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FDA warning on mineral water containing arsenic

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is re-issuing its warning to consumers not to drink "Jermuk" brand mineral water due to the risk of exposure to arsenic, a toxic substance and a known cause of cancer in humans.

25 Mar 2007

Campaign to help schools prevent chemical accidents

In a national kickoff, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign to help schools prevent chemical accidents.

25 Mar 2007

House Ways and Means committee passes bill to prohibit genetic discrimination

The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday by voice vote unanimously approved a bill (HR 493) that would ban discrimination against U.S. residents based on the results of genetic tests, CongressDaily reports.

22 Mar 2007

Cancer Research UK and Cancerbackup form strategic partnership

Cancer patients seeking facts about their diagnosis and treatment will soon be able to receive information prescriptions thanks to a new partnership between Britain's leading cancer charities, Cancer Research UK and Cancerbackup.

15 Mar 2007

FDA proposes rule to allow use of alternative temperature devices for food processing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule which, if finalized, would benefit both consumers and the food industry by enabling manufacturers of heat-processed low-acid canned foods to modernize their equipment by using alternative temperature-indicating devices (TIDs).

13 Mar 2007

Native American artists use art and storytelling to bring cancer statistics to life

As an internist and health-care economist, Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., is used to looking at cancer statistics in black and white. Lately, however, he's been seeing them in shades of vibrant red and deep blue.

12 Mar 2007

Guide to minimize microbial food safety hazards of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today published a draft final guidance advising processors of fresh-cut produce how to minimize microbial food safety hazards common to the processing of most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, which are often sold to consumers in a ready-to-eat form.

12 Mar 2007

New guidelines on cultivating Artemisia plant used in anti-malaria medicines

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published guidelines for the cultivation and collection of Artemisia (Artemisia annua L., Asteraceae), known in the United States as sweet Annie or annual wormwood, a Chinese traditional medicinal plant which is the source of artemisinin, used to produce the most effective medicines for malaria.

12 Mar 2007

Throw out peanut butter from 2004!

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of March 7, 2007, 425 people in 44 states have now been infected with the strain of Salmonella Tennessee found in Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter products.

12 Mar 2007

House passes bill that would allow 'paired' kidney donations

The House on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation (HR 710) to specify that "paired" kidney donations do not violate laws prohibiting compensation for organ donations, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

11 Mar 2007

Vanity Fair to partner with product RED to guest edit July edition

Vanity Fair magazine on Tuesday announced that it will sign on as a partner with Product RED -- a project created by Irish musician Bono and DATA co-founder Bobby Shriver that aims to raise money for the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by donating a portion of profits from a range of branded products -- the AP/London Free Press reports.

11 Mar 2007

Update on peanut butter recall

As a follow-up to the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing consumers that ConAgra has extended their recall of all Peter Pan peanut butter, and all Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111, including peanut butter toppings, back to October 2004.

11 Mar 2007

Methylmercury contaminating fish - pregnant women warned

According to an international team of scientists pregnant women should be wary of eating some types of fish because of mercury contamination.

11 Mar 2007

EPA releases framework for metals risk assessment

Many EPA programs make decisions on regulation of metals, particularly controlling releases to the environment and establishing acceptable levels in air, water, or land.

8 Mar 2007

Doctors in Zimbabwe end two-month strike

Doctors in Zimbabwe have ended a two-month strike after reaching a deal with the government over their wages, Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said on Saturday, Reuters South Africa reports.

8 Mar 2007

FDA warning on mineral water from Armenia

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to drink certain brands of mineral water imported from Armenia due to the risk of exposure to arsenic, a toxic substance and known cause of cancer in humans.

8 Mar 2007

FDA chief speaks out against regulating nicotine content of cigarettes

The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S., Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, says plans by the government to regulate the amount of tobacco in cigarettes runs the risk of backfiring.

6 Mar 2007

How polonium-210 acts as a poison in the body

The Health Protection Agency's radiation protection experts together with colleagues from research laboratories in the USA have published a paper in the Journal of Radiological Protection 1 on how polonium-210 acts as a poison in the body.

6 Mar 2007

Mailing error reveals names of 53 people enrolled in California ADAP

The California Department of Health Services last week inadvertently revealed the names and addresses of up to 53 residents enrolled in the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program by mailing benefit notification letters to the incorrect ADAP members, department officials said Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

5 Mar 2007

Inaugral conference of Society for Acute Medicine to be held in UK

The Society of Acute Medicine has announced that the 1st International Conference for Acute Medicine is to be held at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, Glasgow, on the 1st and 2nd October 2007, and will be officially opened by Dr Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland.

5 Mar 2007