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Ultra-Processed Foods May Impact Men’s Fertility and Developing Embryos, Study Finds
Both men and women should probably avoid ultra-processed foods when trying to have a baby, according to a new study of 651 couples from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The findings, published March 24 in the journal Human Reproduction, found lower fertility in men who ate more ultra-processed foods in their diets, while women with such diets had slower-growing embryos during pregnancy and smaller yolk sacs to nourish the embryos during early development.
The study is the first to assess how ultra-processed foods in both the mother’s and father’s diet affect early pregnancy and a couple’s ability to conceive, according to the authors. Ultra-processed foods, such as lunch meats, chips, candy, frozen meals, some breads and cereals, include a broad range of products that may contain chemical preservatives and sweeteners and undergo processing techniques to heavily alter their ingredients.
These foods make up about 70% of the US food supply, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with some ultra-processed foods linked to heart disease, obesity and certain cancers.
“Paternal diet quality may be an important yet underrecognized target for preconception care and fertility interventions,” the study authors wrote. “These associations were observed even at relatively low levels of [ultra-processed food] intake, which may suggest that modest dietary improvements in men could have meaningful benefits for reproductive outcomes.”
Raw Farms Drama Explained: Battle Breaks out Over Recalling Cheese
Cheese from the largest raw milk distributor, Raw Farms, has been linked to a multistate outbreak of E. coli, with the FDA issuing a voluntary recall of its product. Raw Farms, however, maintains that its products have been confirmed negative for all harmful bacteria – including E. coli — and declined to voluntarily recall its products.
The congressional Food Safety Caucus has now asked the FDA to exercise its authority and force a recall of Raw Farms’ raw cheddar milk cheese. Newsweek has contacted Raw Farms via an online contact form for comment. Raw dairy products were already political. While raw milk was once the realm of liberals and the left, in recent years it has been widely adopted by the U.S. right wing, with the likes of Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., espousing the benefits of raw milk. Kennedy says he only drinks milk, and other Republicans like former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene state that it “does a body good.”
The sale of unpasteurized milk, which is when milk is sold straight from the cow without being heated to kill bacteria, was largely illegal in the U.S. prior to 2008. Since 2020, Republican states like Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, Georgia and Wyoming have either passed laws or changed regulations that have legalized the sale of raw milk on farms or in stores.
What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome? Tickborne Red Meat Allergy on the Rise in Missouri
Conversations about a “red meat allergy” have regularly popped up on social media or in news articles in Missouri throughout the last few years. As it turns out, this is a real concern in Missouri that comes from the bite of a lone star tick, one of the most common species of ticks found in the state.
Molly Baker is the lead zoonotic epidemiologist at the Missouri Department of Health and Human Service’s Bureau of Communicable Disease Control & Prevention. That means she studies how diseases, viruses, parasites and other pathogens can be transmitted from animals to humans. “Unfortunately, we have lots of reasons in Missouri to be worried about tick bites,” Baker said. “Zoonotic disease is, you know, a lot of them are new and emerging, and 75% of them are linked to animal or insect vectors.”
She said there are many tickborne illnesses to be aware of in Missouri, such as ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but lately attention and conversation has focused on this puzzling “red meat allergy,” which is actually known as alpha-gal syndrome.
“A lot of the tickborne conditions that we work with commonly are bacterial pathogens or viral pathogens,” Baker said. “So, this is very different in that it’s not a pathogen. It’s a type of sugar molecule that’s transferred through the tick bite process.”
New Bill Targets Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ on California Crops
Californians for Pesticide Reform reported:
Currently, an estimated 2.5 million pounds of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” pesticides are used annually on California crops, resulting in PFAS residues on produce consumed across the nation.
California Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D–44) has introduced AB 1603, legislation to phase out PFAS pesticides. Co-sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, the statewide coalition Californians for Pesticide Reform, Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network, and the Center for Environmental Health, the bill would establish a progressive timeline to end use of PFAS pesticides in California by 2035, while giving growers time for transition to safer alternatives.
“As a father, I don’t want my kids eating strawberries contaminated with chemicals that will stay in their bodies for decades,” said Assemblymember Schultz. “AB 1603 is a vital step toward ensuring California’s agricultural legacy is defined by health and innovation, not by the accumulation of toxic PFAS in our soil and water. We are providing a clear, responsible road map for our farmers to transition away from these persistent chemicals while re-establishing California as a global leader in food safety,” he added.
Eating More of Certain Type of Food Could Shorten Cancer Survivors’ Lives, Study Finds
Cancer survivors who eat more ultraprocessed foods may face a higher risk of death, according to new research. The study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found that higher consumption of heavily processed foods was linked to an increased risk of mortality over time among people who had survived the disease.
Ultraprocessed foods include items such as packaged snacks, sugary drinks and ready-made meals that have been altered with added sugars, fats, salts and preservatives, according to Cleveland Clinic. Lead study author Marialaura Bonaccio, PhD, of the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at IRCCS Neuromed in Italy, said the findings go beyond nutrition alone.
“The main takeaway is that higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods is associated among cancer survivors with a significantly increased risk of both overall and cancer-specific mortality,” she told Fox News Digital.
Trader Joe’s Recalls 10 Million More Pounds of Frozen Food in 43 States
Trader Joe’s is expanding its ongoing recall of multiple frozen food products that are sold in its stores. In February, food supplier Ajinomoto Foods North America Inc. first recalled over three million pounds of frozen, not ready-to-eat chicken fried rice products, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The recall was expanded on March 3 to include more than 33 million additional pounds of “various ready-to-eat and not ready-to-eat chicken and pork fried rice, ramen, and shu mai dumpling products,” per the FSIS. As of March 20, the food supplier has expanded the recall once again to include nearly 10 million additional pounds of food.
All of the affected products have been recalled due to concerns that they may be contaminated with glass.
Per the FSIS, the issue was initially discovered after four consumers reported finding glass in the products. So far, there are no confirmed reports of injury.
