Remember those graphic, sometimes gory, cigarette warning labels the FDA came up with? Well, a U.S. District Judge has sided with the tobacco companies and ruled that the warnings violate cigarette-makers’ right to free speech. [More]
Quality & Safety
FDA Adds Diabetes & Memory Loss Warnings To Statins
By 2.28.12
Widely used cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Simcor (simvastatin/niacin extended-release), Vytorin (simvastatin/ezetimibe) and many others will now have additional warnings on their packaging, according to an announcement from the Food & Drug Administration. [More]
Birth Control Pills Recalled: Tablets Are Out Of Order In Blister Packs
By 2.27.12
February is turning into quite the unfortunate month for birth control recalls — earlier this month one million pill packets were recalled by Pfizer, and now another company, Glenmark Generics, says seven lots of its pills might have tablets in the wrong order in blister packs. [More]
Raw Milk From PA Now Linked To At Least 78 Illnesses
By 2.27.12
Here is some news that will definitely stoke the debate over the safety of drinking unpasteurized milk. The number of raw milk drinkers that have fallen ill from tainted milk sold by one Pennsylvania farm has now hit at least 78 people in four states. [More]
Goodyear Recalls 41,000 Tires Over Tearing Concerns
By 2.27.12
Worried that its Wrangler Silent Armor line of tires are prone to causing very bad years for their owners, Goodyear initiated a recall of about 41,000 of the products. The company says that a small number of the tires, made for trucks, SUVs and vans, can tear and cause accidents. [More]
FDA Green Lights Imports Of Cancer Drugs To Ease Shortages
By 2.22.12
Of all the agonies that confront cancer patients, an unnecessary shortage of drugs they need must be among the more frustrating. The Food and Drug Administration is showing some compassion for the sick by easing import rules for two crucial cancer drugs in order to bulk up supply. [More]
FDA Will Give Another Look To Weight Loss Pill Said To Cause Birth Defects, Heart Problems
By 2.20.12
Qnexa, a diet pill that some researchers say increases risks of birth defects and heart problems, is getting a second shot at making its way to the market. After rejecting the drug in 2010, the Food and Drug Administration will review Qnexa again Wednesday. [More]
FDA Warns About Potential For Chipped Teeth, Eye Injuries From Crest/Arm & Hammer Spinbrush
By 2.17.12
If you ever looked at an Arm & Hammer Spinbrush (formerly the Crest Spinbrush) and thought “a toothbrush with all those moving parts could potentially wreak havoc if something goes wrong,” the folks at the Food & Drug Administration have confirmed your concerns. [More]
Got Lipstick? There's Probably Some Lead In It
By 2.15.12
Back in 2007, the Food & Drug Administration did a small sample test on 33 lipsticks and found varying levels of lead in two-thirds of them. As a follow-up, the FDA requested testing of a significantly larger sampling and has now announced that it found at least trace amounts of lead in 400 varieties. [More]
Study: Driving While Stoned Is Very Dangerous, But Not As Risky As Drunk Driving
By 2.10.12
You might have a friend — or you might even be that person — who swears that they actually drive better after smoking a bit of marijuana (I believe the kids call it “reefer”); that it clears their head and helps them focus. But a new study confirms what many people had probably already guessed: that smoking pot and driving isn’t exactly a good idea. [More]
A Million Tassimo Single-Cup Brewers Recalled For Possibility They'll Spew Molten Coffee
By 2.9.12
If you love the simple joy of brewing up your own cup of hot coffee at home in the morning, be careful — more than a million Tassimo single-cup brewers have been recalled after the Consumer Product Safety Commission says they’re spraying hot liquid, coffee grounds or tea leaves onto people. [More]
Lawmakers Announce Legislation To Set Limits On Arsenic & Lead In Fruit Juice
By 2.8.12
In the wake of a recent Consumer Reports investigation that found high levels of arsenic and lead in a number of fruit juices, Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey and Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro today announced the “Arsenic Prevention and Protection from Lead Exposure in Juice (APPLE Juice) Act of 2012,” which would require the Food and Drug Administration to set standards for arsenic and lead in fruit juices. [More]
At Least 35 People Ill After Drinking Raw Milk
By 2.3.12
Unpasteurized, aka “raw,” milk is illegal to sell in a number of states because of concerns about possible pathogen contamination. Of course, those bans also tend to make raw milk a sought-after delicacy for those who believe that pasteurization has a negative effect on the taste and nutritional value of milk. But in the last few weeks, at least 35 people in four states have become ill after consuming the unpasteurized stuff. [More]
HP Recalls 1 Million Fax Machines Because "Fire" Is Not A Paper-Friendly Feature
By 2.2.12
Hewlett-Packard has announced a recall of more than one million HP Fax 1040 and 1050 fax machines in North America because the machines have faulty internal electric components that can fail, causing the machines to overheat and possibly catch fire. [More]
Report Links Taco Bell To 2011 Salmonella Outbreak In 10 States
By 2.2.12
Last fall, at least 68 people in 10 states fell ill following an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis. In the months since, the Centers for Disease Control have only referred to a possible source of that strain as “Restaurant Chain A,” but a new report claims to have confirmed that the anonymous chain is actually Taco Bell. [More]
Pfizer Recalls Birth Control Pills For Being Potentially Unable To Prevent Pregnancy
By 2.1.12
Pfizer announced yesterday that they’re recalling around 1 million packets of birth control pills in the U.S. Consumers won’t be harmed if they do take them, but the company warned there may not be enough contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. [More]
Legislator Calls For Ban On Imaginary Practice Of Using Aborted Fetuses In Food Products
By 1.25.12
Because the lawmakers of this nation don’t have real-world issues that need to be resolved, a state senator in Oklahoma has introduced legislation that would finally put a stop to the abominable, completely nonexistent practice of using tissue from aborted fetuses in food. [More]
NHTSA Says Don't Worry About Your Chevy Volt Erupting Into Flames More Than Other Cars
By 1.23.12
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is shutting the books on its recent safety investigation into Chevrolet Volt battery packs when a few erupted into flames after crash tests. The verdict: Chevy Volts are just as likely to explode as any other cars. [More]
