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Lead and Cadmium Found in Muscle-Building Protein Powders, Report Says
Over-the-counter protein powders may contain disturbing levels of lead and cadmium, with the highest amounts found in plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavored products, according to a new investigation.
There is no level of lead that is safe for humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cadmium is a carcinogen which is also toxic to the body’s heart, kidneys, gut, brain, respiratory and reproductive systems, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.
“On average, organic protein powders had three times more lead and twice the amount of cadmium compared to non-organic products,” said Jaclyn Bowen, executive director of the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit dedicated to transparent food labeling that released the new report Thursday.
Cambodian Man Dies From Bird Flu
A 28-year-old Cambodian man died from bird flu on Friday after eating sick chickens, the health ministry said. The man from eastern Kampong Cham province, tested positive for H5N1 on Thursday, the health ministry said in a statement. “The patient was in critical situation with fever, coughing and difficulty breathing,” before he died on Friday, the ministry said. At least three people, including a two-year-old girl, died from bird flu in the kingdom in 2023 while a nine-year-old boy succumbed to the virus last year.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) first emerged in 1996. In July, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that its ability to manage the risk to humans posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus was being compromised by patchy surveillance. The WHO called on all countries to step up influenza surveillance and reporting in animals and humans, and for nations to share samples and genetic sequences.
The latest Cambodian victim had raised poultry at his home and “cooked sick chickens for food”, the health ministry in Phnom Penh said. Officials were investigating the source of the virus and searching for any suspected cases in the community, it added.
Pennsylvania Court Allows Amish Farmers To Continue Raw Milk Sales Amid Legal Battle
In a significant decision, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has ruled in favor of Amish farmers Amos and Rebecca Miller, allowing them to continue selling raw milk products across state lines while their ongoing legal case unfolds. This ruling has reignited national discussions about food freedom, government overreach, and the rights of consumers to purchase traditional, unprocessed foods directly from small-scale producers.
The Millers, who operate Amos Miller Organic Farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have faced extensive legal challenges over their raw milk and other farm products. Federal law prohibits interstate raw milk sales, but the Millers argue their out-of-state transactions are constitutionally protected under the Commerce Clause and the right to access traditional food sources.
The legal battle intensified in January 2024 when the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture conducted a raid on the Millers’ farm, citing alleged E. coli and listeria contamination linked to illnesses in children from Michigan and New York. Officials claimed that samples from the farm tested positive for harmful bacteria, leading to product seizures and a shutdown of operations. However, the Millers and their legal team have strongly refuted these claims, accusing the state of overstepping its authority and presenting flawed evidence.
“This case is not just about raw milk. It’s about the fundamental right of Americans to decide what they consume and how they obtain it,” said the Millers’ attorney, Robert Barnes. “The outcome here will shape the future of food freedom in this country.”
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Is the Party Over for Plastic Foam Foodware Packaging?
There was a time when plastic foam foodware packaging — commonly known as Styrofoam — was a regular sight at music festivals, coffee shops and takeaway outlets.
But as concerns grow about its environmental impact, a growing number of U.S. states are banning or restricting its use.
In California, new regulations under the state’s SB54 Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act came into force at the beginning of this year, which effectively bans plastic foam foodware from being sold.
A spokesperson for CalRecycle said the regulations stipulate in order to continue selling expanded polystyrene food service ware in the state, producers must demonstrate it meets a 25% recycling rate as of Jan. 1, in an email.
Environmental Groups Sue FDA Over Refusal to Tackle Risky Plastic Packaging
A coalition of environmental groups has sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of highly toxic phthalates in plastic food packaging because the chemicals have been found to leach at alarming rates and present a serious health risk, especially for developing children.
The suit is the latest salvo in an ongoing eight-year battle in which advocates have pressured the FDA to ban the chemicals’ use in food packaging, but the agency has sided with industry that opposes the calls. Since 2016, the FDA has either illegally ignored petitions or rejected demands to revoke a 40-year-old authorization for the chemicals that are based on long-outdated science.
The health groups in a statement called the FDA’s refusal to restrict the chemicals “unconscionable.” “The FDA is knowingly putting millions of people in the U.S. at risk of life-altering health problems by continuing to greenlight uses of phthalates that contaminate our food,” said Katherine O’Brien, an attorney with Earthjustice, one of the suit’s lead plaintiffs. “FDA’s decision defies decades of science and the agency’s core purpose of keeping the food supply safe.” The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fifteen More States Enroll With USDA Milk Testing Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that 15 more states have enrolled in its National Milk Testing Strategy, which boosts the number of participating states to 28 and covers 65% of the nation’s milk production.
The USDA unveiled a national milk testing order on Dec. 6, 2024, which began with six states and spelled out a broader strategy for testing milk in the wake of ongoing outbreaks on dairy farms. On Dec. 17, 2024, it announced adding seven more states, which brought the number to 13, representing eight of the top 15 dairy-producing states.
Newly added states announced today are Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia. The USDA said the additions bring the agency close to its nationwide milk testing goal.
Agricultural Pesticides a Threat to Over 70% Wild Bee Species: Study
Over 70% of wild bee species, crucial for pollinating food crops, face alarming risks from pesticide residues in soil, a new study has revealed.
The research highlighted that the current regulations and pesticide risk assessments fail to account for the impacts on wild bees and one of the reasons for that was the reliance on the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), by pesticide regulatory authorities worldwide, as the model species to assess risks to all bees. “This specific focus is problematic owing to substantial differences in life history traits, exposure routes and vulnerabilities among bee species.
For example, whereas most of the world’s over 20,000 bee species are solitary, honey bees live in large colonies that benefit from social detoxification strategies, which buffer pesticide impacts,” said the study’s lead author Sabrina Rondeau, a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellow in the department of biology at the University of Ottawa.
