We’ve seen this playbook before, and it’s never pretty how wealthy industries can distort scientific research and harm the public health for decades. Think tobacco and cancer, oil and climate change, football and brain injury. Now: sugar. Big Sugar secretly paid influential experts, steered and reviewed their inquiry, and, as a result, American health policy….
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In Virginia and nearby states, tainted berries blamed for hepatitis A outbreak
Although food-related health risks likely will be dipping a little with Americans’ outdoor feasting winding down with the summer-ending Labor Day holiday, state and federal health officials have confirmed they are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina. At least 70 infections have been linked to tainted frozen strawberries….
Continue ReadingDon’t be fooled by claims about sports drinks or alcohol
With the summer’s sizzle, it’s vital to stay hydrated. But take with a grain of salt the hype that prevails−for athletic “performance” drinks, and about recent reports on cancer risks and alcohol. For those who cut up limes in big quantities for their refreshments, it also may be worth taking note of a quirky health….
Continue ReadingStop snarfing down that raw dough, all you cookie monsters
In case you missed it, Uncle Sam has found a health monster of sorts in your home-made cookies: the raw dough that so many chefs and kids like to lick off the spoon or out of the bowl. It turns out that more than three dozen Americans in 20 states have been felled with illnesses….
Continue ReadingSugar pushers turn to tart tactics as health agencies work to make processed food healthier
Even as Uncle Sam stepped up efforts to get Americans to consume less salt, sugar interests are finding ways to try to stay one step ahead of health officials’ work to make processed foods both less salty and less sugary. The federal Food and Drug Administration surprised no one with its announcement, after years of controversy,….
Continue ReadingGood reads on breakfast, food labels, and salt intake
New reports on the hype of breakfast, revised food labeling, sliced fruit portions, and salt intake are worth checking out as we strive to sort hype from reliable information on diet, nutrition, eating, and wellness. Let’s start with the common belief that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. That’s not….
Continue ReadingFDA debuts first new food labels in two decades, as foes finally cave in
After two decades, Uncle Sam finally has decided to change the way Americans get important health information from labels on their food. The changes required by the federal Food and Drug Administration will take full effect by July 2018. But the battling over this public health measure has gone on since 2014─and some big agricultural lobbies….
Continue ReadingWill a full plate of dietary information baffle or inform Americans?
For anyone who made healthier eating a major new year’s resolution, there’s been much food for thought in recent news reports about what we put in our mouths. Here’s a quick look at timely developments: new federal nutrition guidelines, why consumers get confused about nutrition, how Mexican officials are getting good results in curbing some….
Continue ReadingMake the holidays an even sweeter season by capping sugar intake
Just a reminder to the health conscious: Make moderation your motto during the holiday eating season. And, if you’re heeding the Food and Drug Administration, it’s worth considering capping the amount of sugar you take in as part of your daily diet in the days ahead. That means, just for starters, no sugary soft drinks. The….
Continue ReadingWhen will we wise up about fast food, wellness, and food risks?
If Americans hadn’t already gotten a clue from books like Fast Food Nation and films like Super Size Me about just how harmful fast-food eating can be to health, they can look now to the latest outbreak of food-borne illness to raise further red flags, this time an E. coli outbreak tied to Chipoltle fast-food outlets: 40….
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