From the Los Angeles Times.

Infant mortality in the state has dropped to a record low but racial disparities persist, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The rate of death among infants a year old or less decreased from 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2009 to 4.7 deaths in 2010. Statistics for 2011 are not yet available.

Infant mortality dropped most dramatically among blacks, but their rates continue to be much higher than whites.

From the Food Safety News.

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) director Dr. Ron Chapman warned consumers on Thursday not to eat Taste of Roux, LLC jarred vegetarian soups because they may have been improperly produced, making them susceptible to contamination with Clostridium Botulinum.

From the Californian.com.

A county ordinance passed Tuesday will have enforcement teeth with tough penalties for those who illegally sell tobacco products in unincorporated Monterey County to those under 18. The law will provide for enforcement that state law lacks, proponents said. In 2010, 48 percent of retailers in Monterey County surveyed by the California Department of Public Health illegally sold cigarettes to minors.

From WOI-DT, Des Moines.

The California Department of Public Health is warning people Friday not to eat certain bagged salads manufactured by River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. To date, no illnesses have been reported. The recalled salad products were distributed nationwide to retail and food service outlets under various sizes and packaged under the brand names of River Ranch, Farm Stand, Hy-Vee, Marketside, Shurfresh, The Farmer's Market, Cross Valley, Fresh n Easy, Promark, and Sysco.

From the Food Safety News.

At least 10 people infected with Campylobacter in California reported drinking Organic Pastures raw milk prior to becoming ill, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Thursday. Raw milk, raw skim milk (non-fat), raw cream and raw butter produced by the Fresno County dairy have been recalled and are subject to a quarantine order imposed by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Whiteford.

From the Times-Standard.

Food, fitness and fun are planned for the Network for a Healthy California's "Fruit and Veggie Fest" to take place Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grocery Outlet, 625 Commercial St.

The Network for a Healthy California, in partnership with retailers across California, hosts a series of Fruit and Veggie Fests each year to encourage people to make every meal delicious with the flavors of fruits and vegetables.

From the Mobile Commons Blog.

During the H1N1 scare in 2009, the California Department of Public Health wanted to help citizens get vaccinated against the virus. They had a database of all the places where Californians could go to get the vaccine. The problem was - they had no simple way for people to access that information.
Solution: Let people text in to find the closest clinic near them.
Working with Mobile Commons, the Department created a mobile database that let people text in to find not just a complete list of clinics ? but to find the clinic closest to them.