If one is honest with oneself, she will recognize that the most exotic ingredients in her Italian-themed frozen foods are likely the plastic trays they're packaged in. A new recall for Lean Cuisine frozen chicken meals ("approximately" 879,565 pounds of them) offers the addition of one more exotic ingredient: "foreign matter," namely bits of hard plastic of unknown origin that caused at least one injury.

The company which packaged the products, Nestle Prepared Foods Company of Springville, Utah, is voluntarily recalling the products after several consumer complaints and the lone injury. The three meals that are part of the recall are the 10.5-ounce "chicken mediterranean" pictured here; 9.5-ounce "pesto chicken with bow-tie pasta" and 12.5-ounce "chicken tuscan." Further information about specific bar codes and sell-by dates can be found at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

While this is in no way a serious health risk, the enormous size of the recall and the timing -- coming in an environment in which budget-conscious consumers are beginning to question the true "convenience," nutritional value and safety of packaged food -- will be somewhat harmful for the convenience food industry as a whole. As someone who is taking a more cautious eye toward the food she is feeding her family, I have been asking questions such as, "if pieces of hard plastic weren't even recognized until consumers complained, what invisible ingredients have been slipping through without reparation or admittance?" In food, that what you can't see; and don't recognize for many years; is the most harmful of all.

Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) is banning plastic bags from its 270 locations. The switch to a choice between reusable bags and paper will take effect on Earth Day, April 22.

It's certainly a bold move and demonstrates a lot of concern for the environment. It will also spruce up Whole Foods' image as an environmentally-conscious retailer and generate a ton of free publicity for the company, starting with the New York Times story.

Whole Foods has served as a trend-setter for the larger grocery chains, and this move could inspire stores like Kroger (NYSE: KR) and Safeway (NYSE: SWY) to make similar switches, depending on how it works out.

During its trial runs, Whole Foods found that eliminating plastic only led to a 10% increase in paper bag use, demonstrating that consumers tend to switch to the reusable bags.

That's good for the environment, and it also cuts costs: Even Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) has taken notice by phasing in reusable bags as a third option. The plastic bag seems destined for obsolescence.

The 21st century may be the end of the "Plastics, young man!" era.

Most of you have probably heard about the local ordinance that will ban the use of petroleum-based plastic bags in the city of San Francisco. Reports state that the measure is likely to pass with the Mayor's signature. I will refrain from stating any opinion on whether I think the move is good or bad. What I want to mention about the likely change in West Coast grocery bag options is that I think this provides an opportunity for the snatching of some timely investments.

Quick! Find those companies that produce brown kraft paper roll stock and get a little chunk of them. When the bag measure passes, those companies might get a nice boost. You may wish to consider subsidiaries of (privately held) Koch Industries, International Paper (NYSE: IP), Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) or possibly Domtar (NYSE: DTC) (Toronto:DTC). On the local level, find the companies that are manufacturing brown paper bags for the West Coast market.

It is my personal opinion that this change in bag material usage will catch on fast, most especially on the coasts. Look into the shopping bag manufacturing field with a critical eye and watch this situation closely. If it looks like this shopping bag pony is going to "break out of the gate," I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be one pony that you want to ride!

I remember how innocent I was, long before I was a parent. Do you remember that time? When you were young, perhaps it was the 80s, or the early 90s. You imagined bringing a baby into your home one day, certainly, it was far off in the future but the image was clear, if a bit soft-focused around the edges: all was fuzzy, wuzzy, warm, soft, and gentle. If you imagined your home with a kitchen, in fact, the knives were all tucked safely away in a hand-oiled maple block somewhere, way, way back on the counter.

[Big sound of brakes squeaking, wheels skidding, cars smashing into walls, screams...]

And then, I became a parent in the new millennium. And my world was filled with the most fearsome, warlike cutting implements. Industrial-strength scissors that came apart at the hinge so you could sharpen them daily. Hunting knives with a whetting stone, glistening next to the sink (where I keep my gentle organic hand soap). A typical day in my first child's infancy might find my knuckles raw, my fingers calloused, battle wounds all over my fingers.

I'd been faced with my children's toy packaging.