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FDA Says Infant Formula ‘Safe.’ Parents Whose Babies Got Botulism Want Answers
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claimed its sweeping test results confirm America’s infant formula supply is safe. Our investigation uncovered a glaring omission from that report: a deadly, spore-forming pathogen — hospitalizing babies — found in infant formula that the agency was actively investigating at the very same time it told American consumers the supply was safe.
Now, we’re investigating what the FDA knew, why it took no meaningful action on warning signs, and the questions the agency still refuses to answer. When we met Katie Connolly, she was weeks away from meeting her newborn son. Her nursery was ready, but one critical choice hung over her head.
“I don’t have confidence that if I were to pull a bottle or a can of formula off of the shelf and feed it to my son when he’s born, that I would feel safe,” she said.
Common Food Additive May Make You Absorb More Fat, Study Finds
A sweetener widely used in processed foods and soft drinks may contribute to weight gain in an unexpected way, according to new research. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine found evidence that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can alter the gut in ways that increase the body’s ability to absorb dietary fat, potentially promoting obesity and insulin resistance.
High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in sodas, fruit-flavored beverages, sweetened juices, breakfast cereals, baked goods, candies and other processed foods.
While excess sugar consumption has long been linked to obesity, researchers wanted to understand the biological mechanisms that connect fructose intake to weight gain.
The team focused on what happens in the small intestine, where much of the body’s dietary fructose is processed.
Food, Health Groups Jockey Over Ultra-Processed Food Definition
The food sector and public health advocates are diverging in their efforts to shape US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to establish a standardized definition of ultra-processed foods that he claims are “poisoning” Americans.
Tension between the groups over the definition has reached the White House, where the American Heart Association, the Food Industry Association, and others are hoping to have the last word on the administration’s approach. The lobbying demonstrates the financial, legal, and public health stakes of establishing a federal definition for ultra-processed foods, which are industrially produced and frequently packaged.
Food company CEOs in August delayed the definition’s release, raising concerns it would open the industry up to litigation and increase costs, Bloomberg News reported at the time.
Backed by Data, a Former USDA Scientist Makes the Case for Regenerative Agriculture
In June, agroecologist and South Dakota farmer Jonathan Lundgren had five minutes with President Donald Trump. “This is the answer that American farmers have been looking for,” he said, urging the president to sign an executive order advancing regenerative agriculture.
Lundgren’s trip to the White House was an apparent success, as President Trump did then sign an executive order instructing federal agencies to expand research and support for regenerative agriculture. In a blog post, Lundgren recounted sharing “striking data” with Trump based on visits with 2,000 farms across the US over the last few years exploring the costs and benefits of an alternative to conventional industrial agriculture.
After leaving a career as a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist in 2016 when he became disillusioned with the agency’s scientific integrity, Lundgren has emerged as a prominent advocate for regenerative farming, which he now practices and studies on a farm in South Dakota.
California PFAS Pesticide Ban Gutted After Industry Lobbying, Author Says Bill Is ‘A Shell’
A California bill meant to keep toxic “forever chemicals” out of the food supply had its central restrictions stripped away after aggressive lobbying, according to Inside Climate News. Assemblymember Nick Schultz of Burbank said the final version of A.B. 1603 that reached Governor Gavin Newsom’s was “a shell of what we set out to do,” adding, “We missed an opportunity this year to really be a national leader on this issue, and to catch up with a handful of other states that are already pursuing this legislation.”
Earlier versions were much broader, aiming to block new PFAS pesticides starting in 2028 and prohibit sales of 23 PFAS pesticides already banned in Denmark by 2030. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down.
Schultz said the issue became alarming to him after he learned PFAS-containing pesticides are used on crops and saw a March Environmental Working Group report that found PFAS residues on nearly 40% of conventional California produce.
Microplastics in Soil Pose Global Threat by Acting Like ‘Trojan Horse’ to Deliver Toxins
Microplastics act like a “Trojan horse” delivering pollutants, pesticides and bacteria through the soil, a five-year multinational research project has found. The EU-funded project, which has so far resulted in 22 peer-reviewed studies, found microplastics in the soil of all 227 agricultural fields it tested across 11 European countries. The researchers said this poses a global threat, with healthy soils essential for life on Earth.
In many cases, this contamination reflected current farming practices as well as historical land use, demonstrating that plastic pollution can persist for many years.
The researchers also found that microplastics could interact with other agricultural stressors such as pesticides and veterinary drugs.
One study in Switzerland found that fields with the highest levels of tyre-wear particles also had the highest levels of other toxic chemicals and metals. Microplastics can create new microbial habitats on their surfaces. Known as the plastisphere, these surfaces form a hotspot for interactions between plastics, microbes and agrochemicals, the researchers found.
Banning Junk Food At Checkouts Leads To Drop In Sugar-Laden Sales, Study Finds
U.S. News & World Report reported:
Banning displays of sodas, candy bars and junk food from store checkout lanes can prompt people to cut back on unhealthy eats, a new study says. Sales of soda and candy decreased significantly after such a ban took effect in Berkeley, California, researchers reported recently in The Lancet Public Health.
“Through bright lighting, colorful packaging and eye-level placement, checkout lanes are intentionally designed to draw shoppers’ attention to snacks and beverages with high added sugar,” co-lead researcher Justin White said in a news release. He is an associate professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University.
“Our findings suggest that healthy checkout policies can help reduce impulsive purchases and even encourage healthier snack choices, but it is critical for cities to actively enforce these policies if they aim to see meaningful and sustained decreases in sugary product sales,” White said.
