Category: Issue 543
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Study Links Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Accelerated Aging
A recent study has purportedly linked sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption to accelerated cell aging, estimating that “daily consumption of a 20-ounce soda was associated with 4.6 years of additional biological aging.” Cindy Leung, et al., “Soda and Cell Aging: Associations Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Leukocyte Telomere Length in Healthy Adults From the National Health…
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EWG Unveils “Food Scores” Database
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released a database and mobile app that score some 80,000 food products using three criteria—nutrition, ingredient concerns and processing—to inform consumers that “popular brands in many categories are not so much food as they are conveyances for excessive amounts of sugar, salt and preservatives.” According to an October 27,…
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United States and Mexico Reach Deal on Sugar Imports
Hours before U.S. regulators were poised to penalize Mexican sugar imports, the United States and Mexico reached an agreement to set a price floor on imported sugar and to suspend anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties. The dispute began in April 2014 when the U.S. Department of Commerce initiated an investigation following petitions from the U.S. sugar…
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Sazerac Recalls Fireball Whiskey Containing Propylene Glycol at Levels Exceeding European Restrictions
Sazerac Co. has recalled its Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey from Sweden, Norway and Finland because some batches contain levels of flavoring chemical propylene glycol that exceed European limits. The company says that it mistakenly shipped batches to Europe that were intended for the United States, where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows higher levels…
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Food Groups Claim AquaBounty Fined for Environmental Violations
Food & Water Watch and the Center for Food Safety (CFS) have reported that AquaBounty Technologies has been fined $9,500 USD for violating environmental regulations in Panama and call for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is assessing the safety of the company’s genetically engineered (GE) salmon, to terminate its review and deny…
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Lucasfilm Challenges Brewery’s “Empire Strikes Bock” Trademark Application
Lucasfilm Ltd. has filed a notice of opposition to Walton Street Brewing Corp.’s application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to register “Empire Strikes Bock” as a mark. Lucasfilm argues that the name will cause confusion with and dilute goods related to its 1980 film”The Empire Strikes Back,” which, as Bloomberg BNA notes, is…
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FTC Seeks to Enjoin Gerber Claims About Infant Formula and Allergies
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint in a New Jersey federal court against Gerber Products Co., alleging that since 2011 the company has falsely promoted its Good Start Gentle infant formula as a product that can prevent or reduce the risk of a child developing allergies. FTC v. Gerber Prods. Co.,…
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Diamond Foods Agrees to $2.75 Million Settlement in “All Natural” Class Actions
Diamond Foods, Inc. has agreed to settle the consumer fraud class action suits filed by plaintiffs in California and Florida alleging that the company falsely labels its Kettle Brand® chip products as “All Natural,” when they contain artificial, synthetic or genetically modified ingredients, or as “Reduced Fat” while referencing non-comparable foods. Klacko v. Diamond Foods,…