Back in January 2011, the government signed a law that said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would have to undertake an overhaul in food safety regulations, the first of its kind in about 70 years. Well, time’s been a-ticking and now a new lawsuit leveled at the agency claims the FDA has missed a bunch of deadlines required by the Food Safety Modernization Act. But the FDA says that’s not the case, it’s just that it’s a big job that it’ll take time. [More]
food and drug administration
FDA Replies To Lawsuit Over Food Regulation Deadlines: Slow Your Roll, We’re Working On It
By 12.3.12
Processing Plant Behind Great Peanut Butter Recall Of 2012 Won’t Reopen Just Yet
By 12.3.12
The Great Peanut Butter Recall of 2012 began with a few voluntary recall notices on the shelves of Trader Joe’s, and has now escalated to the Food and Drug Administration making an unprecedented move to shut down the plant where the offending nut products were processed. [More]
FDA Tells Hershey's It Has No Right To Claim Chocolate Syrup With Vitamins Is Nutritious
By 8.14.12
Listen — we all know that gooey, sweet chocolate syrup is very delicious. But nutritious? Now that is a bold claim, and one the Food and Drug Administration is warning Hershey’s not to make on its labels. It told the company in a warning letter that it can’t just go around calling things fortified and such just to make its syrup seem healthy. [More]
FDA Approves First Pill For Preventing HIV Infections In High-Risk Patients
By 7.16.12
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a major first today, approving Truvada, a drug intended to prevent HIV infections for people at high-risk of contracting it. It’s the first pill approved to reduce the likelihood of getting HIV for people having sex with infected individuals. [More]
Introvale Birth Control Pills Recalled For Shuffled Pill Order
By 6.11.12
The short description on the Food & Drug Administration website says that the contraceptive pill Introvale is being recalled due to a “packaging flaw.” Well, that’s true, but that flaw is that the pills are in the wrong order. A three-month pack contains 84 “active” pills and seven placebo or “hey, it’s time for your period” pills. Some packs have the placebo pills in week 9 instead of week 13. Manufacturer Sandoz is recalling the affected lots, but since the pills are different colors, it’s not hard to tell whether your pills have been scrambled. [More]
Study Says FDA Could Be Doing Better At Publicizing Drug Recalls
By 6.5.12
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls drugs that could be harmful around once a month, a new study says the agency has room for improvement when it comes to publicizing those recalls and informing doctors and patients about them. [More]
FDA: High Fructose Corn Syrup Isn't "Corn Sugar"
By 5.30.12
Dealing what is surely a mighty blow to those in the corn industry hoping to improve the image of high fructose corn syrup, the Food and Drug Administration has denied the Corn Refiners Association’s petition to rename HFCS as “corn sugar.” [More]
FDA One Step Closer To Approving First Drug For HIV Prevention
By 5.9.12
The battle against AIDS continues, with a favorable review by the Food and Drug Administration of a pill that has been used to treat HIV. The hope is that the pill could be used to prevent people from contracting the virus that causes AIDS. [More]
FDA Warns Makers Of Inhalable Caffeine Against False Labeling
By 3.7.12
The Food and Drug Administration is issuing what amounts to a “hey, hey, not so fast, guys,” to the makers of a new inhalable caffeine product called AeroShot Pure Energy. They’ve been under the FDA’s eye for awhile, since Sen. Chuck Schumer brought up his concerns that the canisters could be used as a kind of party drug. [More]
FDA Threatens Stores That Sell Tobacco To Kids
By 11.11.11
The Food and Drug Administration is going after businesses suspected of selling cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to minors, sending out letters to 1,200 stores and threatening eventual fines if they fail to comply with the law. The FDA says it has conducted 27,500 inspections to make sure retailers aren’t violating restrictions on such activities as setting up cigarette vending machines, selling cigarettes and failing to check IDs. [More]
That Honey In Your Cabinet Probably Isn't Honey
By 11.9.11
Most of the honey on store shelves isn’t the genuine article. This according to testing findings, which found that most products labeled as honey are actually flower nectar with pollen filtered out. This filtering process disqualifies the product form passing most worldwide quality standards. [More]
FDA Study Concludes That ADHD Meds Don't Cause Heart Problems
By 11.2.11
A Food and Drug Administration study found that those who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can take medications without increasing their risk of heart problems. The study focused on patients ages 2 through 24. [More]
Obama Calls On FDA To Reduce Drug Shortages
By 11.1.11
In an attempt to quell drug shortages that are affecting patients around the country, President Barack Obama ordered the Food and Drug Administration to adjust policies in order to streamline the process of getting drugs into patients’ hands. [More]
FDA Gives Enlarged Prostates Hard Time By Approving Erectile Dysfunction Drug
By 10.7.11
Thanks to the Food and Drug Administration, those who suffer enlarged prostates have a new weapon at their disposal to combat the condition. Cialis, which messages in your spam filter repeatedly inform you has formidable powers of revitalization, can now be prescribed to pound away at prostates that have gotten too big for their britches. [More]
FDA Says Some Cancer Drugs Are In Short Supply
By 8.25.11
According to the Food and Drug Administration, several generic cancer drugs are suffering dwindling supplies, creating stumbling blocks for treatment programs. The past two years have yielded sizable spikes in shortages, many of which are generic injections used to treat testicular and breast cancer. [More]
FDA Says CT Scans Need To Be Safer
By 11.10.10
Acting to make the administration of CT scans safer, the Food and Drug Administration released documents that urged better training for those who administer tests as well as warnings for patients about the radiation levels to which the tests expose them. [More]
The FDA Isn't Yet Sure How To Make Our Food Safer But Lots Of Cash Might Help
By 5.23.09
The FDA is set to receive $3.2 billion next year but they don’t yet have a plan to make our food any safer. That doesn’t sit well with Congressional appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who at a recent hearing told Acting FDA Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein: “A lot sounds to me like buzzwords from a past administration.”
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler Dumpster Dived To Keep You Thin
By 5.2.09
Consider this the next time you wonder how far government officials will go to protect you: former FDA Commissioner David Kessler used to dumpster dive for nutritional data that chain restaurants were unwilling to hand over. Kessler, who rummaged through rubbish in slacks and padded gardening gloves, was looking for the ingredient labels that suppliers are required to print on all inter-state food shipments. Kessler’s findings were both dirty and disturbing…
