Kroger Recalls Select Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk

GFP Note: At this time, no ice cream sold in Georgia under the label of Private Selection at Kroger is included in the recall.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) said today it is recalling Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream sold in select stores because the peanut butter in the ice cream was supplied by Peanut Corporation of America and may be contaminated with Salmonella. Stores under the following names are included in this recall: City Market, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC and Smith's.

Stores the company operates under the following names did not receive any of the ice cream being recalled: Kroger, Ralphs, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co., Jay C, Scott's, Owen's, Baker's, Gerbes, Hilander and Pay Less.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the ice cream.

The FDA has indicated that Peanut Corporation of America is the focus of its investigation into Salmonella-related illnesses that may be linked to contaminated peanut butter.

Item Description:

Kroger is recalling the following ice cream:

-- Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream sold in 48-ounce
containers with a "Sell by" date of 9-13-2009 under the following UPC
Code Number: 0001111054437.
-- Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream sold in 56-ounce
containers with a "Sell by" date of 8-11-2009 under the following UPC
Code Number: 0001111052816.



The ice cream was sold in City Market, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC and Smith's stores in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Customers who have recently purchased this ice cream should not eat it and return the product to a store for a full refund or replacement.

No other Kroger products are involved in the recall. Kroger continues to follow FDA guidelines and, for the safety of customers, has withdrawn other products from sale that contain peanut butter ingredients implicated in this outbreak, as directed by the FDA and suppliers involved.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site at www.cdc.gov.

According to the FDA, peanut butter sold in jars, including Kroger brand peanut butter sold in the retailer's family of stores, is not involved in the ongoing investigation.

Consumers who have questions about the ice cream recall may contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900. For more information, please visit www.kroger.com/recalls.

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B98.5FM's 'Tickled Pink' Event to Benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate

PRNewswire/ -- Breast cancer is no laughing matter, but B98.5FM wants its listeners to get "Tickled Pink" about attending an evening of laughs and entertainment while supporting a worthy cause. Building on a successful launch event, B98.5FM today announced its second annual "Tickled Pink" fundraising affair for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate will take place on October 18th.

Held at the Cobb Galleria Center, the festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails and a silent auction and will be followed by dinner and entertainment at 7:30 p.m. Individual tickets are $100 and corporate tables (10 seats) can be purchased for $950.

Attendees will be greeted by familiar voices as B98.5FM's Steve McCoy, Jordan Graye and Kelly McCoy host the event. Entertainment will be provided by comedian Elayne Boosler -- known for opening new doors to women in comedy. Boosler was the first female to get her own comedy special on cable when Showtime aired "Party of One." To date, she has headlined seven cable specials, as well as written, directed, and acted in two half-hour movies: "Comedy From Here" and "The Call."

"Breast cancer is an illness that has touched nearly every American in some way," said David Meszaros, vice president and general manager of B98.5FM and 97.1 The River. "B98.5FM is committed to providing strong community support, and we are thrilled to team up with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate. Through comedy, this event's contributions will go toward finding a cure."

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in Georgia, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate estimates that 4,520 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Georgia in 2008.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate raises funds to enable women to detect and survive breast cancer. Since its inception Komen Atlanta has raised more than $20 million for the fight against breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of all funds raised by the Affiliate stays in Atlanta to fund breast health programs for women who would not otherwise have access to screening and treatment. Twenty-five percent of funds raised supports the national Komen Foundation Award and Research Grant Program.

WellStar Health Systems, Kroger and Comcast are standing up with B98.5FM to support this evening of entertainment and celebration. For information regarding donations, silent auction participation and sponsorship information, please contact Andrew Rudd at Andrew.rudd@coxradio.com. Overall event information can be obtained by visiting www.b985.com.

Top Consumer Product Brands Deliver Savings to Kroger Customers Throughout the Southeastern U.S. With Cellfire Mobile Coupons

PRNewswire/ -- Cellfire Inc., the only nationwide mobile coupon and discount offer service, today announced the availability of mobile grocery coupons in partnership with Kroger, the nations largest traditional grocer, and more than a half-dozen leading consumer product manufacturers. For the first time, consumers can achieve savings on individual grocery items using their mobile phone. The new capability is presently available to Kroger consumers in Georgia, South Carolina, Eastern Tennessee and Alabama, and includes savings on dozens of brands from leading consumer product manufacturers: Clorox, ConAgra, Del Monte, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark and Unilever.

"We're constantly seeking new innovations to provide our customers with more ways to save," said Glynn Jenkins, director of communications of the Atlanta Division of Kroger. "With Cellfire, the ability to access grocery coupons using their cell phone helps our customers to save both time and money, resulting in a satisfying shopping experience that truly delivers on our 'customer first' promise."

For consumers, mobile coupons eliminate time-consuming paper coupon clipping, the hassle of printing online coupons, and the inconvenience of having to remember to bring them to the store and use them at checkout. With mobile coupons consumers can discover savings wherever they may be: at home, at work or on the go.

To get started with the Cellfire mobile coupon service at Kroger, consumers register with Cellfire and link their Cellfire account to their Kroger Plus card. Consumers view coupons within Cellfire on their phone and the coupons they select to use are automatically loaded to their Kroger Plus card. Consumers simply shop, use their Kroger Plus card at checkout, and discounts on qualifying items are automatically applied. Once the coupon is used or it expires, it is automatically deleted from the consumer's phone and Kroger Plus card.

Advertisers have been slow to embrace online coupons due to fraud and security concerns, but with Cellfire mobile coupons, fraud and mal-redemption is less likely because redemption occurs digitally in a closed-loop. Advertisers also have complete control and can quickly present new coupons based on prior offer performance. They also gain unique shopper insight from aggregated redemption data that's not available via other coupon distribution channels allowing them to better serve consumers.

"Mobile couponing is a winning initiative for us. Cell phones are always with the consumer and association with the grocer savings card makes it simple and convenient," said Karl Schmidt, director of promotional marketing at General Mills. "Plus, mobile is an exciting new medium that extends our reach and influence to a younger generation of shoppers who are less inclined to clip coupons from newspapers, circulars, or direct mail."

As food and gas prices continue to rise and the economy experiences slow growth, more consumers are re-discovering the value of coupons. CMS, a leading coupon processing agent for grocery brands, reported that Americans redeemed 2.6 billion manufacturers' coupons in 2007, which is the first time in 16 years that coupon redemption remained constant instead of continuing it's year-over-year decline. Mobile coupons now make these savings even more accessible.

"By partnering with the number one traditional grocery chain in the U.S. and serving coupons from the top packaged goods manufacturers in the world, we're making it even easier for consumers to stretch their dollar during this period of economic uncertainty," said Brent Dusing, CEO of Cellfire. "At a time when consumers are most interested in saving with coupons, we're delivering a solution that literally provides savings in the palm of their hand through coupons on their mobile phone."

To enjoy the Cellfire savings at Kroger, consumers can visit Cellfire.com or they can send a text message with the keyword KROGER to 22888, to receive instructions on how to access the offers on their phone. New grocery offers will be available on Cellfire every two weeks.

Consumers access the Cellfire mobile coupon service through an easy to use mobile application that resides on their cell phone or through a mobile Web browser. New offers are added frequently, and users can access the Cellfire service at their convenience to discover and use discounts specific to their geographic area. Coupons are displayed in an organized manner, allowing consumers to navigate through coupons by category and select the offers they want to use. Cellfire is a free service, although standard data or usage charges may apply depending on the carrier or data plan.