Category: Issue 386
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Rat Study Alleges Link Between Poor Prenatal Diet, Diabetes in Offspring
The UK’s University of Cambridge has conducted an animal study suggesting that poor diet during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of offspring developing diabetes later in life. Ionel Sandovici, et al., “Maternal diet and aging alter the epigenetic control of a promoter enhancer interaction at the Hnf4a gene in rat pancreatic islets,” Proceedings of…
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Hedonists Claim Idaho Imposes Religious Beliefs via Alcohol Control Laws
A group calling itself “The Ethereal Enigmatic Euphoric Movement Towards Civilized Hedonism, Ltd.” has sued Idaho in federal court, alleging that a state law allowing cities to “prohibit the sale of distilled spirits” violates members’ fundamental right to practice their religion. The Ethereal Enigmatic Euphoric Movement Towards Civilized Hedonism, Ltd. v. Idaho, No. 11-00097 (D. Idaho,…
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Hispanic Farmers Allege Unfair USDA Treatment in Settlement of Discrimination Claims
Five Hispanic farmers have filed a putative class action in a D.C. district court against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to seek “redress from Defendants’ unconstitutional treatment in the proposed settlement of discrimination claims by these Hispanic Plaintiffs . . . as compared to the manner in which Defendants have settled identical discrimination claims…
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Peanut Butter Cookie Served to Allergic Child Not an Inherently Violent Act
A federal court in California recently dismissed with prejudice a claim against a school district and some of its personnel filed by the parents of a child with an allergy to nuts; they alleged that the defendants threatened harm to the child by refusing to keep him in a nut free environment, which threat was…
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Statement of Decision Supports Oral Ruling on Fraudulent Pesticide Exposure Claims
A California court has issued a statement of decision in support of its July 2010 oral ruling vacating a judgment in favor of plaintiffs who alleged they had been rendered sterile from chemicals used on Nicaraguan banana plantations. Tellez v. Dole Food Co., Inc., No. BC 312852 (Cal. Super. Ct., Los Angeles Cty., statement filed March…
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Court Again Dismisses Health-Based False-Labeling Claims Against Margarine Maker
A federal court in California has dismissed as preempted state-law claims that Smart Balance falsely labeled and advertised its Nucoa® margarine product; the court also denied the plaintiff’s motion to certify a class. Yumul v. Smart Balance, Inc., No. 10-00927 (C.D. Cal., order entered March 14, 2011). Additional information about the complaint, which has twice been…
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IOM Reviews “Healthy People 2020” Initiative
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has issued a report analyzing the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) “Healthy People 2020” initiative aimed at improving the overall health of Americans over the coming decade. According to a March 15, 2011, IOM press release, HHS asked the institute to review and recommend “leading health indicators that…
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Codex Committee Recommends Adoption of Melamine Testing Guidelines
The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling has reportedly endorsed guidelines providing regulators and the dairy industry a standard reference for testing melamine in dairy products, including powdered infant formula. Developed by the International Dairy Federation (IDF) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the wake of a melamine contamination scandal in…