Food Safety News:
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TOP STORY
Biotech
Conference Ends After Protests
By KIM BACA Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Both protesters and
proponents claimed success after an international conference on how
genetically modified foods can help alleviate poverty in the Third World.
Hundreds of demonstrators who rallied against GMOs
during the three-day gathering were prevented by a large police presence
from causing major disruptions, but leaders said they got their message
through.
 Full
story
Eating Fish may Fight
Depression in Pregnant Women
San
Francisco, CA (Associated Press) Eating
salmon, sardines or other fish might help pregnant women avoid depression
before and after childbirth, a study suggests.
Seafood -- especially tuna, herring, salmon
and sardines -- contains omega-3 fatty acids, which prior studies have
found counter depression and protect against heart disease.
The federal government has warned pregnant
women about eating fish because of mercury contamination, but its
recommendations still allow eating up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of
species.
Full
story
Attorney
General Sues Grocers and Restaurants for Exposure to Mercury in Fish
FDA Issues Final Two Proposed Food
Safety Regulations
FDA recently announced publication of the
final two food safety proposed regulations required by the Public Health
Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 ("The
Act"), which gave FDA new authority to protect the nation's food
supply.
The proposals are two of four proposed
regulations that the Act calls upon FDA to develop regarding food safety.
These two proposals deal with establishing and maintaining records among
food firms, and the administrative detention of foods that may pose a risk
to public health. The other two proposals, concerning the registration of
food facilities and prior notice of imported foods, were published in
January 2003.
Full
story
Proposed
Regulations: Establishment and Maintenance of Records for Food
Manufacturers, Processors, Transporters
The
Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of
2002 (the Bioterrorism Act or the Act) requires the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to issue final regulations by December 12, 2003, that
would establish requirements regarding the establishment and maintenance,
for not longer than two years, of records by persons (excluding farms and
restaurants) who manufacture, process, pack, transport, distribute,
receive, hold, or import food. The records that must be kept by these
regulations are those that are needed by the Secretary for inspection to
allow the Secretary to identify the immediate previous sources and
immediate subsequent recipients of food, including its packaging, in order
to address credible threats of serious adverse health consequences or
death to humans or animals. This proposed regulation would implement this
recordkeeping authority in the Bioterrorism Act.
Full
story
Canadian Mad Cow Probe Widens
OTTAWA, Canada (CNN) -- Canadian health officials trying to
track the comings and goings of an 8-year-old cow infected with mad cow
disease said Friday they have quarantined 13 herds in three provinces that
have some connection to the cow.
The
sickly cow was pulled from a production line and killed in January at a
slaughterhouse in Alberta. Because its meat was not mixed with meat headed
for grocery stores and restaurants, health officials said they did not
test the cow for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) -- the scientific
name for mad cow disease -- until last week.
Full
story
Misbranded Dietary Supplements
Destroyed
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) announced that Nature's Youth, LLC, of
Centerville, Mass., has completed its voluntarily destruction of
approximately 5700 boxes (each containing a 30-day supply) of
its misbranded product, "Nature's Youth hGH." This
destruction, which occurred at locations in Massachusetts and
Florida, was recently completed and involved approximately
$515,000 worth of product. The firm also indicated it would
change the labeling for future marketing of the product in order
to comply with the law.
"FDA is
committed to help consumers make health and dietary choices
based on accurate information," said FDA Commissioner Mark
McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "FDA will continue to take strong
action to protect American consumers from dietary supplements
that are not accurately labeled or that make misleading claims
unsupported by scientific evidence."
Full
story
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FDA Draft Action
Plan for Acrylamide in Food - February 24, 2003 Update
FDA has developed an
action plan for acrylamide in food. The action plan outlines FDA's
goals and planned activities on the issue of acrylamide in food and
includes a timeline of planned meetings. It also discusses FDA's
intention to work with other federal agencies and to participate in
international efforts. The action plan will guide FDA's activities
on the issue of acrylamide over the next several years. FDA made a
draft version of the action plan available on the CFSAN website. FDA
also presented the draft action plan for public and scientific
comment at a public meeting on September 30, 2002, and at a meeting
of the Subcommittee on Contaminants and Natural Toxicants of the
Food Advisory Committee on December 4-5, 2002. The draft action plan
has been revised based on input at these meetings, and FDA is
presenting this revised action plan to the full Food Advisory
Committee (FAC) on February 24-25, 2003, in order to receive input
that will assist FDA in finalizing the plan. FDA will develop future
revisions of the plan, as needed, based on public comment from
meetings and on knowledge gained from research developments.
Full
Document
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FDA Proposes
Manufacturing and Labeling Standards for all Dietary Supplements
The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) recently took action to help Americans get
accurately labeled and properly manufactured dietary supplements,
through its Proposed Rule for Dietary Supplement Current
Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs). FDA is submitting
this proposed rule as part of the agencys ongoing effort to help
Americans take more control over their own health.
FDAs Proposed Rule for
Dietary Supplement Labeling and Manufacturing Standards
This
proposed rule would establish the standards necessary to ensure that
dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are not adulterated with
contaminants or impurities and are labeled to accurately reflect the
active ingredients and other ingredients in the product.
Full
story
HHS Acts to Reduce
Potential Risks of Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedra
The
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a
series of actions designed to protect Americans from potentially
serious risks of dietary supplement products containing ephedra.
The results
of a RAND Corporation study commissioned by the National Institutes
of Health, as well as other recent studies, provide additional
evidence that ephedra may be associated with important health risks.
The Rand report also finds only limited evidence of health benefits
resulting from ephedra use.
On the basis
of new evidence in the medical literature and in adverse event
reports, there are reasons for heightened concern that dietary
supplements containing ephedra may present a significant and
unreasonable risk of illness and injury.
Full
story
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