Category: Issue 279
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Study Finds Acrylamide Unrelated to GI Cancers
A recent study has reportedly concluded that normal dietary exposure to acrylamide does not increase the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancers. J. G. F. Hogervorst, et al., “Dietary Acrylamide Intake Is Not Associated with Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk,” Journal of Nutrition, November 2008. Earlier studies have linked high doses of acrylamide, a chemical byproduct of high-temperature…
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Dairy Report Claims Industrial Producers Are Bad for Consumers
The non-profit consumer organization Food & Water Watch has released a report, “Dairy 101,” that discusses how the dairy industry has moved from thousands of relatively small producers across the nation to fewer, industrial-scale facilities concentrated in a few states. According to the report, this development is not good for the environment or for cows,…
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British Organic Organization Issues Report on GM Food
The Soil Association, a British environmental group dedicated to sustainable, organic farming, has released a report, titled “Land of the GM-Free? How the American public are starting to turn against GM food,” that contends American consumers, farmers and politicians are losing their enthusiasm for genetically modified (GM) crops. Thus, “it is not surprising that the…
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U.N. Urges China to Revamp Food Safety System
According to news sources, the United Nations released a report October 22, 2008, calling on China to overhaul its system of food-safety regulation. The World Health Organization’s top food-safety official claimed that the country’s recent tainted-milk scandal was a result of individuals who “exploited weaknesses” in the regulatory system, which is “dispersed” among too many…
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Defendants Claim Federal Preemption in Organic Milk MDL
Aurora Dairy Corp. and other defendants have filed motions to dismiss on preemption grounds in multidistrict litigation (MDL) filed on behalf of consumers who allege that the companies misled consumers by claiming their products are organic, when, in fact, they are not following organic standards and regulations. In re: Aurora Dairy Corp. Organic Milk Mktg. &…
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EFSA Seeks Comments on Draft Nanotechnology Risk Assessment
The EFSA Scientific Committee is seeking comments on a draft scientific opinion that addresses engineered nanomaterials (ENM) used in food and feed applications. Acknowledging the limitations of currently available methods, the draft concludes that “established international approaches” are “a suitable starting point for case-by-case risk assessment of ENMs,” but warns against extrapolating scientific data derived from…
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Health Canada to Ban Baby Bottles Manufactured with Bisphenol A
The Canadian government has reportedly declared that bisphenol A (or BPA) is a hazardous substance, and Health Canada will begin drafting regulations to prohibit the importation, sale and promotion of baby bottles made with the chemical. The agency’s scientists apparently contend that the primary exposure for newborns and infants is through the use of such…
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Federal Agencies Seek Input to Focus Future Research on Bisphenol A
NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) have published a request for information, seeking “input on a number of key research areas that have been identified in recent evaluations of bisphenol A (BPA).” Submissions should be made online by December 1, 2008. Among the research needs identified are (i) “Studies of the concentrations of BPA…