Us here at Extra Chewy would like remind everyone to recognize that the month of  October as NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

Even though no one close to me has been diagnosed, this is exciting progress. Sadly, there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

• Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.
• Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.
• Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.
• Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

For more information about NBCAM, please visit www.nbcam.org. For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers: American Cancer Society, (800) 227-2345, National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.

Image from - Heinz

So a couple of us at work were having lunch at IHop and noticed something (for the first time) on the bottle of Heinz that was sitting right in front of us.

There was what appears to be a pickle *or* jalapeno on the front of their centennial celebration bottle!!!

So we went back to the office and wrote Heinz an e-mail inquiring the very thing. We wre also curious as to why a pickle was chosen and not a tomato! Below is the answer that we got back from Heinz!

Dear consumer,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. As per your inquiry, in 1993, the H.J. Heinz Company marked the 100^th anniversary of the Heinz pickle pin. Along with samples of Heinz products, including pickles, H.J. Heinz had given away 1 million souvenir pickle pins at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The original pins were designed to be a watch chain charm and featured a 1 ¼ inch green gutta-percha pickle with “Heinz” on it. 100 years later, Heinz created the ‘Ketchup bottle’ pin.

Sincerely,

Gina D. Woodside

Consumer Services Coordinator

Heinz Canada

This pickle pin that they’re talking about is this:

Image from Flickr

Nice marketing idea there Heinz!!! I say bring them back (aka I want one!)