Food and Drug Administration

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US Blocks Chinese Milk Products

FDA demands independent tests before products can enter

(Newser) - All Chinese products containing milk will be blocked at the US border until tests prove they're free of a widely used toxic contaminant, Bloomberg reports. The FDA is demanding independent testing to prove such products are not tainted with melamine like those which sickened 50,000 children in China. The...

Forget Sugar; That Dye Can't Be Good for You

Weighing link to kids' hyperactivity, FDA mulls ban on artificial colors

(Newser) - The FDA is weighing a ban on a handful of artificial food dyes in the face of mounting evidence that some of the chemical compounds trigger hyperactivity in children, reports the Los Angeles Times. "The safety testing on these [dyes] was done 30 to 50 years ago," says...

FDA Bans Indian-Made Drugs
 FDA Bans
Indian-Made Drugs 
Sep 17, 2008 1:57 AM CDT

FDA Bans Indian-Made Drugs

28 medications included in import ban

(Newser) - The FDA has banned imports of 28 products made in India by one of the world's biggest generic drug makers, Ranbaxy. The drugs include antibiotics and antiviral medication, as well as medicines for high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, allergies and acne, reports the Washington Post. There is no danger...

Tainted Baby Formula Kills 2 in China

Dairy farms probed after banned toxic found in milk powder

(Newser) - Two Chinese babies have died, 53 are in serious condition and 1,253 others are sick from widespread milk powder contamination, the New York Times reports. The baby formula laced with melamine—the same additive behind last year’s US pet-food recall—was recalled just last week by Sanlu Group,...

Made in China: Toxic Baby Formula

Dangerous food may be in some US markets

(Newser) - Baby formula made in China has been found to contain melamine, the same toxic substance that contaminated pet food and poisoned thousands of US dogs and cats last year. None of the formula is in the general US food supply—but some may be on the shelves in American Asian...

Scientists Still Question Popular Drugs Zetia, Vytorin

Much-prescribed cholesterol medicines may not reduce risk of heart disease, death

(Newser) - Some cholesterol medicines have shown no indication they actually work—but that hasn’t stopped doctors from heavily prescribing them, the New York Times reports. Short trials of Zetia and Vytorin, known generically as ezetimibe, showed no evidence they reduced risk of heart attack or cardiovascular disease, while tests raised...

Beware the Word 'Natural.' It Means Nothing
Beware the
Word 'Natural.' 
It Means Nothing
Opinion
Aug 23, 2008 7:50 AM CDT

Beware the Word 'Natural.' It Means Nothing

The FDA won't define it, so it can be, and is, slapped on anything

(Newser) - "Is that natural artificial yellow coloring?" asks Barry Estabrook in Gourmet. Absurd as the question sounds, it's not, given that the Food and Drug Administration "can't be bothered to define the term at all." Eager to get on the "natural" bandwagon, manufacturers are "shamelessly slapping...

House Votes to Let FDA Regulate Tobacco

Cigarettes would be controlled by FDA

(Newser) - The House passed landmark legislation yesterday to bring the tobacco industry under the regulatory control of the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA wouldn't have the power to ban cigarettes under the bill, but it could order nicotine levels in cigarettes reduced and restrict other harmful ingredients, reports the New ...

Step Away From the Green Lobster Goop

Crustaceans' guts may contain toxins: FDA

(Newser) - Many people consider tomalley, the green substance inside lobsters, a delicacy—but the FDA doesn't. The agency is warning tomalley fans that the crustaceans' internal organs can contain dangerous levels of a specific toxin, the Boston Globe reports. Eating tomalley from Atlantic lobsters can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can...

Key Salmonella Strain Found in Jalapeño

Mexico-grown peppers in Texas plant contain bacteria behind case

(Newser) - Federal inspectors are urging people to avoid eating fresh jalapeños after discovering the same salmonella strain responsible for a nationwide food-poisoning epidemic in a Mexican-grown pepper in a Texas plant. Though the FDA says the finding is a “very important break in the case,” the Mexican jalapeñ...

Menthol Used to 'Hook' Young Smokers: Study

Menthol cigarettes go down easier with youngsters

(Newser) - Tobacco companies use menthol to make the taste of cigarettes more acceptable to young first-time smokers until they become addicted, a new study charges. Researchers found that 44% of child smokers used menthol cigarettes, reports Reuters. "Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lungs," said an expert from...

Tomatoes May Not Be Behind Salmonella Outbreak

Government cautions remain in place as probe continues

(Newser) - As salmonella cases continue to climb, the government is checking to see whether tainted tomatoes are in fact to blame for the record outbreak, the AP reports. Federal officials say the problem may be with another ingredient or with a warehouse contaminating newly harvested tomatoes.The widening outbreak, with 810...

Vets Used to Test Drugs Linked to Suicide

VA accused of treating troubled patients like 'lab rats'

(Newser) - Combat veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder were recruited for clinical trials of drugs linked to suicide and mental disorders, ABC reports. In a trial involving the smoking-cessation drug Chantix, the VA did not warn patients of the drug's serious potential side effects until 3 months after the FDA and the...

Are Tomatoes From Local Farms Safer?
Are Tomatoes From Local Farms Safer?
Jun 15, 2008 10:02 AM CDT

Are Tomatoes From Local Farms Safer?

Mistakes can be made at any size operation, scientists warn

(Newser) - Salmonella-tainted tomatoes that sickened 228 people in 28 states may be a boon to the local-food movement, but Newsweek takes a look at whether "locavores" should be so smug. Equating smaller farms with safer practices—and long-distance shipping with more time for bacteria to infect food—more produce-lovers are...

Salmonella Outbreak Traced to Tomatoes

At least 87 reported cases in nine states

(Newser) - Tomatoes may be the source of a salmonella outbreak across nine states, Reuters reports. Health officials blame tomatoes for 57 reported salmonella cases in Texas and New Mexico since April, and the agency is investigating possible connections to cases in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Utah. At least...

Serious Side Effects Linked to Avandia, Fosamax

Heart trouble, brittle bones tied to drugs

(Newser) - Two new studies have linked the popular prescription drugs Fosamax and Avandia to serious side effects, Reuters reports. Fosamax, prescribed for osteoporosis, has been tied to a type of abnormal heartbeat that can cause dizziness and fatigue. Another study links Avandia, used to treat diabetes, to a double or even...

FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes
 FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes
Apr 25, 2008 3:00 AM CDT

FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes

Thousands have nightmare results

(Newser) - Patients who have experienced complications following popular Lasik eye surgery will tell their nightmare stories to a panel of the Food and Drug Administration today. The procedure to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is coming under increasing scrutiny following reports of excessively dry eyes, and of "starbursts" and "...

Flu Shot: Better Luck Next Year
Flu Shot: Better Luck Next Year
Feb 22, 2008 4:04 AM CST

Flu Shot: Better Luck Next Year

FDA includes new strains in formula

(Newser) - Next year's influenza vaccine will be reformulated to include three new flu strains in the hope of developing a more potent vaccine than this year's effort, according to US News & World Report. An FDA panel approved the move, following the lead of the World Health Organization. This year's vaccine...

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