Category: Issue 337
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OEHHA Seeks Comment on Whether to List Bisphenol A as Reproductive Toxicant
California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has issued a request for public comment on its determination that bisphenol A (BPA) “appears to meet the criteria for listing as known to the State to cause reproductive toxicity under Proposition 65, based on findings of the National Toxicology Program’s Center for the Evaluation of Risks…
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India Blocks Commercial Release of GM Eggplant
The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests has apparently imposed an indefinite moratorium on the commercial introduction of genetically modified (GM) eggplant, or brinjal, while the agency considers the recommendations of its Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). In announcing the decision, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh cited negative public reactions to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) brinjal, as well…
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EFSA Rejects Infant Formula Ingredient’s Immunity Claim
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued its opinion that the Immunofortis® in Danone Baby Nutrition’s infant formula does not, as the company claims, “naturally strengthen the baby’s immune system.” According to EFSA, the scientific evidence the company submitted (i) “had considerable limitations,” (ii) “was inconsistent,” and (iii) “was not convincing.” It concluded that…
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EC Report Provides Overview of Projects Tracking Public Debate on Nanotechnology
The European Commission has released a report, “Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies: Options for Framing Public Policy,” that discusses several commission projects designed to assess “the nature of public debate on nanosciences and nanotechnologies, and the ways in which deliberative approaches could lead to better governance of these technologies.” The overview includes summaries of the…
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Codex Milk Committee Drops Standard for Processed Cheese Products
During a recent meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s Committee on Milk and Milk Products, delegates reportedly agreed to recommend that the commission revoke the international standards on processed cheese when it meets in July 2010. A committee working group had been charged with redrafting a proposed standard for processed cheese and reported that it…
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White House Launches Campaign to Fight Childhood Obesity
Calling it one of the most urgent health issues facing the nation, the White House has initiated efforts to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. President Barack Obama (D) has signed a Presidential Memorandum which creates a Task Force on Childhood Obesity that includes Cabinet members and is charged with developing within…