If you like to grab a handful of nuts for a quick snack now and then, you might want to check that your stash doesn’t include raw cashew pieces from Trader Joe’s, as they may come with a side of salmonella. [More]
food and drug administration
Hampton Creek: FDA Grants Condiment Dispensation, Eggless “Just Mayo” Can Keep Its Name
By 12.17.15
An ongoing battle about the nature of mayonnaise that began in November 2014 seems to have finally reached a peaceful resolution: the Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow Just Mayo, sold by Hampton Creek, call itself “mayo,” even though the vegan, eggless product technically isn’t mayonnaise, according to the government’s definition. [More]
Hampton Creek Explains To The FDA That “Mayo” Is Not Necessarily “Mayonnaise”
By 10.30.15
Hampton Creek, the company behind an eggless product called “Just Mayo,” has responded to the Food and Drug Administration’s warning that its product isn’t mayonnaise, and thus, shouldn’t be called “mayo.” That seems just fine by Hampton Creek, which recently responded to the FDA by agreeing with it. [More]
Group Suing FDA For Failing To Cut Excess Sodium In The Food Supply
By 10.8.15
A nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group is taking the Food and Drug Administration to federal court, claiming the agency hasn’t reduced sodium in packaged and other foods. This puts Americans at risk for stroke, heart disease and other health problems, the lawsuit claims. [More]
RJ Reynolds Ordered To Stop Selling 4 Cigarette Brands
By 9.15.15
The nation’s top cigarette manufacturer must stop selling four products after federal regulators determined RJ Reynolds failed to show the brands did not pose increased health risks compared to items already on the market. [More]
FDA Warns Company Behind “Just Mayo” That Its Product Isn’t Actually Mayonnaise
By 8.25.15
What difference does a food label make? A whole heck of a lot, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Which means if your product doesn’t abide by federal guidelines, it can’t masquerade as something it’s not. As such, the FDA is warning the makers of “Just Mayo,” a vegan-friendly spread, that it can’t call itself mayo because mayonnaise contains eggs, which its product does not. [More]
Unsanitary Growing Conditions Lead To Partial Import Ban On Mexican Cilantro
By 7.27.15
Bad news for cilantro lovers: U.S. officials have implemented a partial ban on imports of the herb after health officials linked hundreds of illnesses to cilantro growing in feces- and toilet paper-covered fields in Mexico. [More]
How Recalls Work (And Don’t) And Why They’re All So Different
By 6.8.15
Manufacturers — of all kinds — usually try hard to get it right on the first try. From banana muffins to bicycle helmets, it’s in a company’s best interests to make their products perfect. Not only is it better for their reputation and their business, but it’s less expensive, in the long run, and causes less trouble. Sometimes, though, something just goes wrong. [More]
FDA Report Shows Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Failed To Adequately Comply With Testing, Cleaning Procedures
By 5.21.15
While Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams prepares to reopen its scoop shops this weekend, newly released federal investigation reports show the Ohio-based company’s issues date back several years before its public battle with listeria contamination. [More]
Johnson & Johnson Creating An Independent Panel To Review Patient Requests For Unapproved Drugs
By 5.7.15
What’s a sick person to do when all the drugs on the market haven’t been able to help ease their ailment? Some of the seriously ill turn to medical trials held by drug companies to gain access to experimental drugs, but it’s not always easy to accomplish. A new system from Johnson & Johnson will employ an independent panel to review requests from seriously ill people who want to try an unapproved drug without participating in the actual testing of the drug. [More]
FDA To Health Food Companies: The Word ‘Healthy’ Has An Actual Meaning
By 4.14.15
Kind bars are quite tasty, but are they healthy? Sure, they’re made from ostensibly healthy ingredients like nuts and dried fruit, but some bars also have ingredients like chocolate and peanut butter. The Food and Drug Administration sent the company a warning letter about their use of the word “healthy” to describe their snacks on the label. [More]
Sabra Recalling 30,000 Cases Of Classic Hummus Over Listeria Fears
By 4.9.15
Whether you like to dip pita chips or veggies, pretzels or just your fingers, check that hummus package before you go snacking: Sabra is recalling 30,000 cases of its classic flavor of hummus sold nationwide over fears that the product could be tainted with listeria. [More]
Study: Raising Legal Age To Buy Cigarettes To 21 Would Result In Fewer Smokers
By 3.12.15
By this point everyone can agree that smoking is harmful to your health, and yet there are still new smokers starting up the habit year after year. A new study from the Institute of Medicine says that swell in numbers could be curbed by raising the legal age to buy cigarettes to 21. [More]
Father Of Teen Poisoned By Caffeine Powder Files Lawsuit Blaming His Death On Supplement Makers, Amazon
By 3.6.15
The father of an Ohio teen who died in 2014 after ingesting a powdered caffeine marketed as a dietary supplement has filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com and the product’s distributors, claiming that they failed to provide proper warnings about the dangers of using the substance. [More]
FDA Finds Some Dark Chocolate Products Contain Milk, Despite Their Labels
By 2.11.15
‘Tis the season for showing you remembered to buy something for your loved one, but if the object of your affection is lactose-intolerant, you might want to think twice before splashing out on a deluxe dark chocolate Valentine’s Day gift. [More]
California Apple Plant Issues Recall After Tests Find Link To Deadly Listeria Contamination
By 1.12.15
Federal investigators have confirmed a connection between a California apple processing plant and a strain of listeria bacteria responsible for killing seven people and sickening more than 30 others, prompting the producer to recall an undetermined number of Gala and Granny Smith Apples from retailers. [More]
Third Candy Apple Maker Recalls Treats For Possible Listeria Contamination
By 12.30.14
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned consumers to avoid some caramel apples after at least 30 people in 10 states have been infected with Listeriosis due to Listeria monocytogenes. This week a third candy maker is recalling caramel apples, the government said, out of concern that its apples may be tainted with Listeria as well. [More]
Several Brands Of Baby Wipes Recalled For Possible Bacterial Contamination
By 10.27.14
Consumers use baby wipes for any number of reasons, but they all revolve around the same purpose: cleansing. While the wipes manufactured by a Pennsylvania company will probably remove that smudge of chocolate from your child’s cheek, it might also leave behind bacteria. [More]
