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
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]
Coca-Cola Reveals It Blew The Whistle On Orange Juice Contamination
By 1.13.12
When word broke that the Food and Drug Administration had halted orange juice shipments to check for a potentially harmful fungicide, the government was mum on which company found evidence that triggered the reaction. Now Coca-Cola solved the mystery by confirming it was responsible for spotting carbendazim — an illegal fungicide believed to cause infertility — in a shipment from Brazil.
.
According to the AP, Coca-Cola spotted carbendazim not only in its own drinks, but those of a competitor. Testing revealed of 35 parts per billion of the fungicide in a Coke product, a level that the Environmental Protection Agency poses no significant threat. [More]
FDA Puts Squeeze On Orange Juice Shipments, Checks For Fungicide
By 1.12.12
Determined not to let orange juice double as unintentional contraception, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has frozen shipments to check for carbendazim, a fungicide banned in much of the world that is believed to cause infertility. As much as 25 percent of the American juice supply comes from abroad, and the FDA acted on a report that a juice company detected the fungicide in imports from Brazil, which provides 11 percent of America’s OJ. [More]
Crab Soup Recalled for Undeclared Milk, Wheat and…Crab?
By 1.11.12
The sharp-eyed regulators at the FDA warn that Whole Foods is recalling cans of Rip Roar’N Crab Soup because the labels fail to tell consumers of a chief ingredient: crab. Wait. What? [More]
FDA Bans "Extra-Label" Uses Of Popular Class Of Antibiotics On Farm Animals
By 1.4.12
For those of you who are concerned about the amount of antibiotics being given to the cows, chickens, pigs and turkeys that provide (or end up as) the food on your plate, here’s some good news. The Food and Drug Administration has announced a new regulation that prohibits “extra-label” uses of a popular class of antibiotics. [More]
Tests Show No Connection Between Enfamil Baby Formula & Child Deaths
By 1.3.12
Late last month, Walmart and a handful of other other retailers decided to pull certain lots of Enfamil powdered baby food formula from shelves following the death of an infant in Missouri who had recently consumed the product. But tests by authorities at the Enfamil plant now show no link between the formula and this child’s death. [More]
FDA Warns Doctors & Pharmacists Not To Mix Up Similarly Named Eye Drops & Wart Remover
By 12.29.11
It’s been almost a year since we brought you the story of the man who sued Walgreens for giving him Durasal wart remover instead of the Durezol eye drops his doctor had prescribed. Now the Food & Drug Administration has issued an alert to pharmacists and doctors to not make the same mistake. [More]
Class-Action Lawsuit Has A Problem With Sun Chips And Tostitos Being Labeled "All Natural"
By 12.22.11
The meaning of the phrase “all natural” is in dispute in a class-action lawsuit recently filed against Frito Lay over claims that some of the company’s Tostitos and Sun Chips products may not live up to consumers’ expectations of an all-natural label. [More]
FDA Issues Warnings About Misleading Lap-Band Ads
By 12.13.11
The FDA has issued warning letters to eight surgical centers in California and a marketing firm behind the 1-800-GET-THIN number for misleading advertising of the Lap-Band, an implanted device intended to promote weight loss in severely obese individuals. [More]
Even More Dog Food Recalled Because Aflatoxin Is Not Part Of Your Pet's Diet
By 12.12.11
Last week, we told you about the recall of some Iams and other dog food brands over concerns about the possible contamination by a nasty mold. Well, the recalls continue, as Advanced Animal Nutrition has announced a recall of its dry Dog Power Dog Food for the exact same reason. [More]
FDA Trying To Protect Us From Salmonella By Testing Pet Food
By 11.1.11
Salmonella is a nasty little pathogen that can get into your home in any number of ways. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration has begun testing pet food, treats and supplements for Salmonella in an effort to keep the bacteria at bay. [More]
Bill Proposed To Felonize Selling Fake Maple Syrup As Real
By 10.25.11
In order to tamp the scourge of artificial maple syrup being sold as the real deal, New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer are sponsoring a bill that would make it a felony. [More]
FDA: Dirty Equipment Likely Responsible For Deadly Cantaloupes
By 10.19.11
While authorities are still investigating the source of the listeria-tainted cantaloupe outbreak that killed 25 people and sickened more than 100 others, the FDA now believes that puddled water and dirty packing equipment is the likely culprit. [More]
Senate Bill Would Streamline Medical Device Approval
By 10.14.11
When it comes to approving medical devices for patients to use, the Food and Drug Administration is handcuffed by conflict of interest rules that it says slow the process. A bipartisan trio of senators have introduced a bill that would ease the rules in favor of getting devices approved quicker, possibly at the expense of medical ethics. [More]
Drug Maker Adds Line To Pill's Surface To Delay Generic Versions
By 10.7.11
There are numerous ways for makers of pricey brand-name drugs to delay the release of generic copies and hold on to the market for even a few months longer. They could make slight changes to the doses or even go so far as to buy a company that supplies a needed ingredient. But one pharmaceutical company is taking a new approach to putting off the release of generic versions — etching an additional score into the pill’s surface. [More]
