Question: Can you tell me whether it's safe now to eat peanut butter and pistachio nuts?

Answer: The danger from salmonella contamination of peanut butter and pistachio nuts depends on the product and the brand.

The federal Food and Drug Administration says the recall of peanut and peanut butter products stemmed from “;an ingredient-driven outbreak,”; in which potentially contaminated ingredients affected many different products distributed through various channels.

The Peanut Corporation of America, which has since declared bankruptcy, made the recalled peanut butter and paste that were common ingredients in cookies, crackers, cereal, candy, ice cream, pet treats and other products.

The FDA advises consumers “;to discard and not eat products that have been recalled.”;

Go to www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm to find out what products have been recalled. That database is updated as new recalls are issued.

You can also call the Centers for Disease Control's toll-free hot line, (800) 232-4636.

Regarding pistachios, the FDA advises consumers to avoid them “;unless they can determine that the products do not contain pistachios from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.”;

Go to www.fda.gov/pistachios to find out what pistachio products have been recalled.

The FDA says that Web page is updated frequently but does not reflect all products that contain pistachios from Setton. Consumers are advised to contact the retailer that sold the product or the manufacturer to ask whether the product contains Setton pistachios.

Question: Due to the high cost of parking, I no longer pay for parking at my job's parking structure. Instead, I park several blocks away on the street. But on my daily walk to work, I find that there is dog feces in a certain area by Ward Avenue. I tried a different route and again, more dog poop! Is there any law against people not picking up after their dogs?

Answer: Yes, there is. Section 29-4.4 (a)(9) of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu says no person shall “;permit an animal owned by such person or while in the person's custody to excrete any solid waste in any public place or on any private premises not the property of such owner.”;

There is no violation “;if the owner of the offending animal promptly and voluntarily removes the animal waste.”;

The Honolulu Police Department enforces the litter law, so you are advised to call HPD at 911 to file a complaint. However, unless an officer witnesses the owner not picking up after a pet, no citation can be issued.

Auwe

To the woman who reversed her white sedan into my daughter's blue Toyota Yaris sedan at Central Oahu Regional Park Sunday morning, May 17. My 17-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son didn't know what to do. The woman said it was my daughter's fault, although it was clearly hers as my daughter's car wasn't moving. She said her husband would be mad at her, and she just drove off. Now we have a car with a smashed left front bumper with white paint on it. My daughter was too shaken up to get the woman's driver's license number and insurance card, or to call police to file a report.—Where's the Aloha

Write to “;Kokua Line”; at Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).