Category: Issue 522
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Apples Top EWG List of Most Contaminated Produce for Fourth Year
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has issued its 2014 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which ranks pesticide contamination in “48 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of more than 32,000 samples tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] and the federal Food and Drug Administration [FDA].” Apples topped this year’s annual “Dirty…
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WHO Issues Antimicrobial Resistance Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first global report on antimicrobial resistance, warning that the threat has spread to every region in the world and is attributable, in part, to inappropriate use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. Among the report’s key findings are (i) “standard treatments no longer work”; (ii) “infections are harder…
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UC Davis Seeks Dismissal of California Strawberry Commission’s Breach of Contract Suit
The University of California Davis, has reportedly filed a motion in California state court to dismiss the breach of contract suit that the California Strawberry Commission filed in October after it learned that the university may stop breeding and selling strawberry germplasm to farmers. UC Davis has developed and sold its strawberry germplasm at low…
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MDL Magistrate Excludes Plaintiffs’ Expert in DHA Omega-3 Fortified Milk Suits
A federal magistrate in Florida has decided that the opinion proffered by the plaintiffs’ expert in litigation challenging “brain health” marketing claims for algal-derived DHA Omega-3 fortified milk products is unreliable, thus granting the defendant’s motion to exclude it. In re Horizon Organic Milk Plus DHA Omega-3 Mktg. & Sales Practices Litig., MDL No. 12-2324 (S.D.…
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Chicago Prohibits Plastic Bags at Retail Chains
The Chicago City Council has reportedly passed, 36-10, a ban on plastic bags at chain stores (i.e., at least three locations with the same owner) beginning in August 2015 for those larger than 10,000 square feet and August 2016 for smaller establishments. The prohibition follows several months of debate on the measure, with environmental advocates…
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OEHHA Updates Table of Hazard ID Documents
California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has issued an updated table of available hazard identification documents or materials for chemicals considered or reconsidered for listing by the state’s qualified experts—that is, the Carcinogen Identification Committee and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee—from 1996 to April 2014. The table contains links to materials…
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Financial Disclosure Requirements for OEHHA Committee Experts Finalized
California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has reported that the Office of Administrative Law approved regulatory amendments that “clarify the qualifications for appointment to the Carcinogen Identification Committee and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee, and remove redundant language regarding required financial disclosures.” These committees review chemicals for potential listing as known…
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California SSB Label Shelved
A California Senate bill (S.B. 1000) that would require warning labels on sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was put on hold April 28, 2014, over concerns about enforcement costs of the legislation. In a 6-0 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee referred the bill to its suspense file, which means it will be reconsidered after…