Al's Morning Meeting

Pre-cooked ham does not mean you can eat it without worries. In fact, there are several well-documented cases of people getting sick from eating undercooked pre-cooked ham.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says:

Over half of the food-poisoning outbreaks linked to turkey are caused by improper cooling, not improper cooking, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). In an analysis of outbreak data, the consumer group found that Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus caused 52 percent of food-poisoning outbreaks linked to turkey between 1990 and 1997. Salmonella caused the remaining 48 percent of outbreaks.

"Cooking turkeys thoroughly -- to 180 degrees -- can eliminate such well-known hazards as Salmonella and Campylobacter. But other problems can occur if holiday leftovers aren't properly handled," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food-safety director for CSPI. "This year, we're issuing a 'leftovers alert' for holiday food preparers, because a large percentage of food-poisoning outbreaks linked to turkey were caused by bacteria that grow in fully-cooked food that is left out too long or is not chilled thoroughly."

To stop bacterial growth on leftovers, CSPI recommends consumers use a simple formula:

• 2 hours: Move the meal from the oven to the feast to the refrigerator in two hours or less.

• 2 inches: Store refrigerated food at a shallow depth -- about two inches -- to speed chilling.

• 4 days: Eat refrigerated leftovers in four days or less. Freeze leftovers that will be kept longer.

"Following the 2 hours -- 2 inches -- 4 days formula for all leftovers could help prevent about 400,000 food-related illnesses each year," said DeWaal.

Buying/Spending 2006

Please, spare me the whole "Black Friday" debate that riled up my readers last year. Journalists get their underwear in a wad over a day that apparently was named by a PR firm. The National Retail Federation gives this forecast of who is buying what in 2006:

With the average shopper expected to spend nearly $800 this year on holiday merchandise, retailers may be jingling all the way ... to the bank. The National Retail Federation's 2006 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found that the average consumer plans to spend $791.10 this holiday season, up from $738.11 last year. Furthermore, shoppers will take advantage of sales and discounts during the holiday season to spend an additional $99.22 on themselves.

"With gas prices coming down and consumer sentiment on the rise, shoppers want to celebrate the holidays in style," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. "Retailers will be sure to give consumers a reason to spend their extra disposable income in the stores with enticing incentives and special promotions."

Consumers this year will shop at a variety of destinations for holiday gifts. While discount stores (70.3%) continue to be the most popular holiday shopping location, many people will also be shopping at specialty stores (48.4 percent), grocery stores (49.3 percent), drug stores (21.0 percent), and crafts or fabrics stores (20.5 percent). Additionally, nearly half (47.1%) of consumers said they plan to shop online this year, up from 36.0 percent three years ago.

This holiday season is likely to bring good news for department stores, as 61.6 percent of shoppers plan to shop there for holiday items, up from 53.1 percent in 2003. Department stores are likely to see much of their traffic from young adults with a whopping 79.1 percent of 18 [to] 24[-]year-olds planning to shop at department stores for holiday merchandise, up from 72.9 percent last year and 65.9 percent in 2004.

Gift Cards

The National Retail Federation says gift cards will be huge again this year:

The fourth annual National Retail Federation (NRF) Gift Card Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found that gift card sales will total $24.81 billion this holiday season, an impressive $6 billion increase over 2005 when gift card sales hit $18.48 billion. Furthermore, the average consumer will spend more on gift cards than they did last year ($116.51 vs. $88.03 in 2005).

"The popularity of gift cards has increased at a remarkable rate," said Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO. "Consumers love gift cards because they take the guessing out of holiday shopping and retailers love them because they are easy to stock and take up minimum shelf space."

With their popularity soaring among consumers of all ages, gift cards will be making an appearance on the lists of both gift givers and receivers. According to the survey, more than two-thirds (79.7 percent) of consumers polled said that they plan on purchasing at least one gift card this holiday season and more than half (52.8 percent) said they would like to receive a gift card this year.

Unused Gift Cards

Last year's most popular gift may well be this year's most popular gift -- gift cards. But a surprising number of cards from last year still have not been spent. The Kansas City (Mo.) Star says:

Consumers are expected to spend $24.8 billion on gift cards this holiday season, about $6 billion more than in 2005, according to the National Retail Federation.

Yet, while gift cards are increasingly popular among gift buyers, some recipients appear less than overwhelmed.

In fact, between 5 percent and 10 percent of gift cards never get used. That means nearly $2.5 billion will be spent on gift cards that remain stuck in a consumer's wallet or top bureau drawer, according to The Keane Organization, a compliance and risk management business.

And some states are hungrily eyeing that unused gift money as "abandoned property," which means if the money goes unclaimed, a state may have a right to claim it for its treasury.

"We've seen a number of states get very aggressive about going after unused gift cards," said Debbie Zumoff, chief compliance officer of The Keane Organization, in a statement.

Consumer Reports says:

Most annoying are expiration dates and maintenance or dormancy fees, which can drain a card's value. Case in point: You can't use the BankFirst iCard Visa Gift Card after six months, yet it's still charged maintenance ($25 every six months). If you ask for the remaining money as a check, you'll pay even more fees.

Gift cards come in two flavors: Retail cards, from stores and restaurants, are valid only at the retailer named on the card. Bank cards are good at any merchant (and sometimes ATMs) that accepts the credit-card logo shown on them. But bank cards are especially apt to have fees.

What you can do. Whether giving or receiving, read the terms on the card or packaging and on the issuer's Web site. Avoid cards that make you call for info.

Try to get a card without an expiration date, shipping charges (if you're buying online), pre- or post-purchase fees, and maintenance fees. The best cards don't unreasonably limit the recipient to certain products or services, can be used online and at traditional stores, and can be replaced without charge if lost or stolen (the cardholder will probably need to produce an original receipt).

For more guidance, see the 2006 report of the Montgomery County, Md., Office of Consumer Protection [PDF], which assesses dozens of cards annually.

Holiday Excuse Generator

Always trying to be helpful, I want to get you out of attending the crummy parties that you want to avoid. So here, my dear readers, is an online excuse generator.

We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.