Hotlines
By Hklbrries
Food Hotlines (Compiled JULY 1998)
Help Is Only a FREE Call Away!
When the instructions say to baste your turkey, do you reach for a needle and thread?
Are you on a special diet and need to know more about a specific product?
Do you need information on safely handling perishable foods?
Do you want to know more about using a particular food in a recipe?
If so, you can call the toll-free numbers listed here for professional help. You'll get the assistance you need, and your call will help the company or organization track what consumers are thinking and what they need to know about food products.
Here are some tips for using toll-free numbers:
To learn if there is a hotline for an organization or company, call directory assistance at 1-800-555-1212.
New food hotlines are continually being added. Also, some numbers change or are dropped. Check product labels for further hotline information if some of these numbers are discontinued. Or call directory assistance at 1-800-555-1212.
Many hotlines are very popular. Grab a favorite book or magazine in case you have to wait before your call goes through.
Some hotlines ask callers with touch tone phones to push various numbers to reach the area of needed assistance. It may help to have a paper and pencil handy. Or, many times, you can wait for a live operator even if you have a touch tone phone.
"Store brands" usually don't carry hotline numbers. Check with the place of purchase if you have a question about these products.
Many food companies will provide recipes for their products. Check with them if you are looking for recipe information.
The hotline numbers in this publication are arranged according to these categories:
Part 1: Food Companies/Food-Related Associations & Organizations
Dairy Foods
Fruits & Vegetables
Grain Products
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs & Legumes
Miscellaneous
Part 2: Food Preservation
Part 3: General Food, Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Information
Part 4: Appliances, Equipment and Cookware
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Part 1: Dairy Foods
Borden's
1-800-426-7336
Dannon Yogurt
1-800-321-2174
Kraft, Inc. (cheeses, macaroni and cheese dinners)
1-800-323-0768
Lactaid, Inc. (source of tablet, "Lactaid" for lactose intolerance - sample available)
1-800-522-8243
Land O' Lakes, Inc. (butter, sour cream, etc.)
1-800-328-4155
Land O'Lakes Holiday Bakeline, 800-782-9606 (Seasonal)
www.landolakes.com
Pet Inc. (Pillsbury) (evaporated/dried milk and other products)
1-800-325-7130
Dairy Council of Central States
1-800-279-2643
Part 1: Fruits & Vegetables
DelMonte Consumer Affairs
1-800-543-3090
Dole (fruit and fruit products)
1-800-232-8800
Freida's Finest Produce (answers questions about calories, storage and cooking of exotic produce)
1-800-421-9477
Green Giant (Pillsbury Company)
1-800-767-4466
Kraft General Foods
1-800-431-1001 (general information)
Minute Maid Juices (Coca Cola Foods)
1-800-438-2653
Mott's (juices & applesauce)
1-800-426-4891
Sunkist (citrus fruits)
1-800-248-7875
Part 1: Grain Products
Duncan Hines (cakes, frosting, other mixes)
1-800-346-6478
General Mills, Inc.
1-800-328-6787 (Gold Medal Flour, Bisquick, Betty Crocker Cake Mixes, Soft as Silk Cake Flour)
1-800-328-1144 (cereals)
1-800-231-0308 (snacks)
Kellogg's (mainly cereals and breakfast products)
1-800-962-1413
Kraft General Foods
1-800-431-1001 (general information)
1-800-431-1003 (Minute Rice/Post cereals)
Nabisco
1-800-932-7800
Nebraska Wheat Board
471-2358 (Lincoln)
Pillsbury
1-800-767-4466
Bread-Making/Bread Machine Information
Red Star Yeast
1-800-445-4746
Part 1: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs & Legumes
Beano (Beano reduces gas that may result when
eating foods such as dried beans. Call for information and/or a free sample.)
1-800-257-8650
Butterball Turkey (answers questions on turkey preparation)
1-800-288-8372 (year-round)
1-800-323-4848 (Nov.-Dec.)
Eggbeaters (Nabisco Brands)
1-800-932-7800
Egg Nutrition Center
1-800-833-3447
Hormel Foods Corporation Consumer Affairs
1-800-523-4635
Nabisco (Fleischmanns Egg Beaters)
1-800-932-7800
Nebraska Beef Council
1-800-421-5326
Nebraska Dry Bean Commission
(no toll-free number, can be reached by writing: 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361)
Nebraska Pork Producers Association
472-2563 (Lincoln)
Nebraska Poultry Industries, Inc. (egg and turkey questions)
472-2051 (Lincoln)
Nebraska Soybean Program (includes information about tofu)
1-800-852-2326
Seafood Hotline (FDA) (proper handling, safety, nutrition, and storage of fish)
1-800-332-4010
Taylor Kitchen Thermometer Hotline
1-888-298-2956 (recorded message on food safety temperatures)
Tyson Foods, Inc. (beef, pork, poultry and seafood products - give freezing, thawing and nutritional information)
1-800-233-6332
United Soybean Board (includes information about tofu)
1-800-825-5769
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (correct handling, label, nutrition and food safety information)
1-800-535-4555
Part 1: Miscellaneous Artificial Sweeteners
NutraSweet & Equal (aspartame)
1-800-321-7254
Sunette (acesulfame K)
1-800-344-5807
Sweet `n' Low (saccharin)
1-800-221-1763
Sweet One (acesulfame K)
1-800-544-8610
Baby Foods
Beechnut
1-800-523-6633
Gerber
1-800-443-7237
Heinz
1-800-872-2229
Spices and Flavorings
McCormick/Schilling
1-800-632-5847
Mrs. Dash Sodium Information Hotline (answers questions about sodium content of foods and gives recipe ideas using Mrs. Dash, a seasoning blend for people trying to lower the salt content of foods)
1-800-622-3274
Tone Spice's Advice Line
1-800-247-5251
Other
Baker's Chocolate
1-800-431-1001
Bertolli Olive Oil
1-800-908-9789
Butter Buds
1-800-231-1123
Campbell's
1-800-257-8443
Coca-Cola
1-800-438-2653
Con Agra Foods
1-800-722-1344
Cool Whip (General Foods)
1-800-431-1001
Hershey Food Corporation (chocolate products)
1-800-468-1714
International Olive Oil Hotline (also answers questions about oil in general)
1-800-232-6548
Jell-O (Kraft General Foods)
1-800-431-1001
Kraft, Inc. (mayonnaise, dressing)
1-800-323-0768
Land of Lakes Holiday Bake Line
(operates during November and December, answers questions on holiday baking)
1-800-782-9606
Minute Maid
1-800-888-6488
National Honey Board
1-800-356-5941
Nestle Foods Corporation
1-800-456-4117 (general information)
1-800-637-8537 (baking and candy questions)
1-800-637-8539 ( tea, coffee, juices, chocolate, drink mixes)
Pepsi Cola
1-800-433-2652
Proctor and Gamble
1-800-766-7309 (Puritan or Crisco Oil)
Saran Wrap (Dow Brands)
1-800-428-4795
Part 2: Food Preservation
Canning Products/Food Preservation
Ball & Kerr (Alltristra Corp)
(answer canning questions; source of supplies, newsletter)
1-800-240-3340
Certo (Kraft) (a liquid pectin for making jelly)
1-800-431-1001
Dow Brands (SE Johnson & Wax) (answer questions about freezing in ziploc bags)
1-800-428-4795
Ever-Fresh (prevents fruits from browning)
1-800-431-1001
Fruit Fresh (Ball & Kerr) (prevents fruits from browning)
1-800-240-3340
Kitchen Krafts (source of hard-to-find canning supplies, including Clear Jel starch, a thickener used in some canned pie filling recipes)
1-800-776-0575
Mirro (pressure canner information)
1-800-558-7797
Presto (canner information)
1-800-877-0441
Sure Jell (a powdered pectin for making jelly)
1-800-437-3284
Sweet Celebrations (source of Clear Jel A and other unusual products)
1-800-328-6722
Part 3: General Food, Nutrition, Food Safety & Health Information
American Cancer Society
1-800-227-2345 (National)
489-0339 (Lincoln)
American Council on Exercise
1-800-234-9229
American Diabetes Association
1-800-232-3472 (National)
489-5115 (Lincoln)
American Heart Association
1-800-642-8400 (Omaha)
489-5115 (Lincoln)
American Institute for Cancer Research
1-800-843-8114
Arthritis Foundation
421-3311 (Lincoln)
Ask-A-Nurse
473-5500 (Lincoln)
Calcium Information Center
1-800-321-2681
Dial-a-Registered Dietitian
483-9475 (Lincoln)
Federal Information Center (helps you find the agency you need)
1-800-735-8004
Food Allergy Network
1-800-929-4040
Lincoln City Libraries
(source of cookbooks - check phone book for phone number of library nearest you. If you are unable to get to the library because of temporary or extended disability, extended illness, or are otherwise restricted to your home, you are eligible for "Home Outreach by Mail". Call 441-8548 for more information. For the book mobile schedule for additional sites within Lincoln and surrounding towns where books may be obtained, call 441-8547. You can call and order items to be delivered at these sites.
Lincoln Council on Alcoholism & Drugs
475-2694
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
441-8000
March of Dimes (birth defects)
464-6612
National Cancer Institute
1-800-422-6237
National Health Information Center
(will direct you to appropriate agency, i.e. cancer, alcohol, allergies, etc.)
1-800-336-4797
National Lead Information Center
1-800-424-5323 (safety of soil & food)
1-800-532-3394 (general topics)
National Osteoporosis Foundation
1-800-223-9994
National Pesticide Telecommunications Network (information regarding specific pesticides)
1-800-858-7378
Nebraska Department of Aging (general health and nutrition information)
1-800-942-7830
Poison Control Center
1-800-955-9119
Safe Drinking Water Hotline, EPA (information on drinking water contaminants)
1-800-426-4791
State Department of Health
471-2781 (nutrition & chronic disease, Kathy Goddard, R.D.)
471-2122 (water testing)
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County(nutrition & food safety)
441-7180
Emergency Food Assistance
People's City Mission
475-1303
Lincoln Action Program
471-4515
Part 4: Appliances, Equipment & Cookware
Amana/Corning (retailers, parts/service, product information)
1-800-843-0304
Braun (retailers, parts/service, general questions)
1-800-272-8622
Fridgadaire (retailers, parts/service, general questions)
1-800-451-7007
General Electric (major appliance repair/parts and lightbulb/battery questions)
1-800-626-2000
Kelvinator (retainers, parts/service, general questions)
1-800-323-7773
Mirro, Foley, Wearever, Rema (products, parts, etc.)
1-800-558-7797
Panasonic/Quasar
1-800-545-2672
Revere Copper & Brass
1-800-624-9218
Tappan (retailers, parts/service, general questions)
1-800-537-5530
Weber Steven Products
1-800-446-1071
Whirlpool/Kitchen Aid (retailers, parts/service, general questions)
1-800-253-1301
White-Westinghouse (general product questions)
1-800-245-0600
Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County.
Compiled by: Nancy Malone, Extension Assistant, Laura Covey, Extension Assistant,
and Alice Henneman, M.S., R.D., LMNT, Extension Educator, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County;
444 Cherrycreek Road; Lincoln, NE 68528; (402) 441-7180
(July '98)
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska and the United States Department of Agriculture.
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