Northern Star Co. has voluntarily recalled:

• Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns — 20-ounce bag UPC code 20169-22233
• Simply Potatoes Southwest Style Hash Browns — 20-ounce bag UPC code 20169-22236
• Simply Potatoes Homestyle Slices — 20-ounce bag UPC code 20169-22237
• Simply Potatoes Red Potato Wedges — 20-ounce bag UPC code 20169-22238
• Diners Choice Shredded Hash Browns — 2-pound bag UPC code 20169-22223
• Farm Fresh Shredded Hash Browns — 16-ounce bag UPC code 20169-22533

The tainted products were sold at Albertsons, Food Lion, Giant, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Stop Shop & Save, Walmart, Wegmans, and Winn Dixie stores

If you have purchased these products dated for use between March 29 to April 3 – DO NOT EAT THEM!!!

Listeria is a nasty foodborne illness that in serious cases can lead to damage to the central nervous system, meningitis, blood poisoning and death.  It is especially risky to children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriage or still birth, or if the baby survives, it can be born with the infection.

Oops They Did it Again!

Kudos to the Minnesota Dept. Of Health for discovering the Listeria contamination during routine tests.  These are the same guys that discovered the salmonella in peanut butter & tipped off the nation’s largest food recall.  If only the FDA were as efficient!

The National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation of the January 4, 2009 fatal accident involving a Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter crash in the marsh near Morgan City, Louisiana.

The NTSB, with the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has examined the helicopter for evidence of a bird strike. Results from DNA testing of a swab taken from the pilot-side windscreen show that microscopic remains of a hawk variety were present. A second detailed examination of the wreckage layout revealed the presence of small parts of feathers under a right side windscreen seal and in the folds of the right side engine inlet filter. The NTSB continues its investigation involving further analysis of information from the cockpit, voice and flight data recorders, detailed examination and analysis of the wreckage, research into scenarios that could cause the loss of engine torque, and electrical anomalies noted on the flight recorders, and the flight crew’s response to the event.

Now that almost everyone acknowledges that we are in a recession with no real immediate outlook for improvement, automobile owners are asking themselves what they can do to survive until the economy improves.

It has been reported that consumers around the nation are cutting insurance cost or dropping policies entirely in an effort to cut back on expenses.  On automobile policies, many insurance customers are reducing coverage limits to save money.  Many times policies are canceled for non payment of premiums.  The percentage of uninsured and underinsured motorists is expected to rise in these difficult economic times.

A motorist can protect themselves by making certain their own insurance policy provides UM (uninsured/underinsured) coverage.  In Louisiana, UM coverage is automatic and provided by statute unless validly rejected.  Many times I hear people say they have “full coverage” when asked whether their policy has UM coverage only to discover there is no UM coverage.  Every driver who wants to protect himself against an uninsured or underinsured driver which causes an accident, should check their insurance policy to make certain their policy provides UM coverage.

The U.S. FDA has been all over the news in the past year and none of it has been good news for us. Recalls of tainted peanut butter, baby beds and swings, weight loss drugs, tainted pet food and toys with lead paint have all been lead stories for the nightly news. Each and every one of those products were approved for use or consumption by the FDA until very bad things began to surface resulting in the recalls.

Is it any wonder that government investigators have found that the FDA does almost nothing to police the financial conflicts of doctors who conduct clinical trials of drugs and medical devices in real life people? In 42% of those clinical trials the conducting doctors had previously received money from the sponsoring company according to the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Here is the report.

Those financial conflicts were ignored and the FDA did nothing about the problem. Perhaps more ominously, in 31% of the trials in which the required forms were submitted, the FDA reviewers did not document that they even looked at the information. The New York Times quoted FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley as actually saying the agency opposed reviewing doctors’ financial conflicts before clinical trials. Unbelievable!

The Inspector General recommended the FDA do a better job of making sure the companies follow the rules to insure patients are protected. I wholeheartedly agree and urge everyone concerned to contact your legislators to push for an overhaul of the FDA. Then we can have some confidence in the very agency set up to protect us before these products hit our store aisles.

Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Corporation (LWCC) recently announced that it would pay out $7.5 million in dividends to policyholders.

If you have a work injury, do not ever feel bad that you are hurting your employer or their insurance by reporting it. Never, ever, ever.

I doubt that your work injury will cost this much. So, use what your company has paid for by reporting your work injury and getting the treatment you deserve.

A Louisiana judge enjoined the State Public Service Commission from collecting fees from railroads operating within the state to pay for inspectors the PSC wants to hire to check the industries compliance with federal safety regulations.

The Louisiana Railroad Association and Union Pacific Railroad Company requested a preliminary injunction which was granted. This news is disappointing to Louisiana residents.

Just ask the citizens of Eunice who are just getting back to normal from a May 27, 2000 train derailment which released hazardous chemicals, resulting in thousands of people being forced to leave their homes and a long term clean up effort. The derailment was caused by a defective section of track, left unnoticed by track inspection systems, according to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The crash caused about 15 chemical cars to explode and burn.

Recently, on May 17, 2008, thousands of residents were evacuated in Lafayette, after train cars derailed carrying acid that spilled, spewing a cloud of acid chemicals. Hopefully, this is on the legislature’s radar screen for its upcoming legislative session to fix any constitutional problems, giving the PSC the authority to hire the inspectors to check the rail system and railroad industry for safety.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission plans to impose a fee on railroads to pay for safety inspection compliance officers. The inspectors would assure that railroads in the state are properly inspecting tracks, locomotives, signals at crossings, transportation of hazardous waste, and other duties.

During Congressional hearings last week regarding the Peanut Butter outbreak, the President of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) refused to testify, declined to eat his product and was apparently considering his bankruptcy options.

Federal authorities started an investigation last month, and the FBI recently raided the company’s plant. The plot thickened with PCA actually filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. While this will complicate and presumably delay the recovery for many deserving victims of this outbreak, plaintiffs are moving to lift the stay so that litigation can proceed.

The PCA outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 600 people and contributed to the deaths of nine. Salmonella illnesses were reported as early as the summer of 2008 and were later linked to the PCA processing plants in Georgia and Texas. The plants provided peanut butter and peanut paste used in many products and has resulted in the recall of thousands of products.

Richard J. Arsenault

Bed sores and pressure ulcers are the result of unrelieved pressure. They are most often found on patients in long term care facilities such as nursing homes. If left untreated they can cause serious problems including death.

They generally start with a small red area and if not attended to can progress very rapidly into open sores. Once developed they can be staged according to their size and depth. The sores are usually found on the back, tail bone, hips, elbows and head. Patients in long term care facilities often have other medical conditions which further complicate recovery from bed sores and pressure ulcers. This is more the reason for prevention. Patients need to be turn and rotated on a regular basis to relieve pressure points. They should be observed and inspected to prevent red areas from becoming open sores. Neglect and improper nursing care are key reasons for development of bed sores. For some patients a special bed is needed to prevent them.

If you have a love one in a nursing home make sure they are receiving adequate care to prevent sores. If they do develop, be sure there is a qualified wound care specialist on staff. They are preventable and our love ones should not have to suffer with them.

There is an old saying that I believe in and try to live by every day: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. An example came only this morning when I met my long-time secretary as we were walking into the building at the same time. We both came through the door with our hands full. I was carrying a Mardi Gras King cake, Valentine cookies, and some work that I had taken home. She was carrying her purse and the day’s supplies. As we entered the building, the rug curled up under our feet. She immediately stopped, bent down, and straightened the rug. This simple act could very well have prevented a slip and fall accident. This is a prime example of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I cannot tell you the number of calls I have taken or the cases I have read regarding people who were seriously injured when they tripped on rugs. It is something that we all can do if we just take the time. We will never know if she actually prevented an accident, but we do know it didn’t take much time and it was the right thing to do. A few seconds spent flattening a rug beats hours in the emergency room every time.

Capital One, Citibank and HSBC announced recently that they are raising interest rates for millions of credit card borrowers. Chase is tacking on a $120-a-year fee and raising the minimum payment from 2% to 5% of the balance for hundreds of thousands of consumers with low interest rates.

These changes by credit card companies can trigger a domino effect that makes it harder for consumers to juggle bills, stay in homes and avoid going broke.  Late last year, the Federal Reserve and other regulators released a rule reforming some of the most controversial practices, such as raising rates on existing debt.  Unfortunately, that rule does not take effect until mid-2010.  Congress is considering immediate action to protect consumers.

“Consumers are trapped in a business model that is designed to induce mistakes and jack up fees,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. “This type of tripwire pricing is predatory and must end.”

We agree and call on Congress and President Obama to take immediate action to protect consumers from this type of predatory pricing by credit card companies.