NTP Report on Bisphenol A

The federal government’s top toxicologists report “concerns” over bisphenol A (BPA), the controversial chemical in many of the nation’s favorite plastic beverage containers, after a full investigation of the chemical suspected of causing problems with behavior and development of the brain and prostate gland in infants and children, with fetal effects observed also. Read more

Problematic Meatpacker Source of Whole Foods Recall

On Friday, Whole Foods Market issued a recall of all ground beef sold under the Coleman Natural Foods brand name between June 2 and August 6.  Consumers who have Coleman beef bought at Whole Foods Market are urged to discard the contents and save either the packaging or the store receipt to get a refund. Read more

Serrano Peppers Latest Villain in Salmonella Saga

In the continuing search for the source of the Salmonella saintpaul outbreak that has made hundreds of consumers in the United States and Canada sick over the last few months, investigators now say they’ve identified the elusive bacteria in serrano peppers grown on a farm in Tamaulipas, the Mexican state that borders South Texas.  Investigators also found traces of the bacteria in irrigation water collected from the same farm. Read more

Death by Prescription, Street Drug Combo

The dangers of an overdose of prescription medications made headlines around the world when the 28-year-old Australian actor, Heath Ledger, died last January.  A team of sociologists in California have just released the findings of an extensive study in which they evaluated the causes of death due to medication errors similar to the one that cost Ledger his life.  Their findings address four different situations, with one of them, death occurring at home because of an overdose of prescription medications when the patient was also consuming alcohol, street drugs, or both, rose a skyrocketing 3,196% between 1983 and 2004. Read more

Texas Packing Plant in Hot Seat Over Salmonella-Tainted Jalapenos

The rare strain of Salmonella that has made more than 1,000 people sick in the US and Canada has been identified as coming from a small packing plant in South Texas, according to Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Acheson says that the jalapeno peppers contaminated with Salmonella saintpaul have been traced to the Agricola Zaragoza Inc., packing plant in McAllen, Texas, just north of the US/Mexico border. Read more

Once Again, Tomatoes Are Safe to Eat

After weeks of getting blamed for causing as many as 1,200 people in 42 states and the District of Columbia to become ill with infection from Salmonella, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has canceled its warning against eating raw tomatoes. The Salmonella outbreak has been the largest outbreak of a food-borne illness in the US in at least a decade. Read more

Tainted Tomatoes Still a Mystery

More than two weeks after public health officials in the United States issued a warning to consumers against eating certain types of tomatoes linked to more than 800 cases of salmonella infection, the source of the tainted tomatoes remains a mystery. Read more

Ground Beef Recalled by Kroger

All ground beef sold in Kroger stores throughout Michigan and in Colombus and Toledo, Ohio, between May 21 and June 8 has been recalled by the grocer because of an outbreak of E. coli traced back to their stores.  The company is asking all consumers in those areas to check the sell-by dates on any packages of ground beef that has not yet been consumed.  If ground beef sold during this time is found, consumers are asked to discard it or to return it to any Kroger store for full refund or replacement. Read more

Ban Recommended on Toxic Vinyl Shower Curtains

Ask about toxic shower curtains and many people will mention mold and mildew. Those two culprits may be responsible for making your bathroom smell less than fresh but they’re not responsible for the recommendation made today to ban the manufacture and sale in Canada of vinyl shower curtains made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Read more

Montezuma’s Revenge No Threat to New Vaccine

Travelers to Mexico and many other locations around the world are warned to beware of Montezuma’s revenge and don’t drink the water.  Doctors refer to Montezuma’s revenge as travelers’ diarrhea and it does come from drinking the water and eating exotic foods during travel. Read more

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