Category: Issue 324
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Study Questions Efficacy of Public Policy on Salt Consumption
A recent study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology has apparently raised questions about “the scientific logic and feasibility of the decades-long effort to limit salt intake in humans,” according to a concurrent University of California, Davis, press release. Researchers analyzed 24-hour urinary sodium excretion data from 19,151 individuals involved in…
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Paul Voosen, “Ghost of ‘Frankenfood’ Haunts Europe,” Greenwire, October 21, 2009
The second of a five-part series, this article examines in some depth how a number of European countries came to turn their backs on genetically modified (GM) crops. Belgian scientists apparently experimented with GM plants in the 1980s and instituted 50 different field trials, positioning Europe to be a world leader in plant biotechnology. A…
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Demonstrators Protest “Fat-ism” Outside London Mayor’s Office
Members of the “Size Acceptance Movement” reportedly protested outside the mayor of London’s office recently, urging him to ensure that employers are not prejudiced against overweight people. The group claims that surveys show 93 percent of employers would rather employ a thin person rather than an overweight one even if such individuals are equally qualified.…
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CSI: Miami Features Foodborne Illness Investigation
A recent episode of CSI: Miami has reportedly drawn criticism from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and other trade groups for the show’s portrayal of a foodborne illness investigation. Titled “Bad Seed,” the October 20, 2009, installment of the popular CBS drama focused on a fictional outbreak that eventually led the crime scene investigators to…
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Britain’s Royal Society Issues Report Advocating GM Crops
The Royal Society has issued an October 2009 report, Reaping the Benefits: Science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture, that calls for “a £2 billion ‘Grand Challenge’ research program on global food security.” According an October 21 press release, the world must increase food crop production by at least 50 percent by 2050 to meet…
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E. Coli Plaintiffs Seek to Certify Two Classes
Plaintiffs who brought personal and economic injury claims against Topps Meat Co. for an E. coli outbreak that led to the recall of more than 20 million pounds of ground beef in 2007 have filed a motion for class certification. Patton v. Topps Meat Co., No. 07-654 (W.D.N.Y., motion filed October 15, 2009). While the proposed…
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Fast Food Companies Sued in Connecticut for PhIP in Chicken Meals
Connecticut residents have filed a putative class action in state court against several fast food companies alleging that they violated consumer protection laws by selling grilled chicken products containing a carcinogenic chemical without providing warnings. Delio v. McDonald’s Corp., No. __ (Conn. Super. Ct., Hartford Cty., filed October 21, 2009). They seek to represent a…
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Federal Court Refuses to Recognize $97 Million Nicaraguan Judgment in Pesticide Exposure Litigation
A federal court in Florida has refused to enforce a $97 million judgment obtained in a Nicaraguan court by 150 banana plantation workers who alleged that exposure to the pesticide DBCP caused their sterility. Osorio v. Dole Food Co., No. 07-22693 (S.D. Fla., decided October 20, 2009). The plaintiffs sought to enforce the award under…