Category: Issue 370
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Study Links Occupational BPA Exposure to Lower Semen Quality
A recent study funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has reportedly linked workplace bisphenol A (BPA) exposure to “[1] decreased sperm concentration, [2] decreased total sperm count, [3] decreased sperm vitality, and [4] decreased sperm motility.” De-Kun Li, et al., “Urine bisphenol-A (BPA) level in relation to semen quality,” Fertility and…
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California Researchers Question Fructose Content of HFCS
The University of Southern California Childhood Obesity Research Center (CORC) has published a study claiming that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains 18 percent more fructose than estimated by soft drink manufacturers. Emily Ventura, Jaimie Davis and Michael I. Goran, “Sugar Content of Popular Sweetened Beverages Based on Objective Laboratory Analysis: Focus on Fructose Content,” Obesity,…
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Choices Magazine Targets Economic Implications of Obesity
Choices Magazine, an outreach publication of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, has released its 3rd Quarter 2010 issue focusing on the economic implications of rising U.S. obesity rates. Topics include medical costs and implications for policymakers; consumer behavior; farm policy; the diverse effects of food assistance programs; nutrition labeling; taxes on sweetened beverages; and the “behavioral…
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Legal and Cultural Issues Related to Sugar Are Focus of Two New Articles
In a recent FindLaw article, Cornell Law School Professor Sherry Colb addresses whether New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to prevent food stamp recipients from buying sugar-sweetened sodas and beverages violates any constitutional proscriptions. Titled “No Buying Soda with Food Stamps? Considering Mayor Bloomberg’s New Health Initiative,” Colb’s article concludes that arguments about equal…
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Fast Food Workers Vote Against Unionizing
Employees at 10 Minneapolis-based Jimmy John’s sandwich shops have reportedly voted against joining the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which has since alleged that the close election “was marred by misconduct.” According to The New York Times, “[U]nion supporters were predicting victory, noting that about 60 percent of the restaurants’ 200 workers had signed…
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Corporate Watchdog Calls for Information About Threats to Food Disparagers
A corporate watchdog organization, Corporations and Health Watch, has issued a call for food industry critics who have been threatened with litigation for saying “anything critical about food,” to submit information about their experience to the organization. According to the group, corporations are using the food disparagement laws now in effect in 13 states “as…
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Food and Beverage Industry Groups to Devise FOP Labeling System
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have unveiled plans to create a front-of-package (FOP) labeling system that aims to “inform consumers and combat obesity.” According to an October 27, 2010, joint press release, the FOP system will display “important information on calories and other nutrients to limit . . . in…
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Brazilian Court Orders McDonald’s to Compensate Former Manager for Weight Gain
According to a news source, a Brazilian judge has ordered McDonald’s Corp. to pay one of its former franchise managers US$17,500 because he gained 65 pounds over the 12 years he worked for the company. He reportedly claimed that he was required to sample all of the restaurant’s foods everyday to ensure their quality, and…