Denis Leary may shout about how crazy smart the engineers at Ford are in those irritating TV ads, but those engineers apparently weren’t smart enough to include an airbag that might not deploy without warning in the F-150 pickup. [More]
Quality & Safety
Toy Manufacturers Try To Block Online Injury Report Database
By 2.22.11
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is set to launch a database in the next few weeks that tracks reports of injuries resulting from strollers and cribs. A group of children’s product manufacturers are trying to coax lawmakers to stifle the database and roll back other health regulations. [More]
How Oral Sex Can Increase Risk Of Cancer
By 2.21.11
Oral sex seems less safe in light of news that it could surpass tobacco as the main cause of oral cancer for Americans age 50 and under. Human papilloma virus, known as HPV, can be passed from genitals to mouths, and the presence of the virus can lead to oral cancer. [More]
American Beverage Association Responds To Call For Ban On Caramel Coloring In Cola
By 2.18.11
Earlier this week, the Center For Science In The Public Interest petitioned the FDA to ban two forms of caramel coloring, claiming that the ammonia and sulfites used in the creation of the products results in allegedly carcinogenic chemicals making their way into the resulting food and drink. Consumerist reached out to Coca-Cola and Pepsi to get their side of the story, but were instead passed on to the American Beverage Association, which offered its own version of things. [More]
Ikea Recalls Sniglar Cribs Over Possible Mattress Collapse Issue
By 2.18.11
Ikea has issued a recall for its Sniglar baby cribs after learning of a possible risk that the mattress support could collapse. [More]
Honda Recalls Nearly 100,000 Fits In U.S. For Possible Engine Problems
By 2.17.11
Looks like the Honda Fit isn’t exactly living up to its healthy-sounding name. The automaker has announced a worldwide recall for around 700,000 of the cars — nearly 100,000 just in the U.S. — over possible engine-stalling problems. [More]
FDA Approves Lap-Band Surgery For Not-As-Obese Patients
By 2.17.11
The folks at Allergan, the company behind the popular Lap-Band weight loss surgery, have 26 million reasons to cheer today. After all, that’s the number of potential new Lap-Band patients now that the FDA has lowered the minimum weight loss requirements for the procedure. [More]
CSPI Asks FDA To Ban Caramel Coloring Used In Coke, Pepsi And Other Stuff You Like
By 2.17.11
Yesterday, the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest sent a petition to the Food & Drug Administration, demanding that the “caramel coloring” commonly used in sodas like Coke and Pepsi be banned because they claim it contains a pair of carcinogenic chemicals. [More]
New Flu Vaccine Could End Shortages
By 2.16.11
A shift toward producing flu vaccines using cultures of animal cells inside of steel tanks instead of chicken eggs should make it easier to get the shots ready more quickly to stem pandemics. [More]
Fast Food Calorie Counts Don't Stop Kids From Overeating, Either
By 2.15.11
A provision in last year’s federal health care reform bill requires all food-serving establishments with more than 20 outlets to post the calorie count of every item on the menu so customers know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. The FDA is taking nationwide an idea that some cities and counties had already put in place. It seems like a good idea in theory, but studies show that calorie counts on menus just make people say “ah, screw it” and order the same amount of food that they would have without the calorie posting–or more. A new study in this month’s International Journal of Obesity shows that children, too, fall into the same delicious caloric trap. [More]
170 Get Sick After Spending Time At Playboy Mansion
By 2.15.11
A bacterial outbreak at a Playboy Mansion fundraiser Feb. 3 has left dozens reeling, believed to have been infected with legionellosis. The malady has caused flu-like systems in 170 people who attended the event. [More]
1.7 Million Summer Infant Baby Monitors Recalled After 2 Babies Die
By 2.14.11
1.7 million Summer Infant video baby monitors were recalled after two babies died after they wrapped their necks in the electrical cords of the the devices that were placed too close to their crib. “I urge all parents and caregivers to put at least 3 feet between any video or audio baby monitor cords and a child in a crib,” Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said in a statement. “This simple step can save your child’s life.” [More]
Researchers: Skipping Out On Sleep Can Lead To Earlier Death
By 2.10.11
If you burn the candle at both ends to squeeze some extra hours out of your days, you could be putting your body under enough stress to jeopardize your life. [More]
Should Restaurant Refund Me For Edamame Appetizer With Free Giant Worm?
By 2.10.11
Some time ago, on an unknown farm, a worm crawled inside a soybean pod to eat the delicious bean within. The pod was harvested with the worm inside, cooked, and served to reader Sarah as an edamame appetizer at a local Japanese restaurant. Sarah was disgusted and wants a refund of the $3 or so she paid for the appetizer. The restaurant’s manager claims that business is slow and they can’t afford to give her a refund. [More]
DNA Links Grocery Clerk In Tainted Yogurt Case
By 2.10.11
Not only was there semen in the yogurt, but DNA testing has linked it with the same pushy grocery clerk who gave the free sample to the shopper who complained about it. [More]
Eggs Today Contain Less Cholesterol Than They Did A Few Years Ago
By 2.9.11
It’s been a rough few months for eggs, following a massive salmonella-related recall. But there is a slight bit of decent news for the chicken ova industry: The eggs being popped into folks’ frying pans today aren’t as bad for your arteries as they were not so long ago. [More]
Procter & Gamble In Class-Action Suit Over Alleged Nerve Damage From Overexposure To Zinc In Fixodent
By 2.9.11
Procter & Gamble is currently involved in a class-action lawsuit that claims the zinc in its Fixodent denture adhesive can eventually lead to debilitating nerve damage for some users. And a new report from ABC News asks whether or not the company crossed an ethical line with regard to a report associating excessive exposure to zinc-containing denture cream with neurological disease. [More]
Study: Feeding Babies Solid Foods Too Early Can Up Risk Of Obesity
By 2.9.11
By holding off on feeding their babies solid foods for the first four months, parents can decrease the odds their little ones will become obese. The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids who start on solids too early are six times more likely to be obese by age 3. [More]
