Was somebody handing out free breakfasts worldwide, tied up in ribbons with an expenses-paid trip to Paris included? That might justify why so many news reports this week gave such sizzle to a study by experts convened by the World Health Organization. Alas, no such giveaway was under way, and the sober scientists were explaining something….
Continue ReadingFood Safety
‘Performance’ Supplement BMPEA Linked to Strokes
In April, the FDA sent warning letters to five nutritional supplement companies demanding that they stop selling products containing BMPEA, an amphetaminelike stimulant. This month, a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that this dangerous compound might cause a stroke. We blogged last month about BMPEA-containing supplements promoted for weight-loss and sports performance,….
Continue ReadingConfused by Use-by/Sell-by Dates?
Unless your sense of smell is on vacation, it’s pretty clear when you stick your nose into a quart of milk if it’s still safe to drink. But as the 48 million estimated cases of food poisoning every year attest, smell and taste are not good indicators of whether or not a food is safe….
Continue ReadingConflict of Interest Leads to Potentially Risky Ingredients in Dietary Supplements
Last week the New York Times editorialized about conflicts of interest with the FDA that cast an ominous light on the discovery earlier this month of an amphetaminelike substance in diet pills and sports supplements. The compound, called BMPEA, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times, has not been tested in humans, and….
Continue ReadingFunding Shortfall Compromises Food Safety
You have to praise passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2010, the first major overhaul of food safety oversight in 70 years. It gave the FDA additional powers to prevent food-borne illnesses. But you also have to question why Congress still hasn’t appropriated enough money to fulfill the act’s mission. Within the….
Continue ReadingHow to Get the Right Amount of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for maintaining bone health and strength. It also contributes to nerve, muscle and immune function, and helps to moderate inflammation. But ensuring that you get enough vitamin D is complicated by much public misinformation about it. There has been a lot of discussion lately about testing (well … overtesting)….
Continue ReadingFDA Wants to Revise Food Safety Regulations
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed in 2011, but it has yet to be fully enacted. And as of last month, the FDA announced plans to revise rules for its implementation after getting complaints by the agricultural industry that the food safety rules proposed earlier this year are too harsh. The FSMA was….
Continue ReadingCompany Fined Millions for Selling Contaminated Eggs
Quality Egg LLC didn’t exactly live up to its name by mislabeling and marketing eggs that were well past their sell-by date, and two employees compounded those errors by bribing a federal agriculture inspector to look the other way. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the Iowa outfit was fined $6.8 million for selling….
Continue ReadingThe Dangers of Raw Milk
Some people tout the benefits of drinking raw milk as being easier to digest, richer nutritionally and providing beneficial bacteria that otherwise die during pasteurization. They claim that it tastes better and offers more protection against asthma and lactose intolerance. When animals are raised properly and their milk is treated carefully, say these advocates, raw….
Continue ReadingFDA’s Weak Plan to Phase Out Routine Use of Antibiotics in Animals
The increasing resistance to antibiotics has long been in the news. So has the widespread practice of giving those meds to livestock not only to treat disease, but to speed growth. Last week, the FDA finally acknowledged that such business practices are a threat to public health, and announced that nonmedical use of antibiotics on….
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