Reader Geoff was at a gas station with his girlfriend when a shady looking dude approached them and started asking for money so he could pay someone to unlock his car and free the 11 month-old kid whom he’d locked inside… in a dark corner of the next parking lot over. Hm. Was he telling the truth? Geoff writes:
Dear Consumerist,
Since the study was published, Consumer Reports has come out in favor of older drugs:
Diabetes drugs received wide attention last spring when research found a possible link between rosiglitazone (Avandia) and a higher risk of heart attacks. While those risks remain unclear, the CR Best Buy Drug report cites other reasons that rosiglitazone and the related drug pioglitazone (Actos) are not wise first choices for most people with diabetes, including their higher risk of heart failure compared with other diabetes drugs.
Consumer Reports that patients should first ask their doctors about metformin (Glucophage and generic), claiming that the effectiveness of the older drugs are equivalent to the newer ones, but with less potential risk.
Farm policy for the next five years will remain largely the same under a bill passed Friday by the House. The $286 billion measure, H.R. 2419, was approved 231-191. Despite Michael Pollan’s pleas, the farm bill never transformed into a consumer-friendly food bill; though several billion dollars will go towards conservation spending, nutrition programs, and aid to fruit and vegetable growers, a significant chunk of the bill, $42 billion, will fund subsidies to farmers and agribusiness. The Senate is expected to write its own version of the farm bill in September.
Remember when we said exports from countries not named China were also tainted and filthy? It turns out the exports aren’t as tainted and filthy as the New York Times originally reported. The Times explains that a “methodology problem was discovered” after the Danish Embassy complained that their candy was refused by FDA inspectors only 82 times, not 520, as the Times claimed. From the Gray Lady:
When the data was re-analyzed, it showed that the number of candy shipments rejected from Denmark had not been higher than the number of seafood shipments rejected from China, as the article stated. The number of shipments rejected from China was also misstated; it was 331, not 391.
Reader Patrick sent us this photo of a Starbucks that was unwilling to poison its customers. He says, ” Hurray for having a conscience!”
Several loaves of bread manufactured by Sara Lee are being recalled because they are potentially full of small pieces of metal.
American Airlines faces fines of up to $231,000 for unsafe work conditions that include fall hazards, electrical and fire hazards, hygiene issues, blocked exits and storage of oxygen and acetylene cylinders, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Botulism is an incredibly serious food-borne illness, and the Castleberry’s recall means we should remind ourselves of the symptoms. According to WebMD they are:
Remember the botulism recall? The infected cans are now exploding, according to the FDA.
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Crystal-decorated pacifiers (aspiration, ingestion), Toro electric blowers (projectiles).
That certified organic edamame you bought from the local supermarket may have been made and packaged in China. The exporting juggernaut is quickly and quietly muscling in on the thriving global trade in certified organic products. Organic exports from China are certified by private companies and carry the official USDA organic logo. The logo, however, does not guarantee that products are truly organic:
Health inspectors found over 200 fruit flies infesting the lower level food court of the Macy’s State Street store in Chicago. Inspectors first discovered the infestation last week after a disgusted customer complained to 311. Food court employees apparently were not bothered by either the fruit flies or the health inspectors. From the Chicago Tribune:
“Not only did they not do anything, the problems seemed to get worse,” [Tim Hadac, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Public Health] said. “It was a surprising and disappointing lack of adherence to basic food safety regulation… We stopped counting fruit flies when they hit 200.”
The inspectors also found:
Two days ago, Castleberry’s expanded the list of chilis and pet foods they were recalling due to possible botulism contamination. By now should have been enough time for retailers to comply, so let’s help them out.
The USDA likes to pay dead farmers to grow corn, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Some of the dead farmers received in excess of $500,000 in government subsidies. Hmm! How very mysterious!
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Brave Log Splitters (injury), Sky Rangers Park Flyer Radio Control Airplanes (explosion), Pottery Barn Crib Bumpers (entanglement), Sauder Woodworking TV Stands (collapsing, injury).
We’ve always had the sneaking suspicion that canned chili and dog food were one and the same. Adding fuel to that fire, Connors Bros and Castleberry’s expanded a recall of their pet and human foods after the canned meat products were found to contain botulism. The FDA has announced that four people have already taken ill. Here’s hoping they were eating the chili, and not the dog food.
A chewing gum company turned cold remedy manufacturer is under fire for selling a nasal spray that destroys people’s sense of taste and smell. Over 400 lawsuits have been filed against Matrixx Initiatives for the side effects associated with Zicam nasal gel, a zinc-based homeopathic cold remedy. Matrixx has already spent $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits, but some customers won’t be satisfied until the FDA is involved.
The FDA retroactively approved a strain of genetically modified rice that infiltrated our supermarkets after escaping from a 2001 experiment. Six years ago, Avenits Crop Science introduced Liberty Link, a transgenic rice strain resistant to Liberty, an Aventis weed killer. The Liberty Link experiment ended abruptly when StarLink – a transgenic corn strain made by Aventis that was approved only for use in animal feed, not for human consumption – was found in Kraft taco shells. The ensuing public relations disaster led to Aventis’ sale to the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, which immediately discontinued Liberty Link’s production. Yet somehow, the transgenic rice survived…
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