WASHINGTON — Ajinomoto Windsor, Inc., a Lampasas, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 35,168 pounds of frozen ready-to-eat beef taquito products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically rubber with plastic, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The items were produced Dec. 30, 2016.

The products subject to recall are 60-ounce plastic bags inside of a corrugated carton labeled as “José Olé Taquitos Beef Carne De Res In Corn Tortillas Crispy and Crunchy,” with case codes 3366365A, 3366365B, 3366365C, 3366365D, and a Best By date of Dec. 30, 2017.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “Est. M-5590” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming.

The problem surfaced when Ajinomoto Windsor, Inc. received two consumer complaints of foreign material in its ready-to-eat beef products on March 14 and March 21. The foreign materials were pieces of rubber with white plastic that originated from the establishment's processing equipment.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS urges consumers who have purchased these products not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact General Counsel Paul Taylor at 909-477-4800.

Consumers with food safety questions can visit AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov, an FSIS virtual representative website.

The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), available in English and Spanish from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday.

The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem can also be accessed 24 hours a day.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Jose Ole' beef taquito recall set

CRESTVIEW — Starting March 31, Bridgeway Center Inc. will provide Youth Mental Health First Aid training for the Okaloosa Technical College practical nursing program.

The eight-hour course gives people the tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with support and resources when necessary.

“One in five Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care,” a Bridgeway media release states. “Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance-use problems can be difficult to detect.

“For friends and family members, it can be hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not get them until it is too late.”

Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, MHFA prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aiders learn a five-step action plan that guides them through the process of offering support.

"Through this program, we hope to take the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems," Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, said. "When more people are equipped with the tools they need to start a dialogue, more people can get the help they may need."

The council helped bring MHFA to the U.S. in 2008. In 10 years, MHFA has become a movement in the United States, with more than 550,000 people as certified MHF Aiders, according to the media release.

Bridgeway Center Inc., has two Youth MHFA instructors and one Adult MHFA instructor. BCI has provided training to over 285 Okaloosa County residents and professionals since 2015. This includes guidance counselors for Okaloosa County schools and Sheriff's Office School Resource Officers.

Contact Lisa Lydston, BCI, at 833-7500 extension 203 or lisa.lydston@bridgeway.org for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bridgeway starts Mental Health First Aid Training

CRESTVIEW — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County has issued a health advisory for a county beach.

A health advisory is issued for Liza Jackson Park of Fort Walton Beach. The health advisory is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended standards for enterococci. This should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public.

The FDOH conducts bi-weekly saltwater beach water quality monitoring at 11 sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program.

Samples are collected from March through the end of October. The water samples are analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals and which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage.

Call 833-9247 or 689-7859 for more information on healthy beaches. Visit www.HealthyOkaloosa.com and click the Healthy Beaches link for sampling results and maps.

The FDOH, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Health advisory set for Okaloosa beach

FORT WALTON BEACH — Crestview High School students are among Northwest Florida youths participating in Kick Butts Day.

The national day of activism, observed March 15 and sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, empowers youths to fight back against Big Tobacco.

As part of Okaloosa County's Students Working Against Tobacco, CHS members will set up a photo booth and educational table during school lunches.

SWAT's 2017 theme is "Exposing Big Tobacco: You Can't Make This Up."

The student-led organization aims to expose the kinds of marketing practices that tobacco industry uses to draw in young people. The initiative also raises awareness about the harm caused by addictive tobacco products.

"SWAT at Crestview High School is working to derail the deceit and manipulation that tobacco industries have on people by educating them on the dangers and making it fun for others to step up and knock Big Tobacco down," Sean Gabany, CHS SWAT vice president, said.

"We are the future — and we don't want tobacco to be a part of it."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHS students raise awareness of tobacco's dangers

CRESTVIEW — Area residents may participate in a lunch and learn seminar titled “Arthritis: What it is and What We Can Do about It.”

The seminar begins at 12:30 p.m. March 17 in the Holiday Inn Express Conference Room, 125 Cracker Barrel Road, Crestview. Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is hosting the event, which is free to attend.

Dr. William Markowski, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Bluewater Orthopedics, will present information on arthritis and discuss advancements in adult reconstruction. He specializes in joint replacement; hip, knee and shoulder arthroscopy; sports medicine; direct anterior hip replacement; hand surgery; and fracture care. 

Markowski will discuss diagnosis and treatment options for degenerative or inflammatory bone disease and the benefits of minimally invasive, direct anterior hip replacement.

After the seminar, attendees may discuss areas of concern and ask questions. Reservations are required due to limited space.

After non-surgical treatments for arthritis have been exhausted, hip replacements can be beneficial to ease pain, according to a Sacred Heart media release. This procedure has gained widespread popularity because of the proven accelerated recovery time for patients.

Call 278-3600 to register for the seminar. Visit www.sacredheartemerald.org for more information about Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Seminar to focus on arthritis

CRESTVIEW — Here are the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County’s water quality test results for local parks.

One Okaloosa County park has potentially hazardous bathing water, the FDOH-Okaloosa stated March 6.

Liza Jackson Park in Fort Walton Beach failed tests based on EPA-recommended enterococci standards. Enteric bacteria's presence indicates fecal pollution from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife or human sewage.

The tests are based on EPA-recommended enterococci standards. Enteric bacteria's presence indicates fecal pollution from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife or human sewage.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department releases water quality results

CRESTVIEW — Costa Enterprises recently held a fundraiser to help Crestview teenager Ryan Weekley, who has spinal fractures and damage due to a Dec. 28 accident.

The business raised $350 for Weekley during the event, which was 5-7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the McDonald's restaurant in north Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fundraiser nets $350 for Crestview teen

"Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health," by Dr. Belisa Vranich, takes a look at how breathing affects your health. 

I picked up this book because I noticed that indeed I was a shallow breather and, in some cases, a person who tends to hold my breath when reading an email or listening to something that captures my interest.

Vranich explains in depth why this is a bad thing and how retraining our breathing can remedy so many things such as anxiety, digestive problems, and high blood pressure.

Marie Heath is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Book analyzes different breathing habits

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Minority HIV/AIDS Task Force Inc. will participate in the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS.

A local observance includes a 6 p.m. banquet March 4 at Carver-Hill School Center, 461 School Ave., Crestview. The guest speaker is Augustine Thomas, a member of Liberty Church of Christ in Melvindale, Michigan.

Tickets cost $10 per adult; $18 per couple; and $5 for youths ages 17 and younger.

"We are asking you and your friends to help us educate our youths about HIV and AIDS. Please ensure that youths are represented at the banquet by sponsoring a youth or youths to be in attendance," the task force stated in a media release.

During the National Week of Prayer, people of faith educate Americans about HIV prevention; encourage and support human immunodeficiency virus testing; advocate for availability of compassionate care and treatment for all those living with the disease in every community in America; and love everyone living with or affected by HIV or AIDS.

Contact Tonsiaweda Hayes, 621-4187, to purchase tickets.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Banquet to raise HIV/AIDS awareness

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County and the Florida Department of Health's Tobacco Free Florida program are raising awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco—like chew and dip—during Through With Chew Week.

This national public awareness campaign was created to reduce the use of smokeless tobacco among young people, and Tobacco Free Florida aims to help combat this deadly addiction through With Chew Week, Feb. 19-25, and the Great American Spit Out—a day when smokeless tobacco users join together to quit—on Feb. 23.

Although the youth cigarette smoking rate in Florida decreased over 50 percent between 2012 and 2016, the number of Florida high school students who reported current use of smokeless tobacco products decreased only 24.5 percent in those same four years.[i] The disproportionately higher rate of smokeless tobacco use in rural areas is also alarming—current youth smokeless tobacco use is more than three times higher in rural communities than in non-rural areas.[ii] 3.8 percent of youth ages 11-17 in Okaloosa County reported current use of smokeless tobacco products in 2016, according to the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey.[iii]

"Since 2012, there has been little improvement in smokeless tobacco rates for youth in Okaloosa County," Dr. Karen A. Chapman, DOH-Okaloosa director, said. "Overall, tobacco use is still a massive problem for our county, and DOH-Okaloosa continues to work with community partners to address the issue."

To raise awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco use, DOH-Okaloosa is partnering with the Students Working Against Tobacco clubs at Bruner Middle School, Meigs Middle School, Crestview High School and Fort Walton Beach High School—as well as the Northwest Florida State College Athletics Department. Activities will take place throughout the week to help students, faculty, and the public understand the risks of using smokeless tobacco.

Currently, there is no scientific or medical evidence that proves smokeless tobacco use is an effective method to help people quit smoking. Floridians who want to quit any form of tobacco have access to the state's free and proven-effective resources.

The Tobacco Free Florida campaign is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida's tobacco settlement fund. Since the program began in 2007, more than 159,000 Floridians have successfully quit using one of Tobacco Free Florida's free tools and services. Visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com to learn more about its Quit Your Way services.

Visit www.FloridaHealth.gov for more information about the Florida Department of Health. 

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[i] Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS), Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, 2016.

[ii] Middle School, High School, and Youth indicators. Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, 2016.

[iii] Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS), Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, 2016.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Through with Chew' tobacco-free week set