Category: Issue 288
-
Chinese Parents Seek Long-Term Care and Research for Children Injured by Contaminated Milk Products
Hundreds of parents of children sickened in China by melamine-contaminated milk products have reportedly rejected the government-sanctioned compensation offer, which would have provided about US$29,000 to families that lost a child and US$4,380 for each child with serious kidney damage. The parents, who are gathering signatures in support of their demands, will instead seek long-term…
-
Objectors Appeal Pet Food Settlement; Compensation Delays Anticipated
While a federal district court approved the settlement of class claims that melamine-tainted dog and cat food sickened and/or killed tens of thousands of pets in the United States, the pet owners who were expecting compensation in 2009 will apparently have to await the outcome of two separate appeals filed in December 2008. According to…
-
FTC Asks Court to Order Whole Foods to Rename Former Wild Oats Stores
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), continuing to challenge the merger of Whole Foods Market, Inc. with Wild Oats Markets, Inc, has reportedly indicated in court filings that it will seek a court order requiring Whole Foods to rename the Wild Oats stores that were changed into Whole Foods stores and rebrand them as Wild Oats.…
-
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Further Review of Salmon Class Action
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition seeking review of a California Supreme Court ruling that allowed plaintiffs to pursue putative class claims alleging that grocery stores failed to inform California consumers about the artificial coloring used in the farm-raised salmon they sold. Albertson’s Inc. v. Kanter, No. 07-1327 (U.S., certiorari denied January 12, 2009).…
-
Public Forum to Target Safety of Exposure to Nanoscale Materials; EPA Gathers Data; Shareholders Urge Disclosure of Nanomaterials in Personal Care and Food Products
The NNCO has announced that a public forum will be held in Bethesda, Maryland, February 24-25, 2009, “to discuss the state-of-the-art of the science related to environmental, health, and safety aspects of engineered nanoscale materials in the area of human and environmental exposure assessment.” Workshop participants will also “discuss the path forward for addressing research…
-
USDA Publishes Final Details of COOL Program
USDA this week issued a final rule for its mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) program, which applies to beef, pork, lamb, chicken, goat meat, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, ginseng, and macadamia nuts. USDA had previously published an interim final rule in advance of a September 30, 2008, implementation deadline…
-
Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Peanut Butter
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reportedly investigating a Salmonella typhimurium outbreak implicating King Nut and Parnell’s Pride brand peanut butters manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of America (Peanut Corp.) and sold to non-retail food establishments. Health departments have purportedly linked the outbreak to more than 400…