Land O'Frost announced the formal launch of a unique online community called "Land O'Moms" (www.landomoms.com) that is designed "to make mom's life easier" as she balances the challenges of work and family.

Land O'Frost stated in a release detailing the launch that it recognizes the day-to-day challenges moms face and wanted to create a unique and differentiated community for moms to engage one another and obtain expert advice. At www.landomoms.com, moms can exchange parenting tips, interact directly with some of today's most influential and well-read "mom bloggers," access helpful and relevant articles from some of the nation's most trusted women's magazines, trade simple to prepare recipes and download valuable coupons to help them save money on their regular grocery bill - all from one single URL.

"Now more than ever, moms are being pulled in different directions and working harder and harder to balance their busy lives, which often include a demanding job and managing a household," said Donna Van Eeekeren, chairman and chief executive officer of Land O' Frost, Inc. "As a family-owned and family-focused business, we wanted to offer moms an easily accessible, online destination to help them streamline and improve their lives.”

The site will contain a wide range of content, including coupons, recipes, articles from prominent women’s magazines, tips from leading “mom bloggers,” youth sports program information and a “Land O’Kids” section that includes party-planning tips and pages to color.

Source: Land O’Frost

Daniele recall expands beyond pepper-coated products

Daniele International Inc., an establishment with operations in Pascoag and Mapleville, R.I., is expanding its January 23 recall to include approximately 115,000 pounds of salami/salame products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The recall is being expanded as a result of a confirmed finding of Salmonella in an unopened salami product tested by FSIS, and by ingredient testing performed by the company. The product was sampled during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo illnesses. These products were not subject to recall previously because they are not sausage products that contain black pepper on the external surface, or packaged with such products. Based on preliminary testing results, the company believes that crushed red pepper may be a possible source of Salmonella contamination.

Further testing is ongoing at a state health partner laboratory and may determine if the product contained the Salmonella Montevideo strain associated with the multi-state outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FSIS, state health and agriculture departments, and Daniele International are cooperating in this investigation.

Source: FSIS

USDA launches OpenGov initiative

The USDA’s OpenGov page is now online at www.usda.gov/open. According to the site, “The Open Gov Initiative is a new charge to transform how government interacts with the public to be more open, transparent and collaborative. We want to share our ideas and listen to yours - see what’s important to you, and what’s not.”

The site is currently divided into two sections, “Discuss Our Ideas” and “Share Your Ideas.” The Discuss page allows users to learn about and comment on USDA information such as available and proposed datasets, records, reports and other resources. The Share page lets people post their own ideas about transparency, participation, collaboration and innovation, as well as submit comments or vote on other ideas.

Source: USDA

Former meat locker owner writes book about beef secrets

Are there seven bones in a 7 Bone Roast? Why is this expensive steak tough? This roast is dark, is it safe to cook it? Those questions and more are answered in the newly released book, Beef Secrets Straight from the Butcher. The author, Lee O'Hara, a retail market meat-cutter of 15 years, worked for most of the major grocery chain stores, and owned and operated a custom meat-cutting and Locker plant in Elk Grove, CA until 1973.

O’Hara said the book will help readers both save money and have better beef. Just as important to shoppers, they can for the first time pick out the right cut for the recipe for which they buy any package of beef.

"I've always known that people don't generally understand beef and I've considered writing this book for many years. With the economy as it is, I felt it was past time for a book like this," O'Hara said. He adds, "It was a complete surprise to me find that so many people routinely lose $20-$50 worth of food every month to freezer burn alone. Add to that the amounts of meat people buy and later discard or misuse over mistaken ideas. It's enough to bust any grocery budget. I'm surprised at just how much information in the book is completely new information to readers."

Published by Precision Wordage Press of Pasadena, CA, the book is available through www.meatbasics101.com/beef_secrets_book.htm and Amazon.com.

Source: Lee O’Hara