Category: Issue 652
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Scientists Announce Leaner Bacon from CRISPR-Edited Pigs
Chinese scientists have reported that they successfully created 12 genetically modified pigs with about 24 percent less body fat than average pigs. Qiantao Zheng, et al., “Reconstitution of UCP1 using CRISPR/Cas9 in the white adipose tissue of pigs decreases fat deposition and improves thermogenic capacity,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 17, 2017.…
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Furans in Baby Food May Pose Health Risk, EFSA Reports
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued an assessment of the risks of furans and related compounds 2- and 3-methylfurans, concluding that they pose a higher risk to infants—the most exposed group—than older children or adults because infants consume jarred or canned foods with high mean concentrations of the materials. Risks associated with furan…
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Haribo Reportedly Investigating Slavery Allegations Against Suppliers
German candy manufacturer Haribo is reportedly investigating allegations of human slavery on carnauba wax suppliers’ plantations in Brazil. According to Reuters, a German television documentary showed palm-leaf harvest workers forced to sleep outside, denied access to clean water and paid $12 a day. In June 2017, Haribo’s board posted a “Modern Slavery Statement” on its website,…
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USDA Ends Consideration of Farmer Fair Practices Rules
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will take no further action to implement the Farmer Fair Practices Rules, which were reportedly created to allow farmers the power to sue corporate entities with whom they had contracted to produce livestock and poultry. In April 2017, USDA announced a delay of the effective…
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Court Dismisses Conagra Wesson Oil Lawsuit
A Massachusetts federal court has dismissed a putative class action against Conagra Brands that alleged the company’s Wesson cooking oil was not “100% natural” because it is extracted from grains grown from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), ruling the plaintiff had failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. Lee v. Conagra Brands,…
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Smoothie Retailer Files Infringement Suit Against Former Employee and Contractor
Green Crush, a retailer selling juice, smoothie and aguas frescas beverages, has filed a lawsuit alleging that a former Green Crush manager and a former contractor engaged in corporate espionage, asserting that they used the chain’s proprietary information and infringed its trademarks and trade dress to start a competing company. Green Crush, LLC v. Paradise…
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WTO Rules U.S. Can Use Revised “Dolphin-Safe” Labels
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that the United States can use the “dolphin-safe” tuna labeling regulations revised in 2016, deciding they are part of a “legitimate conservation effort.” Mexico began the dispute in 2008 when it asserted that U.S. regulations governing tuna fishing in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean were more stringent than…
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NYC Bans Ads for Alcohol Products on Buses, Subways
New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) board has passed a resolution banning all advertising for alcohol products over concerns that exposure to the ads “influences many young people to start drinking earlier and to drink more,” which “leads to much higher public health and safety costs.” Although the primary purpose for MTA ads is…