Category: Issue 343
-
Study Claims Last Supper Food Portions Grew for 1,000 Years
A new study asserts that the food portions depicted in paintings of the Last Supper as chronicled in the New Testament of the Bible linearly increased for 1,000 years. Brian and Craig Wansink, “The largest Last Supper: depictions of food portions and plate size increased over the millennium,” International Journal of Obesity, March 23, 2010.…
-
Study Linking HFCS to Obesity Draws Criticism from Health Experts
A recent study involving both short- and long-term animal experiments has purportedly linked high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to significant weight gain in rats. Miriam Bocarsly, et al., “High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels,” Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, March 2010. According to a March 23, 2010,…
-
USDA Survey Generates Buzz on Honeybee Health
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Bee Research Laboratory has released the preliminary results of a survey estimating that honeybee colony losses nationwide “were approximately 29 percent from all causes from September 2008 to April 2009,” touching off speculation about the fate of the ubiquitous pollinator. Federal investigators reported that only 15 percent of all…
-
IOM Announces Meeting on Food Labeling, Issues Report on Obesity Prevention Workshop
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has announced an April 9, 2010, open workshop to continue its review of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition rating systems and symbols. As tasked by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IOM established a committee to evaluate and report on “the use of symbols, logos, and…
-
EU Settles WTO Dispute with Argentina over Biotech Agriculture
The European Union (EU) and Argentina have apparently reached an agreement in a dispute before the World Trade Organization (WTO) involving genetically engineered products and the application of biotechnology to agriculture. The agreement, which provides for the establishment of a regular dialogue on these issues, follows a similar agreement the EU struck with Canada, which,…
-
Insurance Carrier Seeks Reimbursement for Defense Costs in Diacetyl Litigation
Old Republic Insurance Co. has filed a lawsuit in a New York state court, seeking a declaration that it is entitled to reimbursement for the costs it has incurred defending a company that distributed diacetyl and has been sued with other companies for personal injuries allegedly sustained from exposure to the butter-flavored chemical. Old Republic…
-
Complaint Filed Against Walnut Seller for Omega-3 Health Claims
A New York resident has filed a putative class action against Diamond Foods, Inc. in a California federal court alleging that the company labeled its walnuts with false claims that “consumption of the omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts promotes heart health and lowers the risk of coronary heart disease.” Zeisel v. Diamond Foods, Inc., No.…
-
District Court Orders Pelman Parties to Refile Class Certification Pleadings
The U.S. district court judge now presiding over the obesity-related claims in Pelman v. McDonald’s Corp. has ordered the parties to refile a number of documents previously submitted on motions addressing class certification. Pelman v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 02-7821 (S.D.N.Y., order entered March 24, 2010). Among the documents the court has requested are the defendant’s…