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Viewpoints: Fighting to a draw on Medicare; A coming era of austerity

Since Nov. 6, Republicans have, for perfectly understandable reasons, expressed their deep disappointment with the election results. But even in defeat something significant and positive occurred: Republicans fought Democrats to a draw on the issue of Medicare.

1 Dec 2012

AOAC-PTM validates 3M Tecra Listeria Visual Immunoassay

3M Food Safety announced today that its 3M Tecra Listeria Visual Immunoassay (VIA) for Environmental Testing (#091201) has received validation from the AOAC Research Institute's Performance Tested Methods Program.

29 Oct 2012

Health Canada's announcement confirms safety of BPA use in food-contact materials

In response to the release of Health Canada's Updated Assessment of Bisphenol A (BPA) Exposure from Food Sources, which found that that BPA is safe for use in food-contact materials, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has issued the following statement: "Health Canada's announcement today once again confirms that BPA is safe for use in food-contact materials," said Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D. of ACC's Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group.

28 Sep 2012

FDA data collection and analysis about arsenic levels in rice

As part of an ongoing and proactive effort to monitor food safety and address contaminants in food, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released preliminary data on arsenic levels in certain rice and rice products. The data are part of a larger FDA data collection and analysis about arsenic levels in rice and is based on the first set of approximately 200 samples of rice and rice products collected in the U.S. marketplace.

21 Sep 2012

Many older people not equipped to keep food safe during extended power outages

In the wake of Hurricane Isaac, which left millions without power, a new study highlights that many older adults are not equipped to keep food safe during an extended power outage.

11 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Cantaloupes and food safety; Diversity in health incentives

People don't ordinarily think of cantaloupes as killers, but over the last two summers 32 Americans have died after eating contaminated pieces of the popular fruit. ... Government is hyper-vigilant about terror attacks and problem airliners, which is good, but not so much about food - at least if you judge by the time it's taking the Obama administration to release new rules intended to prevent exactly the sort of food-borne outbreaks cantaloupes have caused.

24 Aug 2012

FibeBiotics aims to prove benefits of polysaccharides in clinical trials

Staying healthy requires constantly stimulating the immune system. Ingesting non-digestible fibres such as polysaccharides is thought to help. Yet companies including such ingredients in their food products cannot claim that they boost the immune system. At least, not until they have been scientifically tested and proven in clinical trials. Only then, would the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) allow such health claims.

18 Aug 2012

Clinical trials to test safety of 3K3A-APC in patients with ischemic stroke

Clinical trials start this week for a stroke drug initially created by a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Southern California (USC), and further developed by biotech company ZZ Biotech.

9 Aug 2012

Strategies that encourage lifestyle modifications could help manage hypertension

While many public health officials and healthcare providers view reducing sodium intake as the primary strategy to lower blood pressure, a 2010 expert Roundtable indicates that strategies that encourage lifestyle modifications could yield better results, concludes an article published today in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrition Today.

8 Aug 2012

Commercial cattle vaccine can effectively reduce levels of E. coli by more than 50%

A commercial vaccine for cattle can effectively reduce levels of E. coli by more than 50 percent, a Kansas State University study has found. The vaccine is also effective using two doses instead of the recommended three doses, which can help cut costs for the beef industry.

7 Aug 2012

FDA partial ban of bisphenol A raises questions

The US Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of polycarbonate resins, including bisphenol A, in the manufacture of infant feeding bottles and spill-proof or “sippy” cups.

31 Jul 2012

Tips to prevent illness in crowds

Massive crowds from around the globe will mingle in London during the Olympics, and that means a world-class array of germs will mix with them. Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert Gregory Poland, M.D., offers several tips for avoiding illness when you are around lots of people, whether at the Olympics, a professional football game, convention, arena concert or other major event.

26 Jul 2012

Neogen fourth quarter revenues increase 11.4% to $48,545,000

Neogen Corporation announced today that its revenues for the fourth quarter of its FY 2012, which ended May 31, increased 11.4% from the previous year's comparable quarter to $48,545,000. Net income for the fiscal year's final quarter was $0.25 per share, the same as the prior year's fourth quarter of $0.25 per share.

24 Jul 2012

Single-step method can rapidly detect pathogens and chemical contaminants

Using nanoscale materials, researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a single-step method to rapidly and accurately detect viruses, bacteria and chemical contaminants.

20 Jul 2012

Sandia researchers develop SpinDx medical diagnostic tool

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a lab-on-a-disk platform that they believe will be faster, less expensive and more versatile than similar medical diagnostic tools.

14 Jul 2012

UC Davis, CDC, Agilent and FDA partner to develop public database of foodborne pathogen genomes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the University of California, Davis, Agilent Technologies Inc., and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today a collaboration to create a public database of 100,000 foodborne pathogen genomes to help speed identification of bacteria responsible for foodborne outbreaks.

12 Jul 2012

New study maps global zoonotic disease 'hotspots'

"A global study mapping human diseases that come from animals like tuberculosis, AIDS, bird flu or Rift Valley fever has found that just 13 such diseases are responsible for 2.4 billion cases of human illness and 2.2 million deaths a year," Reuters reports.

6 Jul 2012

Diabetes on the rise among Chinese teenagers

A study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found Chinese teenagers have a rate of diabetes nearly four times greater than their counterparts in the United States. The rise in the incidence of diabetes parallels increases in cardiovascular risk, researchers say, and is the result of a Chinese population that is growing increasingly overweight.

6 Jul 2012

Study: 13 zoonoses responsible for 2.4B cases of human illness per year

A new global study mapping human-animal diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and Rift Valley fever finds that an "unlucky" 13 zoonoses are responsible for 2.4 billion cases of human illness and 2.2 million deaths per year. The vast majority occur in low- and middle-income countries.

5 Jul 2012

UN food standards body agrees on new regulations to protect health of consumers across the world

The UN food standards body has agreed on new regulations - including the maximum level of melamine in liquid milk formula for babies - to protect the health of consumers across the world. Other measures adopted include new food safety standards on seafood, melons, dried figs and food labelling.

5 Jul 2012