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The peanut recall seems to keep growing every week with more and more companies recalling products with peanuts, peanut butter and peanut paste. The network marketing industry has recentally fallen victim to the salmonella outbreak as well and Isagenix  is the latest company to have to issue a recall.

The health and nutrition company has just recalled their Chocolate Dipped Honey Peanut IsaLean Bar because the bar contains peanut based ingrediants that were manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America, (PCA) the plant that has been identified as the source of the salmonella outbreak.

Isagenix is no longer using PCA as a peanut ingredient supplier, however many of the bars out there today were made with peanut products from PCA and therefore, as a precaution Isagenix has ordered the voluntary recall.

The recall only applies to that one bar and does not apply to the Chocolate Crunch bar or the Peanut Crunch bar.

Isagenix says that thus far they have received no reports of illness due to their products. The recall is voluntary and is in accordance with FDA guidelines regarding peanut products made using PCA as a supplier.

Isagenix issued a statement about the recall saying, Consumer safety is our number one priority, along with other major bar manufacturers and keeping in line with the recommendations FDA, we are urging all customers who have purchased or are in possession of the Chocolate Dipped Honey Peanut Bar with the above mentioned lot numbers to immediately destroy them. If you have distributed any of the affected products, please immediately contact those accounts/customers, advise them of the recall and instruct them to immediately destroy them. Customers seeking a replacement bar for the above lot numbers are being asked to call an Isagenix representative at 1-877-877-8111 and a replacement product will be issued.

While the company claims that no illnesses have been reported….this weekend while on vacation, I met a woman who did indeed get salmonella poisoning from the Isagenix bar. Remember, many of these illnesses go unreported. Don’t take any chances. If you have any of these Chocolate Dipped Honey Peanut bars, dispose of them and don’t risk getting sick!

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The salmonella scare that has hit the U.S. has finally made its way to the direct sales industry. Amway Global has announced that the company has voluntarily issued a recall of three types of the Nutrilite Energy Bars due to the possibility that they contain peanut paste that has been tainted with salmonella.

Last week, Amway Global recalled three flavors, the vanilla pretzel, peanut butter and chocolate nut roll Energy Bars. The company said that those three flavors possibly contain or have been tainted in some way by the peanut paste that is at the center of the health scare.

The recent salmonella outbreak has been traced by the Food and Drug Administration to the Peanut Corporation of America in Georgia, a vendor that Amway sometimes uses for their products. Robin Luymes, communications manager for Amway said that customers have been notified by letter.

Amway also notified customers that another product sold in the Amway Global catalog, the Austin Toasty Crackers, have been recalled due to contamination as well.

If you have purchased these products through Amway or an Amway Global rep, please either return them to the company or throw them away!! Although no confirmed cases of salmonella have been linked to Amway products, it’s better to be safe!

The products, SKUs, and manufacturing lots are being recalled are:

Vanilla Pretzel Energy Bar, SKU/UPC 10-6529; lot numbers 8219A, 8242A, 8276A and 8304A

Peanut Butter Energy Bar, SKU/UPC 10-6530; lot numbers 8294A and 8340A

Chocolate Nut Roll Energy Bar, SKU/UPC 10-6528; lots numbers 8287A, 8357A and 8246A

Product Intro Kit, SKU/UPC E9745; lot numbers 8275BPS1, 8275BPS2, 8275BPS3, 8275MSN1, 8275MSN2 and 8275MSN3.

The lot numbers appear on both the package and the individual bars.

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In the latest development in the YTB case, a judge has ruled that the two class action suits brought against the company last year will be consolidated.

U.S. District Judge G. Patrick Murphy made the ruling last week after hearing from all involved in the case. As we told you a few weeks ago, Judge Murphy was adamant that the two sides find a way to consolidate the case. Judge Murphy told each of the sides last month that he would not hear two parallel cases simultaneously. “We’re not going to be hearing two cases at one time, the judgw said. It makes a lot of sense to file one complaint.” Lawyers in both cases agreed that consolidation of the two suits was appropriate in the case.

YTB, the internet based travel company is being sued by former independent consultants who claim that the company operates an illegal pyramid sales scheme and utilizes an illegal referral sales technique.

Lawyers from each of the two cases will continue to represent clients in individual suits, but will also agree to work jointly as co-counsel on the main class action suit.

No word yet on when exactly the case will be brought back to court but I am sure the company wants to get this resolved already.  With their stock trading at below 50 cents, there doesnt seem to be a lot of good news facing the company.

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A judge presiding over two competing class action suits against online travel company, YTB has asked lawyers in each of the two suits to find a way to consolidate the cases.

U.S. District Judge, G. Patrick Murphy told each of the sides last week that he would not hear two parallel cases simultaneously.”We’re not going to be hearing two cases at one time,” the judge said. “It makes a lot of sense to file one complaint.”

The lawyers in each case were given two weeks to come together to figure out a way to come together into one suit. If there is no agreement reached in that time, Judge Murphy will issue an order of his own choosing.

The two suits, one filed in California and one in Illinois are seeking a total of over $100 million dollars in damages stemming from claims that YTB was operating an illegal pyramid scheme and defrauded their independent consultants out of millions of dollars.

Now the lawyers from each case must come together and figure out a way to consolidate the two cases. Not only do they have to choose the fairest way to represent all of those involved, but they must also figure out who will represent the former YTB consultants. The lawyers have also begun to bicker over who will be lead counsel. Even when and if the suits are consolidated, the earliest the two cases will come to trial will be 2010.

YTB of course said that whether there is one suit or two, they will defend themselves vigorously against all charges Jonathan S. Quinn, just one of YTB’s lawyers, said, “The firm has done nothing wrong. The agents were trained to make money by working at home. They could sell travel-related services, such as airline fare, or recruit others to sell travel services. There were two different opportunities to earn money, both valid.”

Pre trial motions in the case will be heard just after the first of the year.

This has been a rough year for the embattled company that continues to try and put 2008 behind them. With recent horrible third quarter results and the sell off of assets, the year can’t end sooner.

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