seeking $5 billion for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border; congressional Democrats are only willing to provide $1.3 billion for border security, but no funding for the wall.

Health experts have been coming down on consumers’ consumption of soda and other sugary beverages for some time, as the drinks have been found to come with several negative health effects.

Now, researchers have found yet another reason consumers should be avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks: they could increase their risk of developing kidney disease.

“There is a lack of comprehensive information on the health implications of the wide range of beverage options that are available in the food supply,” said researcher Dr. Casey Rebholz. “In particular, there is limited information on which types of beverages and patterns of beverages are associated with kidney disease in general.”

Chronic kidney disease

To see the ways certain beverages were affecting consumers’ likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), the researchers had participants from the Jackson Heart Study respond to a questionnaire based on their regular food and drink choices.

The questionnaire ran from 2000-2004, and the participants’ health was monitored through 2013. With over 3,000 African American men and women involved in the study, the researchers found that CKD was closely linked to those who regularly consumed drinks with sugar sweeteners.

According to the study, those who kept a steady intake of sugar-sweetened juice, soda, and water were at a greater risk of kidney disease. For those who were the strictest when sticking to that beverage pattern, their chances of developing CKD were 61 percent. However, over the course of the entire study, six percent of participants developed CKD.

While the researchers didn’t expect to see water play a role in this study, participants didn’t note any specific water bottle brands or flavored waters, which could be where it came into play. Overall, experts believe these findings should be a wake-up call for both consumers and legislators, as the associated health risks proved to be substantial.

“While a few select U.S. cities have successfully reduced SSB [sugar sweetened beverage] consumption via taxation, all other municipalities have resisted public health efforts to lower SSB consumption,” Drs. Holly Kramer and David Shoham wrote in an editorial that accompanied the study.

The doctors believe more should be done legislatively to help combat this issue.

Steering clear of sugar

Researchers and legislators alike have been working to help consumers make healthier choices, particularly where beverages are concerned.

This past summer, California lawmakers were looking to pass a bill that would require restaurants to serve kids only milk or water -- not soda or juice. While many thought the government was getting too involved in consumers’ choices, the law wouldn’t be a mandate -- parents could still decide what drink their child had at a meal.

“Some of these kids are drinking up to three sodas a day,” Stephanie Winn of the American Cancer Society told CBS affiliate KOVR. “This is setting them up for tremendous cancer risks down the road.”

In another study, researchers found that swapping just one sugary drink for water throughout the day can have positive health benefits. Exchanging eight ounces of soda or juice for eight ounces of water was found to reduce calorie intake a great deal each day -- even for consumers who typically have more than eight-ounces of something sugary.

Looking back at 2018 from a personal finance standpoint, it might seem a mixed bag. On one hand, wages finally started to grow as unemployment fell to a near record low.

Then there’s the stock market, which went into a swoon in October after hitting all-time highs. By New Year's Eve, all three major market indices had given up their gains for the year, putting a sizable dent in retirement accounts.

When the Washington Post asked its readers about the current state of their finances, it found that living paycheck-to-paycheck to be a “disturbingly high” occurrence. It’s not surprising that many consumers have made New Year's resolutions that have to do with their finances.

In Fidelity Investments’ annual Resolutions Survey, 32 percent of consumers said they plan to make a financial New Year’s resolution for 2019, up 5 percent from last year. Of those, 48 percent said they resolve to save more money in the coming year.

Only 15 percent will try to spend less

Twenty-nine percent are resolving to pay down debt while only 15 percent are going to try to spend less -- an action that might make it easier to achieve the top two resolutions.

Despite these recent financial setbacks the Fidelity researchers found consumers to be in a relatively upbeat mood when it comes to economic matters. Forty-two percent of consumers say they are entering 2019 in a better financial condition that at this time last year.

The optimism carries over to the next 12 months as well with 75 percent predicting they will be in even better financial shape a year from now.

Not willing to remain complacent

“The uptick we’re seeing in financial resolutions tells us people are no longer willing to remain complacent about their finances because the stock market has performed well in the last decade,” says Ken Hevert, senior vice president of Retirement and Income Solutions at Fidelity Investments.

He says it’s also encouraging that Americans are re-examining past financial mistakes and looking at areas where they can make noticeable improvements.

“They want to maintain momentum in the New Year, no matter what the market brings,” Hevert said.

Some of the survey’s key findings may serve as an example for consumers who want to get ahead financially in 2019. Fifty-five percent of those who feel they maintained or improved their financial lives in 2018 credit good money habits with their ability to put money away each month.

Aurobindo Pharma USA is recalling 80 lots of Amlodipine Valsartan Tablets USP, Valsartan HCTZ Tablets, USP and Valsartan Tablets USP.

Trace amounts of an unexpected impurity, N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) -- a probable human carcinogen -- were found in the finished drug product.

There are no reports of adverse events related to this recall.

The following products, which are packaged in bottles, are being recalled:

What to do

Patients who are prescribed the recalled medications, which are used to control high blood pressure and for the treatment of heart failure should continue taking them, as the risk of harm to the patient’s health may be higher if the treatment is stopped immediately without any alternative treatment.

Patients should contact their pharmacist or physician who can advise them about an alternative treatment prior to returning their medication.

The company is notifying customers by phone and in writing with instructions for returning recalled products.

Patients with medical questions regarding this recall or to report an adverse event may contact Aurobindo Pharma USA at (866) 850-2876 (Option 2) or by email at pvg@aurobindousa.com.

Consumers with questions may contact Inmar\CLS-Medturn at (877) 208-2407 9 am -5:00 pm (ET) or by email at rxrecalls@inmar.com.

Columbia River Natural Pet Foods of Vancouver, Wash., is recalling 1,191 packages of Cow Pie and 82 packages of Chicken & Vegetables fresh frozen meats for dogs and cats.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Cow Pie and Chicken & Vegetables are fresh frozen meat products intended to feed raw to dogs and cats. The Cow Pie product comes in frozen 2-lbs. purple and white plastic bags with the lot number found on an orange sticker. The Chicken & Vegetables product comes in frozen 2-lbs. turquoise and white plastic bags with Lot # 111518 found on an orange sticker.

Both products were distributed in Alaska, Oregon and Washington through retail stores and direct delivery.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should discontinue use of them and return them for a full refund or exchange by bringing the product in its original packaging to place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (360) 834-6854 Monday – Friday from 8am-4pm (PST).