Login
The ‘Milk Supply Is Safe’: Biden Administration Scrambles to Reassure Americans as Bird Flu Spreads
With news Thursday night that a fifth of the U.S. milk supply contains fragments of bird flu virus, the Biden administration and dairy industry are racing to convince the public not to worry about the spread of the disease among the nation’s cattle.
Despite the assurances, the Food and Drug Administration’s announcement that 1 in 5 retail milk samples tested positive for viral fragments suggests that the virus may have spread beyond symptomatic dairy herds.
The pathogen has now been found in at least 33 dairy herds across eight states since first being detected among Texas cattle in late March. Virologists say it could be much more widespread than that data suggests. To date, however, just one person has been confirmed to have contracted the virus — a dairy worker in Texas who developed a case of conjunctivitis, i.e. pink eye.
Federal officials and industry executives maintain the discovery of inactive fragments of the virus strain, known as H5N1, in milk sold to consumers is not, in and of itself, worrisome — rather, it’s evidence that the pasteurization process is working to neutralize the virus. But given that bird flu has never before spread to cattle, public health officials warn there are still many unknowns. And they and some farmers and lawmakers are now urging the government to rapidly expand its testing and research — and to make that data available ASAP.
Government officials have been pretty clear that drinking raw — or unpasteurized — milk is a bad idea. “The FDA has a long-standing recommendation to consumers not to consume raw milk,” the agencies said in their Tuesday statement, while noting that “the presence of the [H5N1] virus has been detected in raw milk.”
Colombia Becomes First Country to Restrict U.S. Beef Due to Bird Flu in Dairy Cows
Colombia has restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is the first country to officially limit trade in beef due to bird flu in cows, in a sign of a broadening economic impact of the virus that has restricted poultry trade globally. Colombia imports a small amount of beef from the U.S. annually, according to government data and market analysts.
In a notice this week on the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service website, which was last updated on April 22, the agency said the ban includes beef products derived from cattle slaughtered in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas.
The restrictions come as the U.S. government said it will require dairy cattle moving between states to be tested for bird flu starting on Monday, as federal officials ramp up their response to an outbreak that has bled over into the U.S. milk supply. To date, no U.S. beef cattle have tested positive for bird flu, government officials said.
Missouri House Backs Legal Shield for Weedkiller Maker Facing Thousands of Cancer-Related Lawsuits
The manufacturer of a popular weedkiller won support Wednesday from the Missouri House for a proposal that could shield it from costly lawsuits alleging it failed to warn customers its product could cause cancer. The House vote marked an important but incremental victory for chemical giant Bayer, which acquired an avalanche of legal claims involving the weedkiller Roundup when it bought the product’s original St. Louis-area-based producer, Monsanto.
The legislation now heads to the Missouri Senate with several weeks remaining in the annual legislative session. Bayer pursued similar legislation this year in Idaho and Iowa, where it has mining and manufacturing facilities, but it fell short in both states.
The Missouri legislation says that federally approved pesticide labeling “shall be sufficient to satisfy any requirement for a warning label regarding cancer” — effectively thwarting failure-to-warn allegations in future lawsuits.
Farmers overwhelmingly rely on Roundup, which was introduced 50 years ago as a more efficient way to control weeds and reduce tilling and soil erosion. For crops including corn, soybeans and cotton, it’s designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist Roundup’s deadly effect.
School Lunches Are Changing: USDA Updates Rules to Limit Added Sugars for the First Time
School lunches may begin to look different next year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced updated nutrition standards for school meals that will be gradually updated to include “less sugar and greater flexibility with menu planning” between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027.
Added sugars will be limited in school meals nationwide for the first time, according to the USDA, with small changes happening by Fall 2025 and full implementation by Fall 2027.
The agency said research shows these added sugars are most commonly found in typical school breakfast items. Child care operators will begin limiting added sugars — which are different from total sugars — in cereals and yogurts by Fall 2025.
Additionally, there will be a new limit on added sugars in flavored milk served at school breakfast and lunch by next fall, and schools will need to “slightly reduce” sodium content in their meals by Fall 2027.
The updated guidelines from the USDA comes weeks after Consumer Reports told the agency that Lunchables shouldn’t be on school lunch menus because they contain a troublingly high level of lead and sodium.
Common Sweetener May Damage Gut and Cause Diarrhea
Common artificial sweeteners may be causing serious damage to your gut, scientists have warned. Not only that, but according to new research these additives could be transforming otherwise healthy gut bacteria into dangerous agents of disease.
Artificial sweeteners are everywhere — in everything from diet drinks to baked goods, chewing gum and even toothpaste. Since the 1970s, six of these sugar-free substitutes have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with the first being aspartame in 1974.
While these additives are largely considered to be safe, studies have increasingly found that aspartame and sucralose in particular may be linked to a range of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer and disruption of the gut microbiome. However, much less research has been done into the potential side effects of some of the newer artificial sweeteners on the market.
Neotame is one such “new generation” sweetener. It was approved by the FDA in 2002 and is approximately 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar. Now, for the first time, researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K. have found that neotame can directly damage the lining of the intestine and the “good” bacteria that call our guts home.
New York City to Require Warning Labels for Sugary Foods and Drinks in Chain Restaurants
New York City residents may soon see warning labels next to sugary foods and drinks in chain restaurants and coffee shops, under a law set to go into effect later this year.
The rule requires food businesses with 15 storefronts or more to post a warning icon — a black and white spoon loaded with sugar — next to menu items containing at least 50 grams of added sugar.
The city’s health department posted its proposed rule language last week and set a public hearing for late May. City officials and Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, approved the law last year. The rule is scheduled to go into effect June 19 for prepackaged food items and Dec. 1 for other items.
Coca-Cola Is Largest Known Contributor of Branded Plastic Waste, Global Study Finds
Fifty-six brands led by The Coca-Cola Company are responsible for more than half of the plastic pollution found across the globe, according to a new study.
Why it matters: About 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced every year, which often ends up in landfills where most types don’t decompose, biodegrade or compost.
Food and beverage companies were disproportionately large polluters. By the numbers: The top five brands globally were The Coca-Cola Company (11%), PepsiCo (5%), Nestlé (3%), Danone (3%), and Altria (2%), accounting for 24% of the total branded plastic researchers tallied.
German Cabinet Approves Restricted Use of Herbicide Glyphosate
Germany’s cabinet approved on Wednesday restrictions on the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer’s (BAYGn.DE) Roundup weedkiller, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday after the EU last year authorized its use for a further ten years.
“The new regulation ensures existing restrictions are legally secure,” said the ministry, adding glyphosate was generally prohibited in protected water areas, domestic gardens and allotments. It is also prohibited in some arable farming.
Food Recalls Reach Highest Level Since Before Pandemic
Food recalls reached their highest level last year since before the pandemic, according to a new report released Thursday.
Why it matters: Outbreaks linked to recalled food products sickened 1,100 people and killed six in 2023, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund report found.
The big picture: Two of 2023’s biggest recalls involved lead-tainted applesauce that sickened at least 500 children nationwide and cantaloupe contaminated with Salmonella that led to 400 illnesses.
By the numbers: Food and beverage recalls increased 8% overall in 2023 to 313 compared to 289 the previous year, Teresa Murray, PIRG consumer watchdog, told Axios. Zoom in: Companies are not required to tell consumers when products have been recalled so it’s important for consumers to look for recall notices to protect themselves and families, Murray said.
More Data Finds Long-Term Exposure to Toxic Pesticides Alters Human Gut Microbiome and Metabolism
Researchers build on existing research when assessing the relationship between long-term exposure to organophosphorus pesticides — widely used in food production and homes and gardens — and the human gut microbiome. In a new study published in Environmental Health, an interdisciplinary research team from the University of California, Los Angeles determined, “that exposure to [organophosphorus pesticides] is associated with changes in the abundance of several bacterial groups and differential functional capacity in metabolic pathways supported by the human gut microbiome.”
This study builds on existing scientific evidence analyzing the impact of toxic pesticides on human health pertaining specifically to the gut microbiome. For example, in a 2023 study released in ISME Journal, researchers determined that the gut and the brain are deeply integrated through the vagus nerve and the neuroendocrine system. The vagus nerve is a treelike bundle of fibers extending from the lower part of the brain to nearly every body organ, but particularly the heart, lungs and digestive tract. The neuroendocrine system comprises specialized cells inhabiting nearly all the organs of the body that respond to signals from the brain and gut to produce hormones that regulate digestive enzymes, the pace of digestion, air and blood flow in the lungs, blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose levels, and other functions.
Moreover, Demetrio Sierra-Mercado, MD shared findings from research originally published in 2022 in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, aimed at documenting the relationship between glyphosate exposure and gut health. Dr. Sierra-Mercado noted how even exposure levels that fall within the realm of “safe” can lead to anxiety-like behaviors and alter the delicate balance of gut microbiota. Pesticide exposure has been linked to other adverse health impacts on the gut, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
A 2023 study published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology determined that populations living near intensive agricultural operations face higher levels of toxic pesticide exposure (i.e. chlorpyrifos, N-methyl carbamates, macrocyclic lactones, neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, [di] thiocarbamates, conazoles, dicarboximide, anilino-pyrimidines, copper salts, bipyridyl (paraquat, diquat), organophosphates (glyphosate), chlorotriazine, and phenylurea) simultaneously faced higher rates of IBS compared to populations living in areas of low pesticide use and exposure.
