Leading Private Equity Firm to Improve Environmental Performance of Portfolio Companies and Internal Operations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(New York, NY – May 1, 2008) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR) today announced a “Green Portfolio” partnership to measure and improve the environmental performance of companies within KKR’s U.S. portfolio. Building on their successful collaboration in the 2007 acquisition of TXU Corporation, the partnership is the first of its kind between a private equity firm and an environmental organization.

KKR has committed to work with EDF to develop a set of analytic tools by which companies can assess and track improvements on a series of environmental metrics. These tools will enable managers to cost-effectively improve efficiency, reduce waste and address environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, the use of toxic substances, waste generation or water consumption.

KKR and EDF expect that these actions will offer companies financial benefits, as well as improved environmental performance.

To prove this concept, over the next three to six months, EDF and KKR will conduct pilot projects within the KKR portfolio to develop analytic tools that can then be applied across a broader range of KKR portfolio companies over the next year. Results will be made public at the end of both phases. Once developed, EDF and KKR will make the processes, tools and results of their joint effort publicly available, with the mutual goal of having these tools implemented by other companies around the world.

Concurrently, KKR has committed to improving the energy efficiency of its own office operations, including by participating in EDF’s Climate Corps Program. As part of this commitment, KKR will undergo an energy audit of its offices, analyze the financial and environmental benefits of available energy efficiency improvements and implement those that are most cost-effective.

“The private equity industry is known for its focus on improving business performance and for the rigorous process it uses to set goals and track improvement in portfolio companies,” said Gwen Ruta, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for EDF. “This groundbreaking new partnership between KKR and EDF will use the transformational power of private equity to achieve environmental goals. In addition, KKR’s commitment to EDF’s Climate Corps program indicates their willingness to ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to their own environmental footprint.”

“Today’s announcement is a direct result of our work with EDF and other environmental leaders during the TXU acquisition last year. That historic transaction was a significant step forward in incorporating environmental considerations into investment decisions as it set a new standard for conservation and efficiency in the energy industry. Building on that success, we and EDF agreed to pursue an innovative, cost-effective approach to using the private equity model to bring about improvements in environmental performance for a variety of companies, including our own internal operations. We believe this initiative will ultimately help our portfolio companies build upon their own environmental efforts while providing a workable example that may encourage other companies to make similar progress,” said Marc Lipschultz, Member of KKR.

###

About Environmental Defense Fund

A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Environmental Defense Fund has a 20 year track record of success in partnering with business.To maintain its independence and credibility, EDF accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, please visit www.edf.org.

About Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co

Established in 1976, KKR is a leading global alternative asset manager. The core of the Firm’s franchise is sponsoring and managing funds that make private equity investments in North America, Europe, and Asia. Throughout its history, KKR has brought a long-term investment approach to portfolio companies, focusing on working in partnership with management teams and investing for future competitiveness and growth. Additional funds that KKR sponsors include KKR Private Equity Investors, L.P. (Euronext Amsterdam: KPE), a permanent capital fund that invests in KKR-identified investments; and two credit strategy funds, KKR Financial (NYSE: KFN) and the KKR Strategic Capital Funds, which make investments in debt transactions. KKR has offices in New York, Menlo Park, San Francisco, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information, please visit www.kkr.com.

• KKR.com.
• KKR UK
• Accel KKR.
• KKR Financial.
• KKR Private Equity Investors.

Additional Resources for KKR and EDF

KKR moves toward a U.S. listing.

Write down bug hits KKR

Profile for Henry Kravis, co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts

Learn more about private equity companies like KKR

The Environmental Defense Fund elects Carl Ferenbach to position of Chairman

Carl Ferenbach is a managing director of Berkshire Partners, a private equity company, and environmental activist.

View press releases from private equity companies

Learn more about KKR founder Henry Kravis or recent hire Ken Mehlman.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – October 27, 2004 – Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) today announced it acquired Keyhole Corp., a Mountain View, Calif.-based digital mapping company.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“With Keyhole, you can fly like a superhero from your computer at home to a street corner somewhere else in the world – or find a local hospital, map a road trip or measure the distance between two points,” said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president, Product Management. “This acquisition gives Google users a powerful new search tool, enabling users to view 3D images of any place on earth as well as tap a rich database of roads, businesses and many other points of interest. Keyhole is a valuable addition to Google’s efforts to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

With an Internet connection, users enter an address or other location information and Keyhole’s software accesses the database and takes them to a digital image of that location on their computer screen. The interactive software then gives users many options, including the ability to zoom in from space-level to street-level, tilt and rotate the view or search for other information such as hotels, parks, ATMs or subways. Unlike traditional mapping technologies, Keyhole creates a dynamic 3D interface for geographic information.

Keyhole’s technology combines a multi-terabyte database of mapping information and images collected from satellites and airplanes with easy-to-use software.

Google also announced, effective immediately, a price reduction for Keyhole 2 LT from $69.95 to $29.95.

Keyhole was founded in 2001. Keyhole customers include consumers, large and small businesses and public agencies. Current Keyhole users will benefit from the expanded resources and operational scale made possible by the integration into Google. Their service will continue uninterrupted.

For a free, seven-day trial of Keyhole, please go to www.keyhole.com.

About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program, which is the largest and fastest growing in the industry, provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

Source for press release Google Acquires Keyhole Corp.

Other Resources for Google

Visit Google’s press room for more press releases.

More Google news from Google Press Blog.

How to write a press release for Google.

Google gives the okay to press releases as news content.

News article: Google acquires You Tube.

MADRID, Spain, April 03, 2008 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that it has, for the first time in aviation history, flown a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The recent milestone is the work of an engineering team at Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE) in Madrid, with assistance from industry partners in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Boeing is actively working to develop new technologies for environmentally progressive aerospace products,” said Francisco Escarti, BR&TE’s managing director. “We are proud of our pioneering work during the past five years on the Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane project. It is a tangible example of how we are exploring future leaps in environmental performance, as well as a credit to the talents and innovative spirit of our team.”

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen directly into electricity and heat with none of the products of combustion such as carbon dioxide. Other than heat, water is its only exhaust.

A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot) wingspan was used as the airframe. Built by Diamond Aircraft Industries of Austria, it was modified by BR&TE to include a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor coupled to a conventional propeller.

Three test flights took place in February and March at the airfield in Ocaña, south of Madrid, operated by the Spanish company SENASA.

During the flights, the pilot of the experimental airplane climbed to an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level using a combination of battery power and power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Then, after reaching the cruise altitude and disconnecting the batteries, the pilot flew straight and level at a cruising speed of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) for approximately 20 minutes on power solely generated by the fuel cells.

According to Boeing researchers, PEM fuel cell technology potentially could power small manned and unmanned air vehicles. Over the longer term, solid oxide fuel cells could be applied to secondary power-generating systems, such as auxiliary power units for large commercial airplanes. Boeing does not envision that fuel cells will ever provide primary power for large passenger airplanes, but the company will continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternative fuel and energy sources that improve environmental performance.

BR&TE, part of the Boeing Phantom Works advanced R&D unit, has worked closely with Boeing Commercial Airplanes and a network of partners since 2003 to design, assemble and fly the experimental craft.

The group of companies, universities and institutions participating in this project includes:

* Austria — Diamond Aircraft Industries
* France — SAFT France
* Germany — Gore and MT Propeller
* Spain — Adventia, Aerlyper, Air Liquide Spain, Indra, Ingeniería de Instrumentación y Control (IIC), Inventia, SENASA, Swagelok, Técnicas Aeronauticas de Madrid (TAM), Tecnobit, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and the Regional Government of Madrid
* United Kingdom — Intelligent Energy
* United States — UQM Technologies.

###

SOURCE: Boeing flies first fuel cell-powered airplane.

Blog report on Boeing’s first fuel cell-powered flight.

Cleantech reports on Boeing’s first fuel cell-powered plane.

Affinion and Edentify Join Forces to Advance Fraud Detection Services

Affinion Group and Edentify, Inc. announced today that they have entered into an exclusive marketing agreement that will allow Affinion to incorporate Edentify’s IDBenchmark^™ solution into its product offerings.

Norwalk, Conn. and Bethlehem, Pa — April 18th, 2006 — Affinion Group, a leading global affinity marketer, and Edentify, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: EDFY), a leading provider of identity management and fraud detection solutions, announced today that they have entered into an exclusive marketing agreement that will allow Affinion to incorporate Edentify’s IDBenchmark^™ solution into its product offerings. Now, by including this patented identity fraud assessment, detection, and prevention technology solution from Edentify in its services, Affinion will provide consumers an unprecedented way to proactively manage their identity information and avert potential instances of identity theft and fraud.

Edentify’s IDBenchmark^™ uses a proprietary process to assess and score the risk of fraud associated with specific manipulated identities, and will allow Affinion to analyze the identity data of its own members and determine the level of risk linked to possible incidences of identity manipulation and theft. Users of Affinion’s ID theft prevention services, including PrivacyGuard, PC Safety Plus, HotLine and others, will be empowered with Edentify’s identity risk score, allowing them to proactively monitor the level of risk associated with their identities relative to how it is used across many different industries and public databases and potentially stop their identities from being used as part of a crime. This new technology will also be used by Affinion Group in developing new ID theft products.

“Our service, coupled with Edentify’s revolutionary technology, keeps consumers one step ahead of would-be ID thieves, and is perhaps their best chance of avoiding identity-related criminal abuse,” says Frank Abagnale, an Affinion Group spokesperson, former master forger, and leading fraud prevention expert, whose life story inspired Steven Spielberg’s movie, Catch Me if You Can. “Punishment for fraud and recovery of stolen funds are so rare that prevention is the only viable course of action. This new offering provides unsurpassed opportunities to deter this spiraling crime.”

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, hitting 27.3 million victims in the past five years, and costing them over $56 billion in damages, according to a study from Javelin Strategy & Research. In fact, it has become so prevalent that an identity thief strikes on average every 3.5 seconds.

“Taking a proactive approach to securing identity information is the most effective way to prevent identity fraud,” said Terrence DeFranco, Chief Executive Officer of Edentify, Inc.
“By interfacing our ID Benchmark^™ technology with Affinion’s ID theft prevention services, consumers can see exactly how risky their online buying behavior, for example, might be, and make the necessary adjustments in their behavior to secure their identity information.”

The first product to use this new technology will be IdentitySweep, the first real-time identity management service for consumers. Created by Affinion Group and MyPublicInfo, Inc., a leader in consumer identity protection, IdentitySweep will make this new technology available to customers in the near future.

Affinion Group was the first to develop a membership credit monitoring product in 1992, and remains the largest with some 4 million members in the U.S.

“As the leader in credit monitoring and identity theft protection, we are excited to incorporate Edentify’s advanced technologies into our suite of solutions that includes PrivacyGuard, PC Safety Plus and HotLine,” said Tom Rusin, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager of Affinion. “Our new protection services are ushering in a new era of identity fraud protection that will benefit Affinion’s more than 4,500 marketing partners and their customers across multiple industries.”

About Affinion Group

Affinion Group is a leading affinity direct marketer of value-added membership, insurance and package enhancement programs and services to consumers. With more than 30 years of experience, Affinion Group currently offers its programs and services worldwide through more than 4,500 affinity partners. Its diversified base of affinity partners includes leading companies in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, retail, travel, telecommunications, utilities and Internet. Affinion Group also has a growing loyalty solutions operation that administers points-based loyalty programs. Based in Norwalk, Conn., Affinion Group has approximately 3,600 employees throughout the United States and in 13 countries across Europe.

Affinion Group has established itself as a premiere security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains the largest in the U.S. with 4 million members. Other ID theft protection services in Affinion’s thriving security business include PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses and worms.

ABOUT EDENTIFY

Edentify, Inc. (http://www.edentify.us) is one of the leading organizations dedicated to developing and deploying technology solutions utilized in preventing identity theft and fraud. Edentify has intellectual property rights to two solutions aimed at detecting and preventing identity fraud. The first is a patented information-based solution that analyzes identity information of individuals in large corporate and government databases, and is capable of detecting and scoring incidents of identity manipulation and potential fraud (Identity Quotient Index^™). The second intellectual property is a unique biometric solution (technology-based solution) marketed through the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, InMotion Biometrics, Inc. (“IMB”), that combines face and voice recognition technologies for authenticating the identity of an individual. Edentify sells its solutions directly, and through channel partners in the financial services, healthcare, and government sectors. Future plans include the development of an integrated product that combines our information-based ID manipulation detection capability with IMB’s biometric technology, thereby enabling more accurate enrollment and, subsequently, a more reliable identity protection system.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements of future goals and similar statements reflecting other than historical facts constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which are described in Edentify’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. Edentify undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

Resources for Affinion Group

View more information about the Affinion Group team-up with Edentify from the official press release.

View the website for the Affinion Group media.

View additional information on the Affinion Group from Monster.com.

Visit the website for the Affinion Group’s Security Center.

The Affinion Group awarded the prestigious ISO 27001 certification.

Nathaniel Lipman is president and CEO of Affinion.

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2008 – The genius of portraitist John Singer Sargent brings to life the image of a famous American author in the latest work to be revealed as part of the permanent collection of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Sargent’s Robert Louis Stevenson and His Wife was announced today as a part of the collection during an Arkansas economic development and tourism reception in New York City. The event was co-hosted by the Crystal Bridges Museum, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The group is in New York to meet with individuals and companies interested in doing business in Arkansas.

“What makes this painting so special is its spirit,” said Alice Walton, philanthropist and chairman of the Crystal Bridges Museum board. “Spirit is what makes paintings and places great. This painting will be at home at Crystal Bridges in Arkansas.”

Robert Louis Stevenson and His Wife is one of Sargent’s most recognized portraits. Painted in the resort town of Bournemouth, England, Sargent depicts Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, in the dining room of their home. Stevenson, pacing restlessly across the room, seems to be conversing with the viewer, while his extravagantly-dressed wife lounges in a chair facing away from Stevenson. Critical review of the painting was mixed. Some praised it as a new, refreshing take on composition while others dismissed it as too peculiar. Stevenson himself thought Sargent captured his odd, fidgety personality well.

“This richly complex painting speaks to the genius of Sargent’s art,” said Bob Workman, executive director, Crystal Bridges. “While it is a double portrait, the unconventional composition conveys the personalities of the sitters: Stevenson’s strident energy and his wife’s pensive exoticism. The palette and paint application reinforces the complexities of the subjects depicted.”

Despite their different personalities, there was great rapport between Sargent and Stevenson. Both men traveled frequently, keeping close ties to the expatriate community in America. Spurred by their connection to their home country, they developed a friendship during their painting sessions in England. After completing the portrait, Sargent gave it to Stevenson and his wife as a gift.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Crystal Bridges is envisioned as a premier national art institution dedicated to American art and artists. Under construction in Bentonville, Ark., the museum complex will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery, library, meeting, and office space, a 250-seat indoor auditorium, areas for outdoor concerts and public events, as well as sculpture gardens and walking trails.

Crystal Bridges will house a permanent collection of signature works from American artists. The growing permanent collection is composed of paintings and sculptures from the Colonial period through the modern era. Some announced works in the permanent collection are:  the Hudson River School masterwork Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand, which is currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait), which is currently on loan to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Portrait of Professor Benjamin H. Rand, currently on loan to the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and the most extensive surviving group of Colonial American portraiture, the Levy-Franks family paintings, currently on loan to The Jewish Museum in New York City.

Crystal Bridges takes its name from a natural spring on the museum’s wooded site as well as the unique glass-and-wood building design created by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. The 100-acre site of the museum complex and cultural center is located within walking distance of the Bentonville town square. For more information about Crystal Bridges, visit www.crystalbridges.org.

Source for press release on Alice Walton’s new addition to Crystal Bridges.

More information about Alice Walton’s procurement of John Singer Sargent.

New York Times article on Alice Walton as the Determined Art Collector.

Read about the founding of Crystal Bridges by Alice Walton.

Read more about the philanthropy of Alice Walton and the Walton Family through the Walton Family Foundation.

News article about the beginnings of the museum in Alice Walton to Unveil Crystal Bridges

28 August 2008 | GENEVA — A child born in a Glasgow, Scotland suburb can expect a life 28 years shorter than another living only 13 kilometres away. A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than another in Japan. In Sweden, the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 17 400; in Afghanistan, the odds are 1 in 8. Biology does not explain any of this. Instead, the differences between – and within – countries result from the social environment where people are born, live, grow, work and age.

These “social determinants of health” have been the focus of a three-year investigation by an eminent group of policy makers, academics, former heads of state and former ministers of health. Together, they comprise the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Today, the Commission presents its findings to the WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.

“(The) toxic combination of bad policies, economics, and politics is, in large measure responsible for the fact that a majority of people in the world do not enjoy the good health that is biologically possible,” the Commissioners write in Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. “Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale.”

“Health inequity really is a matter of life and death,” said Dr Chan today while welcoming the Report and congratulating the Commission. “But health systems will not naturally gravitate towards equity. Unprecedented leadership is needed that compels all actors, including those beyond the health sector, to examine their impact on health. Primary health care, which integrates health in all of government’s policies, is the best framework for doing so.”

Sir Michael Marmot, Commission Chair said: “Central to the Commission’s recommendations is creating the conditions for people to be empowered, to have freedom to lead flourishing lives. Nowhere is lack of empowerment more obvious than in the plight of women in many parts of the world. Health suffers as a result. Following our recommendations would dramatically improve the health and life chances of billions of people.”

Inequities within countries

Health inequities – unfair, unjust and avoidable causes of ill health – have long been measured between countries but the Commission documents “health gradients” within countries as well. For example:

• Life expectancy for Indigenous Australian males is shorter by 17 years than all other Australian males.
• Maternal mortality is 3–4 times higher among the poor compared to the rich in Indonesia. The difference in adult mortality between least and most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK is more than 2.5 times.
• Child mortality in the slums of Nairobi is 2.5 times higher than in other parts of the city. A baby born to a Bolivian mother with no education has 10% chance of dying, while one born to a woman with at least secondary education has a 0.4% chance.
• In the United States, 886 202 deaths would have been averted between 1991 and 2000 if mortality rates between white and African Americans were equalized. (This contrasts to 176 633 lives saved in the US by medical advances in the same period.)
• In Uganda the death rate of children under 5 years in the richest fifth of households is 106 per 1000 live births but in the poorest fifth of households in Uganda it is even worse – 192 deaths per 1000 live births – that is nearly a fifth of all babies born alive to the poorest households destined to die before they reach their fifth birthday. Set this against an average death rate for under fives in high income countries of 7 deaths per 1000.

The Commission found evidence that demonstrates in general the poor are worse off than those less deprived, but they also found that the less deprived are in turn worse than those with average incomes, and so on. This slope linking income and health is the social gradient, and is seen everywhere – not just in developing countries, but all countries, including the richest. The slope may be more or less steep in different countries, but the phenomenon is universal.

Wealth is not necessarily a determinant

Economic growth is raising incomes in many countries but increasing national wealth alone does not necessarily increase national health. Without equitable distribution of benefits, national growth can even exacerbate inequities.

While there has been enormous increase in global wealth, technology and living standards in recent years, the key question is how it is used for fair distribution of services and institution-building especially in low-income countries. In 1980, the richest countries with 10% of the population had a gross national income 60 times that of the poorest countries with 10% of the world’s population. After 25 years of globalization, this difference increased to 122, reports the Commission. Worse, in the last 15 years, the poorest quintile in many low-income countries have shown a declining share in national consumption.

Wealth alone does not have to determine the health of a nation’s population. Some low-income countries such as Cuba, Costa Rica, China, state of Kerala in India and Sri Lanka have achieved levels of good health despite relatively low national incomes. But, the Commission points out, wealth can be wisely used. Nordic countries, for example, have followed policies that encouraged equality of benefits and services, full employment, gender equity and low levels of social exclusion. This, said the Commission, is an outstanding example of what needs to be done everywhere.

Solutions from beyond the health sector

Much of the work to redress health inequities lies beyond the health sector. According to the Commission’s report, “Water-borne diseases are not caused by a lack of antibiotics but by dirty water, and by the political, social, and economic forces that fail to make clean water available to all; heart disease is caused not by a lack of coronary care units but by lives people lead, which are shaped by the environments in which they live; obesity is not caused by moral failure on the part of individuals but by the excess availability of high-fat and high-sugar foods.” Consequently, the health sector – globally and nationally – needs to focus attention on addressing the root causes of inequities in health.

“We rely too much on medical interventions as a way of increasing life expectancy” explained Sir Michael. “A more effective way of increasing life expectancy and improving health would be for every government policy and programme to be assessed for its impact on health and health equity; to make health and health equity a marker for government performance.”

Recommendations

Based on this compelling evidence, the Commission makes three overarching recommendations to tackle the “corrosive effects of inequality of life chances”:

• Improve daily living conditions, including the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.
• Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money and resources – the structural drivers of those conditions – globally, nationally and locally.
• Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action.

Recommendations for daily living

Improving daily living conditions begins at the start of life. The Commission recommends that countries set up an interagency mechanism to ensure effective collaboration and coherent policy between all sectors for early childhood development, and aim to provide early childhood services to all of their young citizens. Investing in early childhood development provides one of the best ways to reduce health inequities. Evidence shows that investment in the education of women pays for itself many times over.

Billions of people live without adequate shelter and clean water. The Commission’s report pays particular attention to the increasing numbers of people who live in urban slums, and the impact of urban governance on health. The Commission joins other voices in calling for a renewed effort to ensure water, sanitation and electricity for all, as well as better urban planning to address the epidemic of chronic disease.

Health systems also have an important role to play. While the Commission report shows how the health sector can not reduce health inequities on its own, providing universal coverage and ensuring a focus on equity throughout health systems are important steps.

The report also highlights how over 100 million people are impoverished due to paying for health care – a key contributor to health inequity. The Commission thus calls for health systems to be based on principles of equity, disease prevention and health promotion with universal coverage, based on primary health care.

Distribution of resources

Enacting the recommendations of the Commission to improve daily living conditions will also require tackling the inequitable distribution of resources. This requires far-reaching and systematic action.

The report foregrounds a range of recommendations aimed at ensuring fair financing, corporate social responsibility, gender equity and better governance. These include using health equity as an indicator of government performance and overall social development, the widespread use of health equity impact assessments, ensuring that rich countries honour their commitment to provide 0.7% of their GNP as aid, strengthening legislation to prohibit discrimination by gender and improving the capacity for all groups in society to participate in policy-making with space for civil society to work unencumbered to promote and protect political and social rights. At the global level, the Commission recommends that health equity should be a core development goal and that a social determinants of health framework should be used to monitor progress.

The Commission also highlights how implementing any of the above recommendations requires measurement of the existing problem of health inequity (where in many countries adequate data does not exist) and then monitoring the impact on health equity of the proposed interventions. To do this will require firstly investing in basic vital registration systems which have seen limited progress in the last thirty years. There is also a great need for training of policy-makers, health workers and workers in other sectors to understand the need for and how to act on the social determinants of health.

While more research is needed, enough is known for policy makers to initiate action. The feasibility of action is indicated in the change that is already occurring. Egypt has shown a remarkable drop in child mortality from 235 to 33 per 1000 in 30 years. Greece and Portugal reduced their child mortality from 50 per 1000 births to levels nearly as low as Japan, Sweden, and Iceland. Cuba achieved more than 99% coverage of its child development services in 2000. But trends showing improved health are not foreordained. In fact, without attention health can decline rapidly.

Is this feasible?

The Commission has already inspired and supported action in many parts of the world. Brazil, Canada, Chile, Iran, Kenya, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and the UK have become ‘country partners’ on the basis of their commitment to make progress on the social determinants of health equity and are already developing policies across governments to tackle them. These examples show that change is possible through political will. There is a long way to go, but the direction is set, say the Commissioners, the path clear.

WHO will now make the report available to Member States which will determine how the health agency is to respond.

Comments from the Commissioners

Fran Baum, Head of Department and Professor of Public Health at Flinders University, Foundation Director of the South Australian Community Health Research Unit and Co-Chair of the Global Coordinating Council of the People’s Health Movement: “It is wonderful to have global endorsement of the Australian Closing the Gap campaign from the CSDH established by the WHO. The CSDH sets Closing the Gap as a goal for the whole world and produces the evidence on how health inequities are a reflection of the way we organize society and distribute power and resources. The good news from the CSDH for Australia is that it provides plenty of ideas on how to set an agenda that will tackle the underlying determinants of health and create a healthier Australia for all of us”

Monique Begin, Professor at the School of Management, University of Ottawa, Canada, twice-appointed Minister of National Health and Welfare and the first woman from Quebec elected to the House of Commons: “Canada likes to brag that for seven years in a row the United Nations voted us “the best country in the world in which to live”. Do all Canadians share equally in that great quality of life? No they don’t. The truth is that our country is so wealthy that it manages to mask the reality of food banks in our cities, of unacceptable housing (1 in 5), of young Inuit adults very high suicide rates. This report is a wake up call for action towards truly living up to our reputation.”

Giovanni Berlinguer, Member of the European Parliament, member of the International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO (2001–2007) and rapporteur of the project Universal Declaration on Bioethics: “A fairer world will be a healthier world. A health service and medical interventions are just one of the factors that influence population health. The growth of inequalities and the phenomena of increased injustice in health is present in low and middle income countries as well as across Europe. It would be a crime not to take every action possible to reduce them.”

Mirai Chatterjee, Coordinator of Social Security for India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association, a trade union of over 900 000 self-employed women and recently appointed to the National Advisory Council and the National Commission for the Unorganised Sector: “The report suggests avenues for action from the local to national and global levels. It has been eagerly awaited by policy-makers, health officials, grassroot activists and their community-based organizations. Much of the research and evidence is of particular relevance to the South-East Asian region, where too many people struggle daily for justice and equity in health. The report will inspire the region to act and develop new policies and programmes.”

Yan Guo, Professor of Public Health and Vice-President of the Peking University Health Science Centre, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Rural Health Association and Vice-Director of the China Academy of Health Policy: “A man should not be concerned with whether he has enough possessions but whether possessions have been equally distributed”, this is a time-honored teaching in China. Constructing a harmonious society is our shared aspiration, and equity, including health equity, composes the prerequisite for a harmonious development. Eliminating determinants that are adverse to health under the efforts from all of the society, promoting social justice, and advancing human health are our shared goals. Let’s join our hands in this grand course!”

Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Member of the Science and Technology Policy Committee of the Cabinet Office, formerly President of the Science Council of Japan and the Pacific Science Association: “The WHO Commission addresses one of the major issues of our global world – health inequity. The report’s recommendations will be perceived, utilized and implemented as a major policy agenda at national and global levels. The issue will increase in importance as the general public become more engaged via civil society movements and multi-stakeholder involvement.”

Alireza Marandi, Professor of Pediatrics at Shaheed Beheshti University, Islamic Republic of Iran, former two-term Minister of Health and Medical Education, former Deputy Minister and Advisor to the Minister and recently elected to be a member of the Iranian Parliament: “According to the Islamic ideology, social justice became a priority, when the Islamic revolution materialized in Iran. Establishing a solid Primary Health Care network in our country, not only improved our health statistics, but it was an excellent vehicle to move towards health equity. Now through the final report of the CSDH and implementing its recommendations we need to move much faster in our own country toward health equity.”

Pascoal Mocumbi, High Representative of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Mozambique, former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health: “The Commission on Social Determinants of Health report will help African leaders adapt their national development strategies to address the challenges to health. These are derived from the current systemic changes taking place in the global economy that affects heavily on the poorest segments of Africa’s population.”

Amartya Sen, Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University, awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998: “The primary object of development – for any country and for the world as a whole – is the elimination of ‘unfreedoms’ that reduce and impoverish the lives of people. Central to human deprivation is the failure of the capability to live long and healthy lives. This is much more than a medical problem. It relates to handicaps that have deep social roots. Under Michael Marmot’s leadership, this WHO Commission has concentrated on the badly neglected causal linkages that have to be adequately understood and remedied. A fuller understanding is also a call for action.”

David Satcher, Director of the Center of Excellence on Health Disparities and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute Initiative, formerly the United States Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health and also Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “The United States of America spends more on health care than any other country in the world, yet it ranks 41st in terms of life expectancy. New Orleans and its experience with Hurricane Katrina illustrate why we need to target social determinants of health (SDH) — including housing, education, working and learning conditions, and whether people are exposed to toxins—better than any place I can think of right now. By targeting the SDH, we can rapidly move towards closing the gap that unfairly and avoidably separates the health status of groups of different socio-economic status, social exclusion experience, and educational background.”

Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT and founding Chairperson of the independent Tanzanian National Women’s Council: “Health delivery is not possible for people living in squalor, in dehumanizing pathetic conditions prevailing in the ever growing slum settlements of cities and towns in developing countries. Investment in basic services such as water and education will always remain constrained if not wasted unless accompanied by requisite investment in decent housing with basic sanitation.”

Denny Vågerö, Professor of Medical Sociology, Director of CHESS (Centre for Health Equity Studies) in Sweden, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and of its Standing Committee on Health: “Countries of the world are presently growing apart in health terms. This is very worrying. In many countries in the world social differences in health are also growing, and this is true in Europe. We have been one-sidedly focused on economic growth, disregarding negative consequences for health and climate. We need to think differently about development.”

Gail Wilensky, Senior Fellow at Project HOPE, an international health education foundation. Previously she directed the Medicare and Medicaid programmes in the United States and also chaired two commissions that advise the United States Congress on Medicare: “What this report makes clear is that improving health and health outcomes and reducing avoidable health differences—goals of all countries– involves far more than just improving the health care system. Basic living conditions, employment, early childhood education, treatment of women and poverty all impact on health outcomes and incorporating their effects on health outcomes needs to become an important part of public policymaking. This is as true for wealthy countries like the United States as it is for many of the emerging countries of the world, where large numbers of people live on less than $2 per day.”

SOURCE for press release on deadliness of inequity from the World Health Organization.

Top trends for baby clothes in 2008 released by Technorati!

/24-7PressRelease/ – RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA, January 13, 2008 — Sandbox Couture, a popular online children’s boutique retailer of baby clothes, baby gifts and designer children’s clothing today announced the top trends and designers that are leading fashions for baby clothes and designer children’s clothes for Spring 2008.

SandboxCouture.com has seen an expanded interest in baby clothes from top designers such as Roxy, Quicksilver, Binky Couture, Kaiya Eve and Flowers by Zoe. Customers can also expect to find Baby Nay clothing and accessories as well as Toni Tierney, Mish Mish and Mad Sky setting trends and spurring fashion must haves. Blue is expected to be the color of 2008, transcending fashion channels from designer baby clothes to interior designs. The greens of 2007 are making way for hot styles and couture designs featuring a variety of shades of pink, lavender and blue offset with neutrals such as olive, yellow and shades of beige. The colors of 2008 can be seen inspiring designers and captivating consumers alike.

“The fresh, yet elegant colors seen in this season’s baby clothes speak of self expression and comfortable and edgy elegance. The newest collection of baby clothes represent the latest color trends, offering customers exciting new choices to begin the year in style,” stated Sam Brown, spokesperson for Sandbox Couture. “Much of this season’s designs feature bold and contrasting colors, paving the way for individual flair and style,” Brown concluded.

SandboxCouture.com stays abreast of couture clothing and top trends offering fashionable items for babies and children. The online children’s boutique has been selling baby clothes and designer children’s clothes since 2005, and continually adds new clothing lines and unique baby gifts. For more information on the top trends in baby clothes for 2008, please visit http://www.sandboxcouture.com.

About Sandbox Couture
Sandbox Couture is an online children’s boutique retailer, providing designer baby clothes, designer children’s clothing and unique baby gifts. The company takes pride in hand selecting products from top designers, thereby ensuring quality and contemporary style. Sandbox Couture’s philanthropic contributions and socially conscious business practices are at the forefront of the company’s ideals and corporate culture. Founded in 2005, Sandbox Couture is privately held and headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. For information about Sandbox Couture, please visit the company’s web site at http://www.SandboxCouture.com

Press Contact
Sam Brown
949-459-2505
92688

# # #

Find stylish baby clothes at Tutti Bella.

hip and trendy baby clothes from Ambajam, reviewed on Betty Confidential

Dress your baby green with environmental baby clothes.

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Contact:
Linda Miller
1-800-282-9007 Ext 111

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — New Era, MI – February 7, 2008 — New Era Canning Company of New Era, Michigan is recalling all cans of vegetable products in #10 cans (large cans containing between 6 and 7 pounds) on the list below because they may have been processed under conditions which could have led to contamination by Clostridium botulinum bacterium spores, which can cause life-threatening illness or death.

While the UPC on the can label may be helpful in determining whether the product might be under recall, customers will need to also examine the lot code information on the can end to determine whether the can is subject to recall, as some distributors may purchase these products from more than one supplier. The UPC and lot code information has been included on the product list for each product under recall to make the identification of any recalled products easier.

Clostridium botulinum bacterium spores have the potential for growth that produces a toxin that causes a potentially fatal form of food poisoning – botulism. Symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first, then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, and calves. Botulism poisoning also can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles, which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided. Individuals who have these symptoms and who may have recently eaten the any of the recalled vegetable products currently under recall or other food products made with these items should seek immediate medical attention.

The issues were uncovered in a FDA inspection of products that were in the company’s possession. NO product has tested positive for the toxin and there have been NO cases of botulism reported from these products.

This recall only affects the products in the large #10 cans, the majority of which were potentially sold nationwide to various food service customers. However these products may also have been purchased by consumers at retail stores. The code on the cans may be embossed (stamped into the metal of the can) or printed in ink on one of the metal can ends and the first set of numbers or letters in the code may be used to identify whether the product was canned by New Era Canning. We have been alerted that some of our cans may be missing the can codes. Any cans of these products without a code should not be opened or used and assumed to be under the recall.

Examples of how a lot code may appear on a can of Green Beans, Italian Cut are: “00249 2BH7FL”, “00249 1515 2BH7FL”, “ITAL 2BH7FL” or “ITAL 1515 2BH7FL”. (These are not necessarily actual can codes). In these examples, the “00249″ and the “ITAL”, being the first set of numbers or letters in the lot code, would be used to identify that the product was canned by New Era Canning.

Examples of how a lot code may appear on a can of Great Northern beans are: “00249 34F7LG”, “00249 1515 34F7LG”, “NORTH 34F7LG” or “NORTH 1515 34F7LG”. (These are not necessarily actual can codes). In these examples, the “00249″ and the “NORTH”, being the first set of numbers or letters in the lot code, would be used to identify that the product was canned by New Era Canning.

New Era Canning, in conjunction with the US Food and Drug Administration and the Michigan Department of Agriculture, is thoroughly evaluating all processes and procedures to determine the cause of the problem.

Any food that may be contaminated should be disposed of carefully. Even tiny amounts of toxins ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the eye or a break in the skin can cause serious illness. Skin contact should be avoided as much as possible, and the hands should be washed immediately after handling the food. Customers who have these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. Double bag the cans in plastic bags that are tightly closed, then place in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home. Restaurants and institutions are encouraged to assure that such products are only placed in locked receptacles which are not accessible to the public. Additional instructions for safe disposal can be found at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm. Anyone with questions can call FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
Customers with questions may contact New Era Canning at 1-800-282-9007 Ext. 111.

The following products are affected by this recall action:

Classic Sysco brand, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.

Green asparagus cuts & tips (asparagus, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510471). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ are included.

Great Northern beans (Great Northern beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510486). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “NORTH” are included.

Green beans, Italian cut, (Italian green beans, water, salt), in 105 oz. (6 lb. 9 oz.) cans (UPC 7486511294). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “ITAL” are included.

Light red kidney beans (kidney beans, water, corn sweetener, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510642). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “LRKID” are included.

Red beans (red beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 110 oz. (6 lb. 14 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510638). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “RED” are included.

Cut wax beans (wax beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486511434). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

Code brand, Distributed by Code, Atlanta, GA.

Dark red kidney beans (soaked kidney beans, water, corn sweetener, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC 1207316042). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “DRKID” are included.

Fancy cut wax beans 4 sieve (wax beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 1207310183). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

Frosty Acres Restaurant’s Pride Preferred brand, Packed for F.A.B., Inc., Alpharetta, GA.

Black beans (cooked black beans, water, ferrous gluconate, calcium chloride) in 6 lb. 15 oz. cans (UPC 4820049145). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “BLACK” are included.

Blackeye Peas (Blackeye peas, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC 4820049146). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “BEP” are included.

Fancy Great Northern beans (Great Northern white beans, water, salt, natural flavors and calcium chloride) in 110 oz. (6 lb. 14 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068288). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “NORTH” are included.

Fancy cut Italian green beans (Italian beans, water, salt) in 105 oz. (6 lb. 9 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068390). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “ITAL” are included.

Fancy dark red kidney beans (dark red kidney beans, water, corn syrup, salt, calcium chloride) in 111 oz. (6 lb. 15 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068171). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “DRKID” are included.

Fancy Mexican style chili beans (white beans, water, corn syrup, sugar, tomato paste, salt, dextrose, onion powder, garlic powder, oleoresin paprika, natural flavors) in 111 oz. (6 lb. 15 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068534). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “CHILI” are included.

Fancy pinto beans (pinto beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 111 oz. (6 lb. 15 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068939). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “PINTO” are included.

Fancy red beans (prepared red beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC 4820069023). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “RED” are included.

Fancy vegetarian beans in tomato sauce (white beans, water, corn syrup, sugar, tomato paste, salt, dextrose, onion powder, garlic powder, oleoresin paprika and natural flavorings) in 112 oz (7 lb.) cans (UPC 4820069161). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “VEG” are included.

GFS brand, Distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI

Fancy all green asparagus cuts & tips (asparagus, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, reorder no. 229601 (UPC 9390122960). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ are included.

Fancy black beans (black beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans, reorder no. 557714 (UPC 9390155771). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “BLACK” are included.

Italian cut green beans (Italian green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 9 oz. cans, reorder no. 769878 (UPC 9390176987). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “ITAL” are included.

Medium lima beans (lima beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans, reorder no. 118796 (UPC 9390111879). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “LIMA” are included.

Fancy Mexican style chili beans (soaked red beans, water, chili seasoning, salt, corn starch, tomato paste, sugar, calcium chloride) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans, reorder no. 192015 (UPC 9390119201). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “CHILI” are included.

Fancy cut wax beans 4 sieve (wax beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, 118834 (UPC 9390111883). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

Kitchen Essentials brand, Distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI.

Cut wax beans mixed sieve (wax beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, 274453 (UPC 9390127445). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

Monarch Heritage brand, Packed for PYA/Monarch, Inc, Greenville, SC.

Italian style cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, 173865 (No UPC code). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “ITAL” are included.

Necco brand, Packed by New Era Canning Company, New Era, MI.

Cut wax beans (wax beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 6 oz. cans (UPC 3683513440). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

New Era brand, Distributed by New Era Canning Co, New Era, MI.

Asparagus cuts & spears (asparagus, water, salt) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511220). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ are included.

Black beans (black beans, water, salt) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511692). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “BLACK” are included.

Black-eyed peas (black-eye peas, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511698). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “BEP” are included.

Butter beans (lima beans, water, salt, sugar, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511694). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “LIMA” are included.

Chili beans in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511675). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “CHILI” are included.

Great Northern beans (Great Northern beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 110 oz. (6 lb. 14 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511688). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “NORTH” are included.

Italian Cut Green Beans (Italian beans, water, salt) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511342). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “ITAL” are included.

Light red kidney beans, (kidney beans, water, corn sweetener, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511682). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “LRKID” are included.

Dark red kidney beans, (kidney beans, water, corn sweetener, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511680). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “DRKID” are included.

Lima beans (lima beans, water, salt) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511696). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “LIMA” are included.

Pinto beans (pinto beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511686). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “PINTO” are included.

Red beans (red beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (no UPC). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “RED” are included.

Vegetarian beans (white beans, water, cane syrup, tomato paste, corn syrup, salt, vinegar, calcium chloride, onion powder, paprika, spice, natural flavorings) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511670). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “VEG” are included.

Cut wax beans (wax beans, water, salt) in 102 oz. (6 lb. 6 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511440). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

Nugget brand, Distributed by Nugget, Atlanta, GA.

Asparagus cuts & tips (asparagus, water, salt) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans, (UPC 4410503580). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ are included.

Reliance Sysco, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.

Cut wax beans 4 sieve (wax beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, 4108056 (UPC 7486512190). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

Wax beans mixed and short cuts (wax beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, 4182788 (UPC 7486512231). All lot codes beginning with “00249″ or “WAX” are included.

#

FDA Press Release Source

New Era Canning Company (Botulism) Recall Page

FDA Press Release (Feb. 7, 2007)

America Online and Trilegiant Corporation Announce New Marketing Agreements

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

NORWALK, Conn. & DULLES, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 24, 2001

Trilegiant Corporation and America Online Extend, Expand Strategic

Relationship to Market Membership Services, Offering AOL Members

Discounted Goods and Services

Trilegiant Marketing Services To Market AOL Service

Trilegiant Corporation and America Online, Inc., the world’s leading interactive services company, today announced that the companies have renewed and extended their membership services relationship and entered into a new agreement under which Trilegiant Marketing Services will market the AOL service. Trilegiant Marketing Services, a subsidiary of Trilegiant Corporation, is a membership services company recently formed by the former management of Cendant Membership Services, Inc. and Cendant Incentives.

Trilegiant Corporation and America Online will extend a marketing alliance begun in 1997 through Cendant Corporation, which highlighted each company’s marketing strengths and valued consumer brands. Under the new agreement, users of several America Online brands can conveniently purchase a wide range of goods and services at discounts through Trilegiant Corporation’s popular Shoppers Advantage, Travelers Advantage, AutoVantage, and PrivacyGuard membership services. In addition, the companies announced a separate agreement under which Trilegiant Marketing Services will market the AOL service through a number of distribution channels.

Barry Schuler, Chairman and CEO, America Online, said: “We’ve had a successful relationship since we began working with Cendant in 1997, and we’re pleased to announce this new agreement with Trilegiant Corporation to enable the users of our brands to continue enjoying their popular membership services. We’re also happy to expand our relationship to include Trilegiant Marketing Services becoming one of the partners who will join us in marketing the AOL service to reach potential new members.”

Trilegiant Corporation’s President and CEO, Scott W. Bernstein said: “We’re delighted to extend and expand this long-standing alliance with America Online. Working together, we can continue making Trilegiant Corporation’s best-in-class member services in travel, shopping, auto, and credit protection available to users of America Online’s brands. We’re also excited by the opportunity to harness Trilegiant Marketing Services’ strengths to market the AOL service. This new alliance shows our continued commitment to delivering real value in consumer products and services through the interactive medium.”

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: AOL). Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world’s leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.

About Trilegiant Corporation

Trilegiant Corporation is a leader in the membership services and loyalty businesses, providing products and services that touch the lives of more than 100 million Americans. Trilegiant’s membership business offers exceptional value, savings, convenience and protection to its customers through services such as Travelers Advantage, Shoppers Advantage, AutoVantage Gold, and PrivacyGuard. Trilegiant’s loyalty business is the leading provider of full-service loyalty solutions to the financial services industry and other industries where product differentiation and customer retention are the primary focus. Trilegiant, which is based in Norwalk, Connecticut, is the successor to Cendant Membership Services, Inc. and Cendant Incentives.

Resources for Trilegiant

Get insider information on Trilegiant from Vault.

View more about the AOL agreement with Trilegiant.

Terms and Service agreement for Trilegiant and Great Fun.

Information about Privacy Guard with services and benefits provided by Trilegiant.

The Bacardi Family helps Environment cause in Cuba.

Bacardi Ltd. Donation to PADF Assists Disaster Relief in Cuba

Mon Sep 29, 9:00 AM ET

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Michael J. Zamba of Pan American Development Foundation, +1-202-458-6180, mzamba@padf.org; Pat Neal of Bacardi Limited, +1-441-294-1110; or Amy Federman, Burson-Marsteller, +1-441-294-1110, Amy.Federman@bm.com, for Bacardi Limited

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In the aftermath of two destructive hurricanes and two tropical storms that recently struck Cuba, Bacardi Limited has donated $100,000 to the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to provide assistance to the people on the island.
“Through this donation to the Cuban people, Bacardi Limited has continued to demonstrate its leadership in the area of humanitarian assistance,” says John Sanbrailo, Executive Director of PADF.
PADF has been working with individuals and organizations to collect cash donations (U.S. tax deductible) that will pay for humanitarian relief to Cubans. PADF accepts donations through a toll free number (800) 941-0114 and a special website www.panamericanrelief.org.

“The Bacardi family and Company are deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes in Cuba. We hope that this donation will help alleviate some of the pain that the Cuban people are experiencing and remind all Cubans that they continue to remain in the hearts and minds of all Cuban exiles,” said Facundo L. Bacardi, Chairman of Bacardi Limited.

Marc Wachtenheim, Director of the Cuban Development Initiative at PADF, encourages individuals and companies to help the survivors. “Bacardi Limited’s donation has made a big difference to PADF’s disaster relief assistance in Cuba. Donations large and small have come in to support survivors of these storms,” he said. “But, we cannot stop here as this disaster requires assistance from around the world.”

Bacardi Limited, with its roots in Cuba more than 145 years ago and being Cuba’s first multi-national company, encourages companies and individuals to help those in dire need on the island.
PADF, which is a non-governmental organization, has in-depth experience in natural disaster relief. The non-profit organization is currently also involved in disaster relief in Haiti, where four back-to-back storms have resulted in more than 400 deaths and hundreds of thousands of homeless in that Caribbean nation.

About Pan American Development Foundation

PADF is an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit organization established in 1962 through a unique partnership with between the Organization of American States and private enterprise to promote, facilitate and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean through innovative partnerships and integrated involvement of the private and public sectors. For more information, visit www.padf.org.

About Bacardi Limited

Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets a variety of internationally recognized spirits. Bacardi Limited’s brand portfolio consists of more than 200 brands and labels including: BACARDI(R) rum, the world’s number-one selling rum; GREY GOOSE(R) vodka, the world-leader in super premium vodka; DEWAR’S(R) Scotch whisky, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United States; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R) gin, the fastest-growing premium gin in the spirits industry; CAZADORES(R) blue agave tequila, one of the top-selling premium tequilas worldwide; MARTINI(R) vermouth, the world-leader in vermouth; and other leading brands. It was founded in Santiago de Cuba, February 4, 1862. For more information, visit www.bacardilimited.com.

SOURCE Pan American Development Foundation

Press release for Bacardi Family donation to PADF and Cuba on Yahoo.

Read about the Bacardi Family’s Long Fight for Cuba.

Read the New York Times Review of the Bacardi Family’s history with Cuba.

News release about the history of the Bacardi Family bat symbol and Cuba

Information about the Bacardi Family tree.

Former Costa Rican Presidential Candidate is Appointed UF’S Bacardi Family Eminent Scholar in Latin American Studies.