12-16-2003 |
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HALF OF RECALLED POTPOURRI CONTAIN LIVE BEETLE LARVAE Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is urging consumers to check their homes for any potpourri products that contain pine cones from India, particularly Candle-lite™ potpourri purchased at Wal-Mart or Kmart. A high percentage of the Candle-lite™ products that contain pine cones are infested with beetle larvae from India that could pose a threat to American pine trees. Target also sold Scented Pine Cones from India that were recalled last week, and officials wonder if other product brands may contain infested pine cones. “Particularly at Christmas, no one wants to think about a foreign pest that could hurt West Virginia’s important Christmas tree industry,” said Commissioner Douglass. “But as foreign trade increases, the chances for dangerous pests to make their way to this country inevitably increase as well.” According to Dr. Charles Coffman, Plant Industries Division Director for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), preliminary sampling by WVDA employees and staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ) showed that half of the packages of Candle-lite™ potpourri containing pine cones contained live larvae of the beetles, which are considered to be an “actionable pest” by USDA. In addition, larvae have been discovered in stores across West Virginia and in nine other eastern states, increasing the risk that the insect might be introduced into West Virginia’s ecosystem. “As a scientist, that is quite a startling range and number,” said Coffman. “When you consider how many of these packages are on store shelves, the total number of live larvae out there is alarming.” Wal-Mart and Kmart have agreed to remove selected Candle-lite™ products from their shelves, but many of them may already be in consumers’ hands. “We would like consumers to return unopened packages to where they were purchased, to thoroughly burn the pine cones from opened packages, or freeze the pine cones for three days, then put them in the trash,” said Coffman. Plant Industries Division is also asking consumers to report any
elongated beetles with long antennae that may have emerged from
the pine cones. Consumers are urged to call 304/558-2212 if they
spot such an insect in their homes. What is known is that the scientific family of the beetle in question, Cerambycidae, contains some members that have already proven to be serious tree pests in this country, such as the Asian longhorned beetle that was introduced from China and that has destroyed thousands of trees in New York and Chicago. Current eradication efforts against the Asian longhorned beetle are costing millions in tax dollars. “The biological security of our country is of great importance to every American,” continued Coffman. “If this were a single fruit fly in California, that whole state would be in an uproar. West Virginians, too, have to realize the economic consequences of ignoring foreign pests. We spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars every year controlling invasive foreign pests in the U.S. and we’re trying to do everything we can here to avoid getting another one.” The recall at Wal-Mart and Kmart was initiated by the USDA-APHIS-PPQ in cooperation with the stores. A similar recall action with Target stores is already underway nationwide because of infested Scented Pine Cones that include the labeling “Made in India.” Commissioner Douglass thanked the stores for their cooperation in the matter. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Current Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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