Topic: fda

For Shame! Bakery Shut Down For Putting Extra Sugar & Fat In Their ‘Sugar-Free’ Treats, Acts Like It’s No Big Deal

For Shame! Bakery Shut Down For Putting Extra Sugar & Fat In Their 'Sugar-Free' Treats, Acts Like It's No Big Deal

The Butterfly Bakery in Clifton, New Jersey has some explaining to do. After a prolonged investigation, the FDA found that the bakery falsely labeled some of their products fat and sugar content, going as far as putting sugar into their “No Sugar Added” blueberry muffins. The company must remained closed until all of their products match what they actually put on the label. And according to the bakery, it’s really no big deal. More »

Out With The Snacks, In With The Structure: New FDA Proposal Could Ban School Junk Food

Out With The Snacks, In With The Structure: New FDA Proposal Could Ban School Junk Food

I still remember how my mom would occasionally give me an extra fifty cents to buy an ice cream cone or a cookie during lunch. It was a once-in-a-while thing — she didn’t let my brothers and I have a ton of junk — and always felt super special. In recent years, however, I’ve noticed that more and more kids come to school and wind up eating purely the fattiest, sweetest stuff they can get their hands on. And it’s really easy, too: the school is the one selling it. More »

5-Hour Energy Linked To 13 Deaths And ‘Spontaneous Abortion’; Why Is Anyone Still Buying Energy Drinks?

5-Hour Energy Linked To 13 Deaths And 'Spontaneous Abortion'; Why Is Anyone Still Buying Energy Drinks?

It seems there’s never been a better time to quit drinking caffeine, especially if you’re hooked on energy drinks: First, there was Monster; now, the FDA is saying that 5-Hour Energy was mentioned in 90 FDA filings–including 13 deaths and 30 life-threatening events, including a ‘spontaneous abortion’ (i.e. miscarriage)–over the past four years. And we thought soda was bad. More »

Monster Energy Drinks Have Too Much Caffeine? Venti Starbucks Coffee Has More

Monster Energy Drinks Have Too Much Caffeine? Venti Starbucks Coffee Has More

You may have heard that Monster energy drinks are under FDA investigation after being cited in five deaths and one heart attack. There’s also a wrongful death lawsuit against Monster, filed by the parents of 14-year-old Anais Fournier, who died due to caffeine toxicity. Yet as more details about these deaths comes out, it seems less clear exactly where fault lies — and how dangerous (or not) these drinks are. One 24-ounce can of Monster contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as one to two 8-ounce cups of coffee  – and significantly less than a venti at Starbucks, which comes in around 415 milligrams. More »

Recall Update: Peanut Butter Recall Now Impacts Whole Peanuts, Too

Recall Update: Peanut Butter Recall Now Impacts Whole Peanuts, Too

This peanut butter recall refuses to die. In fact, it keeps spreading. New reports from the FDA over the weekend noted that now, not only are hundreds of nut butters and peanut butter-containing snacks being recalled for potentially being tainted with Salmonella, but whole peanuts may be unsafe to eat, as well. The additional information has already impacted a variety of snack bars, and will likely soon start to trickle down toward train mixes and other nut-containing food items. More »

Amid Safety Concerns, Weight Loss Drug Qsymia Probably Won’t Get Approval In The EU

Amid Safety Concerns, Weight Loss Drug Qsymia Probably Won't Get Approval In The EU

Earlier this week, a weight loss drug called Qsymia hit the market in the US. It was the first new FDA-approved anti-obesity medication to be introduced in over a decade. But Britons who are looking to lose weight may not be able to get their hands on it in the near future–or ever. According to the drug’s parent company, VIVUS, it’s unlikely that the very-strict European regulatory committee will approve the drug, which is raising questions about Qsymia’s purported safety. More »

Maggots, Mouse Poop and Mold: An Argument For More Government In Your Food

Maggots, Mouse Poop and Mold: An Argument For More Government In Your Food

After the New York City Board of Health unanimously voted yesterday to give giant soda the boot, there was an immediate outcry. “Nanny state!” cried those who weren’t in favor. “I don’t want government controlling what I eat!” But as a pretty repulsive article on Buzzfeed today points out, the government is already involved in what does (and doesn’t) show up on your grocery store shelves–and there’s still rodent hairs and bug legs in almost everything you buy. Which kind of makes me wish for more government intervention, not less. More »

FDA To Hershey’s: Your Chocolate Syrup Bottle Is Full Of Lies

FDA To Hershey's: Your Chocolate Syrup Bottle Is Full Of Lies

Today in junk food products that try to disguise themselves as healthy: Hershey’s chocolate syrup. In February, the FDA sent a warning letter to the CEO and President of Hershey Co., John P. Bilbrey. The letter advised Mr. Bilbrey that the front-of-package labeling of some of his company’s chocolate syrup products were guilty of making false health claims. That letter was made public today, and shows that Hershey’s, just like a lot of companies, has been relying on misleading statements to convince consumers that their product was “better.” More »

FDA Finally Approves HIV Prevention Drug, Truvada

FDA Finally Approves HIV Prevention Drug, Truvada

The FDA has finally approved a new drug that prevents HIV infection. The medicine, Truvada, is a daily pill expected to be taken by people at a high-risk of becoming infected with HIV (gay and bisexual men usually, but the drug has been approved for all HIV-negative people). This is awesome news for public health here in America, especially considering the increasingly- cavalier attitudes towards HIV of lots of American young people. More »

Why Women Should Have To Pay For Sperm Donation

Why Women Should Have To Pay For Sperm Donation

If you aren’t willing or able to get knocked up the old-fashioned way, getting pregnant can be seriously expensive. As someone who struggles with infertility, I am acutely aware of that fact. Here in the US, the average adoption costs between $25,000 and $35,000. A single round of in vitro fertilization is about $12,000. Basically, if you’re looking for help building your family, you better have quite a healthy bank account at your disposal.

However, one woman is fighting against a specific cost in the fertility process. A San Francisco-area woman is suing over the regulations and costs of sperm donation. She says that they present a costly and burdensome barrier between same-sex or single women who want to get pregnant. I say, they keep us safe. More »

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