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New institute for food safety to be established in Netherlands

RIKILT Wageningen University & Research and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority's Laboratory for Food and Feed Safety will merge into a new institute effective 1 June 2019.

14 Jan 2019

TUM researcher shares her latest findings about microplastic

After early reports of microplastic pollution in our oceans and beaches sounded the alarm, the global scientific community intensified its focus into this area.

11 Jan 2019

University of Cincinnati professor awarded $1.6 million NIAID grant to study Hamburger E. coli

Alison Weiss, PhD, professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology in UC College of Medicine, has been awarded a four-year grant of $1.6 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli 0157:H7, also sometimes referred to as Hamburger E. coli.

9 Jan 2019

Study highlights efforts to address widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water

A new analysis shows variation in the way state and federal regulators manage PFAS contaminants in drinking water, with some states adopting guideline levels that are more health protective than the non-enforceable levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

9 Jan 2019

Study finds large disparities in U.S. drinking water guidelines

In response to the growing problem of drinking water contaminated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, a new analysis shows that many states are establishing their own guideline levels for two types of PFAS--PFOA and PFOS--that differ from federal guidelines.

8 Jan 2019

Study shows link between antibiotic resistance in the environment and fecal pollution

Increased levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment may have different causes. It could be a consequence of on-site selection from antibiotic residues in the environment, hence promoting the evolution of new forms of resistance.

8 Jan 2019

Study suggests single-person gowning step to help optimize sterile technique in the OR

For surgeons getting ready to enter the operating room, the chances of contamination may be lower if they put their gowns on by themselves - without the assistance of a surgical technician, according to an experimental study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

7 Jan 2019

Youth with obsessive and compulsive symptoms more likely to experience psychopathology

Engaging in repetitive and ritualistic behaviors is part of typical child development. However, behaviors that develop into obsessive and compulsive symptoms may represent a red flag for serious psychiatric conditions.

4 Jan 2019

‘Don’t wash that bird!’ and other (often unheeded) food safety advice

Rinsing chicken or turkey before cooking it is an ingrained step for many home cooks — passed down through generations and reinforced by cookbooks. Recipes like the "Perfect Roast Chicken" in 1999's "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" advise cooks to "Rinse the chicken inside and out." But that doesn't reflect the science.

21 Dec 2018

FDA warns Genetech for marketing stem cell products without approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Genetech, Inc. of San Diego, California and its president, Edwin N. Pinos for marketing stem cell products without FDA approval and for significant deviations from current good tissue practice and current good manufacturing practice requirements, including some violations that may have led to microbial contamination, potentially causing serious blood infections in patients.

20 Dec 2018

Michigan-based food manufacturer ordered to discontinue operations after recurrent food safety violations

A federal court ordered a Michigan-based food manufacturer to discontinue selling food products until the company complies with federal regulations and other requirements.

18 Dec 2018

Sewage bacteria found lurking in Hudson River sediments

A new study shows that fecal bacteria from sewage are living in far greater quantities in near-shore sediments of the Hudson River than in the water itself.

14 Dec 2018

DNA analysis finds that stethoscopes used in the ICU are teeming with bacteria

Researchers have found that stethoscopes carried by healthcare practitioners in an intensive care (ICU) setting are loaded with a wide range of bacteria.

12 Dec 2018

FDA issues warning letter to Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical involved in valsartan recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a warning letter issued to Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (ZHP), in Linhai, Taizhou Zhejiang China, the manufacturer of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) found in valsartan that is the subject of an ongoing FDA investigation into probable cancer-causing impurities in certain commonly prescribed heart medicines.

12 Dec 2018

Study addresses continued challenges of lead poisoning prevention

Over the years, the Centers for Disease Control and its partners have made major progress towards reducing lead exposure in the United States. But more work remains in preventing lead poisoning in US children and adults, according to a special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

5 Dec 2018

Study highlights potential risks of lead exposure from ‘non-traditional’ sources

The study by Paromita Hore, PhD, MPH, and colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene highlights the potential risks of lead exposure from "non-traditional" sources, even as US population blood levels continue to decline.

4 Dec 2018

Major soil organic matter compound battles chronic wasting disease

A major compound in soil organic matter degrades chronic wasting disease prions and decreases infectivity in mice, according to a study published November 29 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Judd Aiken of the University of Alberta, and colleagues.

3 Dec 2018

Liver immune cells contain inert HIV and are unlikely to reproduce infection, study reveals

In a proof-of-principle study, researchers at Johns Hopkins revealed that certain immune system cells found in the human liver, called liver macrophages, contain only inert HIV and aren't likely to reproduce infection on their own in HIV-infected people on long-term antiretroviral therapy.

30 Nov 2018

Scientists find evidence of prions in the eyes of CJD patients

National Institutes of Health scientists and their colleagues have found evidence of the infectious agent of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in the eyes of deceased CJD patients.

21 Nov 2018

In throes of turkey salmonella outbreak, don’t invite illness to your table

As Americans prepare to cook and consume nearly 50 million turkeys on Thanksgiving Day, an ongoing outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to the poultry means food safety at home is more critical than ever.

19 Nov 2018