Mar. 30--BEND STORE RECALLS TRAIL MIX OVER SALMONELLA FEARS: A store in Bend said today it is recalling a trail mix made with peanuts over fears that it might be contaminated with salmonella.

The Produce Patch said Cascade Trail Mix was made with peanuts from Peanut Corp. of America, which is facing a criminal investigation in an outbreak that has sickened at least 691 nationwide.

Almost 4,000 items, from sweets and snacks to dog biscuits, have been pulled in one of the biggest recalls in U.S. history.

The trail mix was sold in plastic bags of various weights and sizes from Nov. 1, 2008 to March 1. No known illnesses have been associated with this trail mix, the company said.

Customers can return the trail mix for a full refund. The Produce Patch is at 541-306-3262.

--Lynne Terry

SENATE CLAMPS DOWN ON PHOSPHOROUS: SALEM -- Dishwasher soaps sold in Oregon must not exceed more than .5 percent phosphorous by weight with a bill that passed the Senate Monday.

In 1991, the Legislature endorsed a measure prohibiting the sale or distribution of cleaning agents containing more than .5 percent phosphorous in order to reduce pollution. But that law had an exemption for cleaning agents used in dishwashers.

Senate Bill 631 proposes to narrow that exemption to apply only to commercial dishwashing soaps and not the soaps we use at home. Twelve other states, including Washington, have passed similar legislation.

The bill passed 26-2. It now moves to the House.

--Michelle Cole

OREGON SENATE TO VOTE ON PHOSPHOROUS RESTRICTION: A bill that would knock down the amount of river-damaging phosphorous allowed in automatic dishwasher soap is scheduled for a vote today in the Oregon Senate.

Phosphorous helps dishes get cleaner, but it promotes algal blooms that suck oxygen out of rivers, hurting fish and other aquatic life.

It's already limited in laundry detergent, and Senate Bill 631 would greatly reduce the allowable amount of the chemical in automatic dishwasher detergent sold in Oregon.

Industry isn't opposing the bill, in part because it was amended to exempt detergent used in commercial dishwashers. A substitute chemical that works in residential dishwashers doesn't work as well in higher temperature commercial washers, said Paul Cosgrove, a lobbyist for the Soap and Detergent Association

--Scott Learn

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