The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra brand by Montalvan Sales Inc., Ontario, Calif.,, or the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc., Secaucus, N.J. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state partners showed an epidemiologic link between an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Typhi infections and the products.

The CDC reports that at least nine people in California and Nevada are ill with typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi. Goya Foods Inc. and La Nuestra have voluntarily recalled the product. This outbreak of Salmonella Typhi is not related to the current outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to eggs in their shells (see below).

fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm223383.htm

fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm222506.htm

Hundreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in three states and possibly more, and health officials on Wednesday dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs. The CDC is working with state health departments to investigate the illnesses. No deaths have been reported, said Dr. Christopher Braden, a CDC epidemiologist involved in the investigation. Initially, 228 million eggs were recalled but that number was increased to the equivalent of nearly 32 million dozen-egg cartons. abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=11432801

Los Aztecas is looking to bring a different color and taste to Mount Pleasant, MI. The new dine-in Mexican restaurant, 4445 E. Bluegrass Rd., opened its doors to customers Aug. 9. Manager Luis Viurquiz said they wanted the name Los Aztecas, which means "the Aztecs," to be fully represented by the decorations as well as the food - everything they make is cooked fresh and made "from scratch" by their cooks.

"We don't buy cans," the Cadillac resident said. "We make everything from scratch- chips, salsa, beans, rice - everything is homemade."

Manager Ben Burklow is also the manager of Herra Duras, a Mexican restaurant in Cadillac. He said the owners' idea to build a restaurant in Mount Pleasant came about because of an abundance of Central Michigan University students who frequented the Cadillac restaurant.

www.cm-life.com/2010/08/19/new-mexican-restaurant-los-aztecas-aims-to-bring-%e2%80%98aztec%e2%80%99-culture/

Chicago's North Side is getting a new takeout option with Pei Wei Asian Diner's opening next week. But its arrival is a sign of the times for the restaurant industry, which is seeing a shift in consumers' dining habits.

As Americans continue to be cautious with their eating-out dollars, full-service restaurants have been suffering, while many fast-food chains have seen sales slip, even as they promote dollar menus.

The segment that continues to grow: fast-casual restaurants, which typically offer consumers a more sophisticated menu that's made to order in a more upscale atmosphere, without having to leave a tip.

Fast-casual stars include Panera Bread, which reported that sales rose 7 percent, to $2.8 billion, and Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill, which saw a 14 percent sales increase, to $1.5 billion.

In 2010 Mexico will celebrate its 200 years of independence with national and local public events. The Bicentennial or Bicentenario actually takes in two celebrations: the bicentennial of 200 years since independence (1810) and the no less important centennial of 100 years since the Mexican Revolution of 1910.mexonline.com/mexican-independence.htm

Representatives from the world's largest retailer, the world's largest convenience store chain and the world's largest consumer electronics superstore were among numerous Hispanic marketing experts who addressed a record crowd of more than 425 attendees at the sixth annual Hispanic Retail 360 Summit Aug. 8-10 in San Diego.

hispanicretail360.com

No one's likely to sing the blues when El Cholo starts serving up the green. That's because the restaurants' green corn tamales, introduced by founders Rosa and Alejandro Borquez in 1923 and served only from May through October, have become a signature dish.

Call 708-488-0100 for information about our low-cost eMex advertising options today or e-mail the publisher.

Create a newsletter for your patrons or prospects with our custom publishing service. For design and pricing details, call 708-488-0100 or e-mail the publisher.