NICEVILLE — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) will host a community meeting to discuss Florida Healthy Babies.

Florida Healthy Babies is a collaborative statewide initiative designed to positively influence social determinants of health and reduce racial disparities in infant mortality.

The meeting will take place at Crosspoint United Methodist Church in Niceville, Florida on June 6, 2016 at 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM.

“Infant mortality is an important indicator of the overall health of a community. Infant deaths reflect a communities focus on women’s and maternal health, access to quality medical care, socioeconomic conditions, and individual behaviors,” stated Dr. Karen A. Chapman, Director of DOH-Okaloosa. “The health disparities in infant mortality remain a serious problem in Okaloosa County, and we’ve seen little improvement in the last fifteen years. Working more collaboratively with community partners, we can bridge the gap and give all babies a chance at a happy and healthy life.”

Recently, the department invested $1.4 million in the Florida Healthy Babies initiative, which is an effort of the department’s Health Equity Program Council.

The Health Equity Program Council focuses on helping all Floridians achieve health equity. Part of the funding was provided to all 67 counties to conduct an enhanced data analysis of infant mortality and to host community-action planning meetings to address disparities in infant mortality.

What: Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County

Florida Healthy Babies Community Meeting

When: June 6, 2016, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Where: Crosspoint United Methodist Church

214 Partin Drive South

Niceville, Florida 32578

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Florida Healthy Babies community meeting set June 6

Taylor Farms Florida, Inc., an Orlando, Fla. establishment, is recalling approximately 151 pounds of a chicken salad product due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product may contain wheat and sesame ingredients, known allergens that are not declared on the mislabeled product label.

The ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken salad item was produced on May 23, 2016. The following product is subject to recall:

11-oz. (312-g) of individually packaged “Wawa thai style chicken mango salad with thai peanut flavored dressing” with a sell by date of 05/28/2016.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “Est. P-44818” inside the USDA mark of inspection. This item was shipped to Wawa convenience stores in Florida.

The problem was discovered on May 25, 2016, when the establishment notified FSIS personnel of the mislabeling issue affecting the salads. The salads have the correct label on the top of the package, but an incorrect back label saying “Wawa superfood salad.” Taylor Farms Florida, Inc. received notice from their customer. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume them. This product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: RECALLED: This chicken mango salad may have unlabeled allergens

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County is observing Healthy and Safe Swimming Week for the last week of May.

Water-based physical activity has health benefits for everyone, but it does come with some risks.

Everyone plays a role in preventing illnesses and injuries linked to the water we use and enjoy. Every day in the United States, two children younger than 14 years of age die from drowning.

“Drowning is a leading cause of injury (or) death for children 1 to 4 years of age,” stated Dr. Karen A. Chapman, DOH director. “It’s important that you and your family take precautions before getting into the water to ensure a healthy and safe day at the beach or pool.”

The DOH recommends swimmers and parents of young swimmers do the following before getting into the water:

●Make sure everyone knows how to swim.

●Use life jackets appropriately.

●Check water visibility.

●Check to see if a lifeguard is on duty.

●Provide continuous and attentive supervision to swimmers.

●Protect against sunburn by using a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 or higher.

●Know CPR and bring a first aid kit.

To protect swimmers’ health and safety, DOH-Okaloosa uses state and local standards to inspect public pools, hot tubs, spas, water playgrounds, and other places with treated water.

Though chlorine in public pools can kill most germs within minutes, some germs can survive for days. Health concerns can occur when dirt, sweat, urine, fecal matter, or blood from swimmers’ bodies mix with pool water.

It’s important that swimmers

●Stay out of the water if they have diarrhea

●Shower before getting in the water

●Don’t pee or poop in the water

●Don’t swallow the water

Parents should take kids on bathroom breaks, check diapers and change them in a bathroom or diaper changing area—not poolside—to keep germs away from the pool.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department offers swimming safety tips

GAINESVILLE — While consumers are aware of genetically modified crops and food, their knowledge level is limited and often at odds with the facts, according to a newly published study by a University of Florida researcher.

Last year, Brandon McFadden, an assistant professor of food and resource economics at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, published a study that showed scientific facts scarcely change consumers’ impressions of genetically modified food and other organisms.

Consumer polls are often cited in policy debates about genetically modified food labeling. This is especially true when discussing whether food that is genetically modified should carry mandatory labels, McFadden said.

In conducting their current study, McFadden and his colleague, Jayson Lusk, an agricultural economics professor at Oklahoma State University, wanted to know what data supported consumers’ beliefs about genetically modified food and gain a better understanding of preferences for a mandatory label.

So he conducted the survey to better understand what consumers know about biotechnology, breeding techniques and label preferences for GM foods.

Researchers used an online survey of 1,004 participants that asked questions to measure consumers’ knowledge of genetically modified food and organisms. Some of those questions tried to determine objective knowledge of genetically modified organisms, while others aimed to find out consumers’ beliefs about genetically modified foods and crops.

The results led McFadden to conclude that consumers do not know as much about the facts of genetically modified food and crops as they think they do.

Of those sampled, 84 percent supported a mandatory label for food containing genetically modified ingredients. However, 80 percent also supported a mandatory label for food containing DNA, which would result in labeling almost all food.

“Our research indicates that the term ‘GM’ may imply to consumers that genetic modification alters the genetic structure of an organism, while other breeding techniques do not,” McFadden said.

As participants answered questions designed to measure their knowledge of scientific data on genetic modification, respondents seemed to change their statements about the safety of genetically modified foods, McFadden said.

The study is published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.

Brad Buck is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences science writer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: University of Florida: Consumers know little about genetically modified food

CRESTVIEW — The American Red Cross urges blood and platelet donors to help ensure blood is available for patients during its annual summer awareness campaign, sponsored by Suburban Propane.

Crestview’s donation event is 2:30-7:30 p.m. June 3 at North Okaloosa Medical Center, 151 Redstone Ave. SE.

Those who give blood or platelets between May 27 and 31 will receive a Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.

The Red Cross relies on volunteer donors for the 14,000 blood donations needed every day to support patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide, a media release stated.  

However, during June, July and August, about two fewer donors schedule an appointment to give blood at each Red Cross blood drive than what patients need. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Red Cross sets Crestview blood donor event

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County has announced water quality test results for local parks.

No Okaloosa County parks have potentially hazardous bathing water, the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County stated May 23.

No parks failed tests based on EPA-recommended enterococci standards, and only one park, Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, Niceville, had moderate (instead of good) water quality.

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