Consumers get answers from Georgia Department of Agriculture

Prepared by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs Tommy Irvin, Commissioner. Call Consumer Q's hotline at 1-800- 282-5852.

Consumer Product Recall: The Home Depot recalls holiday figurines due to lead paint hazard. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below announces a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of product: Holiday Figurines; Units: About 64,000; Importer: The Home Depot of Atlanta, Ga.; Manufacturer: Creative Design, of Hong Kong; Hazard: Surface paint on the holiday figurines contains lead; Incidents/Injuries: None reported; Description: The recalled holiday figurines are painted plastic snowmen and bears. The SKU number is printed on the bottom of the product.

.. Holiday Bear Door Greeter - 17"x16" - SKU number 894-825.

.. Snowman with "Let it Snow" Sign - Tabletop item - SKU number 894-893.

.. Three Snowmen with "Joy" Sign - 13"x17" - SKU number 898-964.

.. Snowman Votive Holder - 7.5"x7.5" - SKU number 967-467.

Manufactured in: China; Sold exclusively at: The Home Depot stores from October 2007 through November 2007 for between $10 and $20; Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the holiday figurines and return them to any Home Depot store for a full refund; Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Home Depot at 800-394- 2064 or visit the firm's web site at www.homedepot.com.

Care of holiday and gift plants

Flowering and foliage plants make wonderful gifts. Whether or not they survive the holidays may be directly related to the care they are given. Careful handling is a very important factor that may affect them.

Holiday gift plants are often delivered in waterproof containers or wrapped in foil. If possible, remove these pot coverings or punch holes in the bottom to promote good drainage. Place the pot in a saucer to protect furnishings. Misting plants is not advised and may cause increased foliar disease.

Normal household temperatures (60-75 degrees F) are satisfactory for most plants. Cooler temperatures (60-65 degrees F) lengthen the life of flowering plants, while extremely high temperatures (75-80 degrees F) will usually shorten that time. This is particularly true of forced bulbs, which decline rapidly in the heat. Some foliage plants are subject to chilling injury below 55 degrees. Avoid temperature changes. Put plants away from doors and heater and air conditioner vents.

Proper watering is critical. Large plants in small containers dry out quickly. Also, the relative humidity indoors tends to be quite low during the heating and air-conditioning seasons. Under these conditions, check plants daily. Over-watering can be just as detrimental as under-watering. Pot plants generally should not be watered until the soil is nearly dry to the touch. Then apply enough water that some drains from the bottom of the pot. The excess should be discarded.

For specific information on African Violets, Amaryllis, Azalea, as well as other foliage plants please write to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Consumer Services or call us at 1-800-282-5852. If you choose to, you may email us at tjenkins@agr.state.ga.us please include your mailing address.

Q: If I order holiday foods through the mail, how can I be sure that they are safe to eat?

A: .. Make sure the company sends perishable items like meat or poultry, cold or frozen and packed with a cold source. It should be packed in foam or heavy corrugated cardboard.

.. The food should be delivered as quickly as possible - ideally overnight. Make sure perishable items and the outer package are labeled "Keep Refrigerated" to alert the recipient.

.. When you receive a food item marked "Keep Refrigerate," open it immediately and check its temperature. The food should arrive frozen or partially frozen with ice crystals still visible. Even if a product is smoked, cured and/or fully cooked, it still is a perishable product and must be kept cold. If perishable food arrives warm, notify the company. Do not consume the food. Do not even taste suspect food.

.. Tell the recipient if the company has promised a delivery date. Or alert the recipient that "the gift is in the mail" so someone can be there to receive it. Don't have perishable items delivered to an office unless you know it will arrive on a work day and there is a refrigerator space available for keeping it cold.

Q: Can you tell if ground beef is done by looking at it?

A: There are two problems with using the color of ground beef to test for doneness and guarantee the destruction of bacteria:

1. Some ground beef may appear to have lost all pink color before it is fully cooked. If raw ground beef is somewhat brown already, it may look fully cooked before it reaches a safe temperature.

2. Some lean ground beef may remain pink at temperatures well above the 160 degree F final cooking temperature recommended for consumers.

Q: What is the safest way to store ground beef?

A: Fresh or thawed ground meat should be used quickly, within one day. Consumer should either tightly wrap and freeze, or store ground beef for no more than one day in a 40 degree F refrigerator.

If you have questions or problems with products or services regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, you may write the Office of Public Affairs, Room 224, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta 30334 or call 1-800-282- 5852.