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Food Recalls

Sargento Foods is recalling two cheese products due to potential contamination of listeria monocytogenes. The company is also recalling five additional types of cheese products out of an abundance of caution. Packaging varies in size with different UPC codes and sell-by dates. Learn more about this recall or call 1-800-243-3737. When someone says "Happy Valentine’s Day!" you may think of chocolate and flowers. But another way to celebrate is to make a commitment to your health. Consider adding fruit to your diet or beginning a new exercise program. Being physically active can help you control your weight, improve your mental health, and increase your chances of living longer.  Learn the steps to improving your health. Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated many of its forms to reflect new filing fees. New forms and fees are now available online. Make sure you pay the correct filing fee so your petition or application is not delayed. Remember, copies of these forms are always free, don't pay anyone for them. Learn more about immigration and non-immigration forms. For more information on visiting, traveling within, and moving to the United States visit USA.gov.   WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will honor Presidents Day by welcoming more than 25,000 new U.S. citizens during 162 naturalization ceremonies across the country from Feb. 14 through Feb. 22. “It fills me with pride to know that 25,000 immigrants will take the Oath of Allegiance and become U.S. citizens during the week that celebrates Presidents Day,” said USCIS Acting Director Lori Scialabba.  “These new U.S. citizens will be given rights, responsibilities and opportunities that will strengthen and shape the future of our great nation, just as generations of immigrants have done before them. By choosing to naturalize, they are confirming their commitment to our country and furthering our legacy as a nation of immigrants.” Acting Deputy Director Tracy Renaud will administer the Oath of Allegiance to 50 candidates and deliver keynote remarks during a naturalization ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Other special ceremonies during the week include: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo, New York, on Feb. 21. Washington Crossing Historic Park in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 21. A complete list of 2017 Presidents Day-themed naturalization ceremonies is available in the News section of uscis.gov. USCIS invites new citizens and their families and friends to share their experiences from the ceremonies through Twitter, using the hashtag #newUScitizen. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and Instagram (@uscis).  | Take Our Survey | Subscribe  FDA Consumer Health Information FDA-Approved Devices That Keep the Heart Beating Cardiovascular devices (or "heart" devices) such as pacemakers and defibrillators have extended and improved the lives of millions of people worldwide. This Valentine’s Day, which falls within American Heart Month, learn more about these FDA-approved devices, when to seek medical attention, and how to report problems. How Devices in Public Places Can Restart Hearts If cardiac arrest occurs, rapid treatment with a medical device called an automated external defibrillator, or "AED" for short, can be life-saving. Learn about the FDA's role and how these devices are used. Watch our YouTube video to learn more about Consumer Updates. Sargento Recalls Select Products 02/14/2017 11:01 AM EST Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC of Middlebury, Ind. has notified Sargento Foods Inc. that a specialty Longhorn Colby cheese they supplied to Sargento must be recalled due to a potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported. For detailed information pertaining to this Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts message, please click the link at the beginning of this bulletin. MDS Foods Inc. - Food Safety Press Release 02/13/2017 04:24 PM EST MDS Foods Inc., of Massillon, OH is recalling multiple products some of which were found to be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and other products which may have the potential to be contaminated with the bacteria. Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC of Middlebury, Indiana, supplied MDS Foods with Colby and Colby Jack minihorn cheeses that have been found to be contaminated with the pathogenic organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. For detailed information pertaining to this Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts message, please click the link at the beginning of this bulletin. Student Loan Debt Collector Will Pay $700,000 for Unlawful Collection Calls in Settlement with FTC GC Services, a large debt collector charged with using unlawful tactics to collect on federal student loans and other debts, will pay a $700,000 civil penalty under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. Student loan debt is a large and growing segment of the U.S. debt collection industry, according to the FTC. More than 40 million consumers have outstanding loan debt, carrying an average balance of $29,000. GC Services is a third-party debt collector of defaulted federal student loans and other types of debt. The FTC’s complaint against GC Services Limited Partnership, filed on the FTC’s behalf by the Department of Justice, alleged that the company’s collectors left phone messages that illegally disclosed purported debts to others without their permission. GC Services employees also called consumers multiple times after being told that the person who answered did not owe the debt, that they had called the wrong person, or that the person they wanted could not be reached there. According to the FTC, GC Services also falsely claimed that it would take steps to prevent its employees from making unlawful calls to third parties to find a debtor. Under the stipulated order announced today, GC Services is prohibited from violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and from making the alleged claims at issue in the complaint. The Commission vote to authorize the staff to refer the civil penalty complaint to the DOJ and to approve the proposed stipulated final order was 3-0. The DOJ filed the complaint and proposed order on behalf of the Commission in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. Stipulated orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge. To learn more, read Facing Debt Collection? Know Your Rights and Fake Debt Collectors. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. FTC Reports on 2016 Activities to Combat Illegal Debt Collection Practices Summary Provided to CFPB for Annual Report to Congress During the past year, the Federal Trade Commission has continued its efforts to stop unlawful debt collection practices, including vigorous law enforcement, education and public outreach, and research and policy initiatives. The FTC sent a summary of its 2016 work on debt collection practices to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for inclusion in the CFPB’s annual report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) as required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The FTC and the CFPB share enforcement responsibilities under the FDCPA. In 2016, the Commission: filed or resolved 12 cases against 61 defendants, and obtained nearly $70 million in judgments; banned 44 companies and individuals that engaged in serious and repeated violations of law from ever working in debt collection again; and secured successful summary judgment decisions in three litigated matters, resulting in orders banning defendants from the debt collection industry. According to the summary, many of the FTC’s law enforcement actions focused on curbing egregious debt collection practices, including phantom debt collection. Additionally, this past year, two U.S. Courts of Appeals adopted favorable interpretations of the FDCPA in cases in which the FTC and CFPB had filed joint amicus briefs. The FTC has also worked to educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the FDCPA and the FTC Act. In addition to reaching consumers through about 16,000 community-based organizations and national groups, in 2016 the FTC distributed 15.5 million print publications to libraries, police departments, schools, non-profit, banks, credit unions, other businesses and government agencies. FTC website pages logged more than 43 million views, its videos were seen more than 600,000 times at YouTube.com/FTC, and its consumer blogs reached 159,825 (English) and 44,835 (Spanish) email subscribers. The Commission vote approving the report was 2-0. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about how competition benefits consumers or file an antitrust complaint. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. Boost Your Child's Vocabulary  Want to expand your child's lexicon? Teach them new words and help bolster your child's vocabulary with this printable list of strong words. File the FAFSA Remember that when filing for the FAFSA that there are deadlines that you need to know. Make sure you the deadlines and when you should fill out the FAFSA. USDA's SuperTracker Get your personalized nutrition and physical activity plan with USDA's SuperTracker. Track your foods and physical activities to see how they stack up for you and your family. More Daylight, More Nature As spring approaches, warmer weather and more sunlight mean more opportunities outside. Parents, check out the zip code finder to locate the Wildlife Refuge nearest to you to help plan a family outing.  Find more resources on Kids.gov Brought to you by USAGov, Kids.gov is the official kids' portal for the U.S. government. We connect teachers,