Login
FDA Announces End to ‘Forever Chemicals’ in U.S. Food Packaging — PFAS Chemicals Have Been Tied to a Number of Health Issues
Fast-food wrappers and other grease-proofing materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will no longer be sold for use in food packaging in the U.S., the FDA announced on Wednesday.
According to the agency, this means that major sources of dietary exposure to PFAS — such as microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, and pet food bags — will be eliminated. The announcement “marks the fulfillment of a voluntary commitment by manufacturers to not sell food contact substances containing certain PFAS intended for use as grease-proofing agents in the U.S.,” said Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at FDA, in a statement.
The FDA cited evidence that exposure to some types of PFAS has been linked to serious health effects. And a recent longitudinal study found that greater consumption of tea, processed meats, and food prepared outside the home was associated with increased levels of PFAS in the body over time.
Moreover, scientists are finding that these “forever chemicals” are omnipresent, having been detected in the air, household products, food, and even tap water.
Global Pesticide Ban Is Only Way to Stop Us From a Health Epidemic Nightmare
A recent study from the Environmental Working Group made the startling discovery that a large percent of Americans tested positive for chlormequat, a crop-warping pesticide that is laced through a staggering 92% of oat-based foods bought in May 2023 alone.
The poison is barred from food crops in the U.S., but Environmental Protection Agency regulations callously eased during Donald Trump‘s presidency allowed the import of produce from nations that permit chlormequat use, leaving millions of Americans exposed to its potentially deadly effects.
Research showed almost all grapes and oranges in the U.K. contained an array of hazardous pesticides linked to everything from cancers to Parkinson’s, infertility, fetal abnormalities, asthma, anxiety, and depression.
Above all, the world can no longer prioritize the interests of big industry and their shareholders over the warnings of science and the will — and health — of the people. If we do not reconsider our use of pesticides, we will not only condemn our planet to ecological hell, but open the door to a grim, and very sick future for us all.
Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to 32 Health Problems in Review: What to Know
A review of research involving almost 10 million people has found a direct association between eating too many ultra-processed foods — those breads, cereals, snacks and frozen meals that have been industrially manufactured with flavors and additives to make them more palatable — and more than 30 health conditions, including heart disease, anxiety and early death.
A team of international researchers has undertaken a comprehensive review of the evidence on adverse health outcomes to date — examining 45 “pooled meta-analyses” from 14 review articles involving nearly 10 million people. All were published in the past three years, and none was funded by companies making ultra-processed food.
The researchers’ findings, published in the British medical journal BMJ, “show that diets high in ultra-processed food may be harmful to many body systems. They found “convincing evidence” that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with about a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48 to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Highly suggestive evidence also indicated that diets high in ultra-processed foods were associated with a 21% greater risk of death from any cause, a 40% to 66% higher risk of heart disease-related death, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and sleep problems, and a 22% increased risk of depression.
Months After Applesauce Recall, Parents Remain in Constant Fear About Possible Long-Term Effects
About four months after WanaBana announced a nationwide recall of its cinnamon applesauce pouches, parents of lead-poisoned children say they’re still living in constant fear of the potential long-term health issues that could develop in their young ones.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said that the WanaBana contamination is “absolutely outrageous” and has renewed her call on the Food and Drug Administration to take action on heavy metals in foods for babies and young children.
“This is heavy metals that are ingested by toddlers, by little kids,” Klobuchar said in an interview. “You think you’re safe when you use a cinnamon-flavored applesauce pack. And it turns out, you’re basically giving your child poisons.”
She plans to introduce a bill that would call for inspections on food imports meant for babies and young children and said that going forward, there need to be changes to laws that have restricted the FDA from taking action against foreign food manufacturers that don’t meet the agency’s standards for safety.
Raid on Raw Dairy Farm Ignites Debate Over Freedom of Food Consumption
A raid on a Pennsylvania farm could affect more than just one food supplier and its customers. Some see the case as having implications for the food freedoms of the entire nation. On Jan. 4, in Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania, an Amish farmer named Amos Miller had his place raided by authorities. A subsequent hearing involving Miller’s farm taking place on Thursday could determine aspects of the future of raw dairy consumption.
Dr. Jack Wolfson, a cardiologist, has been a customer of Miller’s raw dairy products for years. He will be an expert witness testifying on Thursday. Wolfson believes this case is part of a bigger picture regarding a warning for the freedoms of our food supply.
“But what the government is trying to do in this particular case, and in many others, is to shut down this raw dairy,” Wolfson said. “So they and the corporations they serve have total control over our food supply.”
The cardiologist said he believes this case affects everyone, even those who don’t consume raw dairy products. He believes every American should be able to have the right to make their own choice about the foods they consume and what they put in their bodies.
FDA to Develop New ‘Healthy’ Logo This Year — Here’s What Consumers Could See, and Which Foods Could Qualify
The Food and Drug Administration could roll out a new logo as soon as this year for companies to stamp on the packaging of “healthy” foods they make, aimed at clearing up confusion on what products actually should count as good for you.
The new symbol will follow a long-awaited update to the FDA’s definition, due to be published this April, of what foods can claim to be healthy to eat under federal rules. It comes as the agency is also working on another major new rule: front-of-package nutrition facts.
Kellogg’s Faces a Backlash After Encouraging Cash-Strapped Shoppers to Eat Cereal for Dinner: ‘What the Hell Kind of Dystopian Hellscape Is This?’
Kellogg’s is advertising cereal as an affordable dinner for people struggling with the rising cost of food — but some consumers aren’t happy with the cereal maker’s approach.
WK Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick told CNN last week that the messaging was “landing really well” with customers.
But the reaction to his comments on social media suggests otherwise. “What the hell kind of dystopian hellscape is this?” one user wrote on a TikTok with almost 150,000 views. “Give the peasants cereal for dinner!” another commented.
“Advertising to hungry people that cereal might be good for dinner is not ‘meeting people where they are,'” author Marianne Williamson wrote on X. “It’s exploiting the hungry for financial gain.”
Beyond Meat Plans to Hike Prices and Sharply Cut Costs as Part of a Huge Turnaround Plan to Fight Slumping Sales of Plant-Based Meat
Beyond Meat has unveiled details of a massive turnaround plan, including raising the prices of its plant-based meat and cutting overall costs as it struggles with slumping sales.
The maker of plant-based patties and sausages told investors on Tuesday that it would have to increase prices to bolster its margins.
Brown said that as well as restoring the company’s margins, the pricing action aimed to create more of a tiered pricing system, with higher prices for more premium products like its upcoming Beyond IV, its new range of plant-based beef and burgers made with avocado oil which it will roll out at U.S. retailers in the spring.
French Government Says Vegetarian Companies Cannot Use ‘Steak’ and Other Names of Meat on Product Labels
Companies in France that sell vegetarian, meat-alternative products will now have to remove the name of meat from their labels to avoid confusion, according to a new government order.
The French government issued a decree on Tuesday that bans meat-free products from using meat terms such as “steak,” “ham,” “filet,” and “prime rib,” among others, as the government said the terms were reserved for meat products, AFP reported.
The decision comes amid a feud between the meat and vegetarian industries, which are attempting to offer consumers meat-like alternatives while curbing the use of actual meat. However, the government has said terms such as “vegetarian ham” or “vegan sausage” can cause confusion about what is actually inside the product being sold.
According to the report, individuals caught violating the new labeling law face a fine of up to $1,630, or just over $8,000 for companies.
