Due to a potential choking hazard, the Consumer Safety Products Commission has issued a voluntary recall for Klean Kanteen Sport Cap 2.0 water bottle spouts (made of black plastic with an attachment loop). Announced last week, the recall affects about 1.2 million bottle spouts in the United States sold between April 2009 and April 2010. The spouts may have been purchased alone or with a stainless steel water bottle at outdoor sporting stores, grocery, and specialty stores nationwide.

Six reports of bottle spouts breaking or cracking after being dropped on the ground have been received so far. The CPSC is urging consumers to stop using the product immediately and contact Klean Kanteen for a free mailing envelope that can be used to return the faulty product and receive a replacement at no cost (replacement spouts are BPA-free, and are shown by independent lab tests to be six times more impact resistant than the original spouts). According to Klean Kanteen, the replacement process should take between 7-10 days.

To contact Klean Kanteen or for more information, visit kleankanteen.com/safetynotice.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Across the U.S. (43 states and 500 people, to be exact), peanut butter products are being checked due to a possible salmonella outbreak. Over 165 products have been recalled (a number that grows as you read this), and families all over are reading labels extra carefully as they shop.

So how do you avoid a potentially sticky situation?

First, don’t panic! Not all peanut butter products have been contaminated. The experts at the FDA and Centers for Disease Control have determined that the outbreak originated from one manufacturer, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which has a plant in Blakely, Georgia. The good news? PCA doesn’t sell directly to consumers, so your jars of plain peanut butter should be fine. But products made with the peanut paste produced from PCA are at risk, including cookies, crackers, cereals, ice cream, candies, and pet foods. Major companies such as Keebler, Clif Bars, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s have all been affected by product recalls.

To find out if your favorite foods are on the suspect list, search the FDA’s list of recalled products. If you’re not sure about a certain product, the FDA recommends you omit it from your family’s diet for the time being.

–Sara Sugar, KIWI intern