To quote Sir James Paul McCartney (CH, MBE), “Can’t buy me love, everybody tells me so / Can’t buy me love, no no no, no.” You also can’t, according to the Food and Drug Administration, list “love” as an actual ingredient in your granola. [More]
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA Changes Tune, Will Require Restaurant Menu Calorie Info Starting May 2018
By 9.27.17
After repeatedly delaying the requirement that restaurants post calorie counts and other nutritional information on their menus — and after being sued by groups alleging that these delays are against the law — the Food and Drug Administration has finally agreed to start enforcing the menu labeling rule, beginning in May 2018. [More]
FDA Cracking Down On “Rogue Online Pharmacies” Accused Of Illegally Selling Prescription Drugs
By 9.25.17
While you may be tempted to skip the pharmacy and just order prescription drugs online, it could be very dangerous to use any unapproved medications from illicit online pharmacies. That’s why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — along with its international enforcement superfriends — is taking action against hundreds of sites accused of selling prescription drugs illegally online. [More]
465K People Need A Pacemaker Security Update To Protect Their Hearts From Hacking
By 8.30.17
If you need more evidence that we are living in an increasingly internet-connected world, look no further than a recent software update aimed at making sure 465,000 people with pacemakers don’t have hearts that are vulnerable to hackers. [More]
Endo Pharmaceuticals Agrees To Remove Opioid Painkiller Linked To HIV Outbreak From The Market
By 7.7.17
Weeks after the Food and Drug Administration said opioid painkiller Opana ER should be removed from the market amid concerns about the potential for abuse, Endo Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pull the drug, which has been linked to serious outbreaks of HIV and hepatitis C. [More]
Out-Of-Order Birth Control Pills Not Great At Preventing Pregnancy, Prompt Recall
By 6.1.17
As anyone who’s ever used an oral contraceptive knows, it’s important to take the pills in the right order, because each dose is different: Some pills contain hormones and some are inert and don’t do anything. Mixing those up could mean the difference between remaining unpregnant and getting pregnant. To prevent the latter, the maker of one birth control product is recalling pills that are packaged incorrectly. [More]
FDA, CDC Warn Families About Inaccurate Readings In Some Lead Tests
By 5.17.17
It’s easier than ever for parents (and parents-to-be) to get their lead levels tested, but federal officials are now warning American families that certain popular lead tests may provide inaccurate results, increasing the risk for lead poisoning in certain young children and adults. [More]
FDA Links 9 Deaths, Rare Form Of Cancer, To Breast Implants
By 3.22.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When you introduce a medical device into your body, there’s always the chance that things could go awry: For example, a breast implant could shift, leak, or otherwise interfere with your health. Now, after years of studying the issue, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there appears to be a connection between breast implants and a rare form of cancer that has claimed at least nine lives. [More]
Groups Ask FDA To Ban Lead Compound From Hair Dye Products
By 2.27.17
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently recommended further limiting the amount of lead found in common cosmetics, that guidance didn’t extend to hair dyes that contain lead acetate. Now, a coalition of consumer advocates says the agency should reconsider its approval of the ingredient in hair dyes. [More]
GNC Agrees To Improve Efforts To Keep Illegal Dietary Supplements Out Of Its Stores
By 12.7.16
When you buy a dietary supplement, you never know quite what you’re getting, because supplement manufacturers don’t have to prove to the Food and Drug Administration that their products work — or are even safe — before putting them on the market. GNC, the world’s largest dietary supplement retailer, has now agreed to try to ramp up efforts to ensure that the products it sells are safe and legal. [More]
Aloe Vera Gel Bought At Walmart, Target, CVS Might Not Actually Contain Aloe Vera
By 11.22.16
There’s nothing quite like slathering aloe vera all over a burning, uncomfortable sunburn. But does that aloe vera gel on the drugstore shelf actually contain any aloe vera? [More]
Probably Avoid These Skin Care Products If You Don’t Want Mercury Poisoning
By 8.5.16
Mercury poisoning doesn’t sound fun, but it also doesn’t necessarily sound like something the average consumer runs into a lot in modern cosmetic aisles, what with federal regulations banning dangerous levels of the stuff. However, there are a slew of illegal skin care products for sale out there that contain mercury, and the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t want folks slathering them on their bodies. [More]
Does Knowing The Calorie Count Change What Food You Decide To Order Online?
By 6.28.16
When the Food and Drug Administration’s new calorie labeling rules go into effect next year, consumers will not only see calorie counts on menu boards in stores, but in online menus as well. But will coming face-to-face with your caloric decisions change what you order when you order food online? [More]
CDC Links Salmonella Outbreak Reported in 9 States To Sushi Made With Raw Tuna
By 5.22.15
Raw seafood might be delicious, but there’s always that chance that it could make you sick: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while it hasn’t conclusively determined the cause of a recent salmonella outbreak that’s spread to nine states and infected up to 53 people, it could be linked to sushi made with raw tuna. [More]
