Category: Issue 459
-
Hospital Walks Back Study Linking Aspartame to Leukemia
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWM) has reportedly walked back a recent study claiming to link aspartame with an increased risk of leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and other blood-related cancers. Published ahead of print in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study analyzed diet data from more than 77,000 women and 47,000 men enrolled in…
-
Research Examines Soft Drink Consumption and Stroke Risk
A recent study has reportedly claimed that “soft drink intake is associated with higher risk of ischemic stroke for women.” Ehab Eshak, et al., “Soft drink intake in relation to incident ischemic heart disease, stroke and stroke subtypes in Japanese men and women: the Japan Public Health Centre-based study cohort,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,…
-
Reuters Targets WHO Ties to Food and Beverage Companies
A Reuters special report has claimed that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), has accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars” from food and beverage companies to combat obesity. According to journalists Duff Wilson and Adam Kerlin, WHO and five of its regional offices already prohibit industry…
-
Gary Taubes & Cristin Kearns Couzens, “Sweet Little Lies,” Mother Jones, November/December 2012
Based on hundreds of internal industry documents, this article outlines the alleged decades-long effort by sugar-producing interests to influence the scientific debate about the purported health effects of sugar. According to the authors, the memos, letters and company board reports “show how Big Sugar used Big Tobacco-style tactics to ensure that government agencies would dismiss…
-
McDonald’s Scraps Online Sharing Feature to Protect Children’s Privacy
McDonald’s Corp. has reportedly announced plans to scrap “forward-to-a-friend” features on some of its online games after drawing complaints from a consumer group concerned about children’s privacy. According to media sources, the global restaurant chain said it will disable a sharing option on HappyMeal.com that allowed users “to e-mail ecards, links and photos to family…
-
AAP Report Assesses Organic Foods for Children
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published its first report on organic foods, concluding that it’s more important for children to eat a wide variety of healthy produce than to emphasize an organic diet. Joel Forman, et al., “Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages,” Pediatrics, October 2012. According to AAP, research has…
-
Arizona Dairy Brings Challenge to Milk-Pricing Law Before U.S. Supreme Court
The owners of a Yuma, Arizona-based dairy have filed a petition for review before the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking a hearing on their challenge to the Milk Regulatory Equity Act of 2005, which apparently requires independent producer-handlers to join a dairy cooperative or pay federal marketing fees. Hettinga v. United States, No. 12-506 (U.S., petition…
-
Insurance Corp. Seeks to Rescind Umbrella Policy with Importer of Salmonella-Contaminated Fish
Golden Eagle Insurance Corp. has filed a complaint for declaratory relief against its insured Moon Marine (U.S.A.) Corp., requesting that the umbrella policy it issued to the insured be rescinded because Moon Marine allegedly concealed material facts when it obtained the policy. Golden Eagle Ins. Corp. v. Moon Marine (U.S.A.) Corp., No. 12-5438 (N.D. Cal., filed October 22, 2012).…