Despite denying Dr. Oz’s claims — just a few months ago — that there are dangerous levels of arsenic in your kid’s favorite apple juice, the FDA has recently found that a small percentage of samples tested do contain elevated levels of arsenic. Continue reading »

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Big changes headed to sunscreen product labeling.

The FDA has issued new guidelines for sunscreen labeling that should make it easier for parents to choose which products are best for their children.

Also, for the first time ever, the labeling is allowed to claim that sunscreens protect against skin cancer and early skin aging.

The new proposals are designed “to reduce consumer confusion,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation tells the Los Angeles Times.

Here’s a look at exactly what you will see change on all sunscreen products:

Continue reading »

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Meningitis vaccine for infants gets FDA seal of approval

It starts with high fever, headache, and stiff neck.

Although relatively uncommon in the United States, meningitis is deadly. Even with proper care, the FDA says up to 15% of people who develop meningitis die from the infection.

The classic symptoms of meningitis may be difficult to detect and can be absent in really small children. Continue reading »

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Weighing the benefits and risks for baby

It’s an important question for a lot of moms: should you stay on psychiatric medications while pregnant?

This week the FDA issued a warning to doctors about pregnant women on antipsychotics (a class of medications used primarily for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia), saying that newborns whose mothers were taking these drugs were at risk for having abnormal muscle movements and withdrawal symptoms, including agitation, sleepiness, tremors, trouble breathing and eating after birth.

But it’s a complicated question — what should a mom do if meds are helping her but she’s worried about the baby? Here’s what the research says: Continue reading »

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Bacillus cereus, the bacteria found in the Triad product thought to have killed a 2-year-old and sickened many more.

2-year-old Harrison Kothari of Houston died in December from “a rare infection blamed on contaminated alcohol wipes,” according to MSNBC.com, which “may be only the first casualty tied to allegedly shoddy sterilization practices by a Wisconsin medical products firm.” Those shoddy sterilization practices extend not only to alcohol wipes but other medical products used in hospitals and homes, and sold as generics by many popular drug and grocery stores.

Kothari was infected with Bacillus cereus – a soil dwelling bacteria typically known for causing food poisoning – the spread of which sparked the January 5th recall of tens of millions of pads and swabs manufactured by the Triad Group (whose website is conveniently “down for maintenance” currently). Since news of Kothari’s death circulated, “dozens of people have stepped forward to say they may have been sickened, too,” MSNBC reports.

Shockingly, MSNBC believes that Food and Drug Administration inspectors have known since July 2009 that Triad had problems with contamination and sterilization. FDA regulators chided Triad in inspection reports, saying, “Procedures designed to prevent microbiological contamination of drug products purporting to be sterile are not followed,” but officials never followed up by sending the warning letters “typically used to force firms to comply” to standards.

It seems that a class-action lawsuit is brewing against Triad, as MSNBC reports that “in the last week, more than 50 people have contacted lawyers representing Sandra and Shanoop Kothari, who are suing the Triad Group for gross negligence in their son’s Dec. 1, 2010 death.” Health complaints from consumers who used the tainted product run the gamut from skin infections to another claim of death. Continue reading »

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Lead tastes yummy!

I came across this story on Yahoo news today about Toxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge® Chew Bars candy being recalled because it’s (wait for it … ) toxic… and thought: “Nah… this is some kind of joke.”

So, I clicked over to the FDA web site, and sure enough—there it is, for immediate release: “Candy Dynamics Recalls Toxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge® Chew Bars. (All flavors, by the way.)

Turns out that a recent test performed by the California Department of Public Health has indicated that a lot (#8288A) of the cherry flavor of the candy contains elevated levels of lead (0.24 parts per million; the U.S. FDA tolerance is 0.1 ppm) that potentially could cause health problems, particularly for infants, small children, and pregnant women.

The candy is imported from Pakistan, and distributed nationwide in retail stores and through mail orders. (You can rest assured that no other “Toxic Waste®” brand product is affected by this recall.)

Err… there are just so many things wrong with this picture, I simply have no words. So, allow me to instead share some of the sentiments from people on the Yahoo article: Continue reading »

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Three cheers for better eggs!

The Senate has just passed a bill that would give the FDA the authority, and the money, to inspect food processing plants, helping it prevent outbreaks of food borne illnesses, not just respond to them. The FDA will also have the authority to recall food. Plus, under the new law food imported into the US must meet the same safety standards as food produced in this country.

This is the first overhaul of food safety regulations in 70 years, and everyone who was nervous about buying an egg last summer for fear of salmonella should be relieved that this law, which was stalled in the Senate for a year after it passed the House of Representatives with bi-partisan support, has finally passed.  Why would anyone oppose this law?Some opposed it because they thought the new regulations would be too much for small farmers and food producers, so,Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser wrote in an Op/Ed in yesterday’s New York Times, an amendment was added by Senator Jon Tester of Montana which created an exemption to address those concerns. Continue reading »

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