Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Fw: [Possible Spam] U.S. Marshals seize FDA-regulated food stored atrodent-infested warehouse in Georgia

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From: CFSAN Trade Press Office <TradePress@cfsan.fda.gov>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:22:46 -0500
To: CFSAN Trade Press Office<TradePress@cfsan.fda.gov>
Subject: [Possible Spam] U.S. Marshals seize FDA-regulated food stored at rodent-infested warehouse in Georgia

FDA NEWS RELEASE

 
For Immediate Release: Oct 27, 2010
Media Inquiries: Doug Karas, 301-796-2805, douglas.karas@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
 
U.S. Marshals seize FDA-regulated food stored at rodent-infested warehouse in Georgia
Government actions keep approximately $700,000 worth of adulterated food from being distributed
 
U.S. Marshals, acting under a court order sought by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today seized an estimated $700,000 worth of rice and other packaged food products from a rodent-infested warehouse in East Point, Ga. The FDA-regulated food products were stored in a warehouse operated by Sun Hong Kai Holding Inc., which does business as United Food Service.
 
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a warrant for the seizure of all FDA-regulated food stored in the warehouse in permeable containers. The federal government's complaint alleges that the products are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they have been held under insanitary conditions and may have become contaminated with filth.
 
An FDA inspection of United Food Service's facility between Sept. 22, 2010, and Oct 1, 2010, revealed "an active and widespread rodent infestation, including live and dead rodents within the warehouse where food products are stored," according to the complaint.
 
"United Food Service not only failed to protect the food in this warehouse, it failed to act promptly to correct the violations," said Dara A. Corrigan, the FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "This prompted the FDA, working together with its state partner, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, to take these aggressive enforcement actions to protect the health of consumers."
 
FDA investigators found 28 live rodents, one dead rodent, apparent rodent droppings, 26 apparent rodent gnaw holes in multiple packages of food products, rodent urine stains on food packaging and four rodent nesting sites. FDA laboratory analyses of samples collected during the inspection confirmed the investigators' observations. FDA investigators also found structural defects making the facility accessible to rodents. 
 
On Sept. 30, 2010, the Georgia Department of Agriculture placed all food in the warehouse under an order that prevents sale of the products. A day later, FDA investigators provided the warehouse manager a list documenting the violations.
 
For more information:
 
FDA Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations
 
 
#

 

 Sebastian Cianci
Public Affairs Specialist
Trade Press Liaison
(301) 436-2291
tradepress@fda.hhs.gov


Fw: [BITES-L] bites Oct. 27/10

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From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:32:48 -0500
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Subject: [BITES-L] bites Oct. 27/10


bites Oct. 27/10

Escherichia coli O157

HAITI: Cholera kills E. coli, salmonella

GERMANY: Professor Cesare Montecucco to receive the 2011 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize

NEW ZEALAND: Awards serve up 16 years of food safety in Hamilton

Antioxidant enrichment and antimicrobial protection of fresh-cut fruits using their own byproducts: looking for integral exploitation

Physical performance of biodegradable films intended for antimicrobial food packaging

Minimal effects of high-pressure treatment on salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium inoculated into peanut butter and peanut products

Temperature and bacterial profile of post chill poultry carcasses stored in processing combo held at room temperature

Preservation of chicken breast meat treated with thyme and balm essential oils

Detection of target staphylococcal enterotoxin b antigen in orange juice and popular carbonated beverages using antibody-dependent antigen-capture assays

NEW JERSEY: Good Earth Tea voluntarily recalls limited amount of caffeine free original blend due to possible health risk

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Escherichia coli O157
23.oct.10
The Lancet
Hugh Pennington
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2960963-4/abstract
Escherichia coli O157 is an uncommon but serious cause of gastroenteritis. This bacterium is noteworthy because a few, but significant, number of infected people develop the haemolytic uraemic syndrome, which is the most frequent cause of acute renal failure in children in the Americas and Europe. Many infections of E coli O157 could be prevented by the more effective application of evidence-based methods, which is especially important because once an infection has been established, no therapeutic interventions are available to lessen the risk of the development of the haemolytic uraemic syndrome. This Review takes into account the evolution and geographical distibution of E coli O157 (and its close pathogenic relatives); the many and varied routes of transmission from its major natural hosts, ruminant farm animals; and other aspects of its epidemiology, its virulence factors, the diagnosis and management of infection and their complications, the repercussions of infection including costs, and prevention.




HAITI: Cholera kills E. coli, salmonella
26.oct.10
CBC News
Emily Chung
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/10/25/cholera-antibiotic-ecoli.html
Cholera bacteria are deadly to other bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness — a finding that may provide clues about how cholera survives between epidemics.
Cholera, a gastrointestinal disease transmitted through unclean water, often strikes in the wake of natural disasters.
An outbreak of cholera in Haiti had killed 259 people and sickened 3,342 people by Monday, according to the Haitian Health Ministry, although the situation appeared to be stabilizing. Worldwide, the disease kills 120,000 a year, the World Health Organization reported in 2005.
But new research by University of Alberta microbiologists shows cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, doesn't just kill people — it is also an effective killer of E. coli (Escherichia coli, responsible for the Walkerton, Ont., tainted water deaths in 2000), Salmonella typhimurium (which affects mice, but is related to the bacteria that cause salmonella food poisoning), and other bacteria that cause symptoms such as diarrhea.
The findings published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, help explain how outbreaks of cholera may sometimes recur six months or a year after the last reported case of the disease.
Cholera bacteria usually need a human host. But by killing other bacteria that compete with it for resources such as food, cholera may have a better chance at surviving in the harsh world outside the human body, said Dana MacIntyre, lead author of a paper.




GERMANY: Professor Cesare Montecucco to receive the 2011 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
26.oct.10
Goethe University Frankfurt
Dr. Monika Moelders
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/guf-pcm102610.php
$139,000 awarded for contribution to the field of bacterial diseases
Frankfurt am Main. The chemist and biologist Professor Cesare Montecucco, 62, of the Department of Biomedical Research at the University of Padua, Italy, has won the 100,000 euro Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize 2011 for his contribution to research in the field of bacterial diseases, including tetanus, botulism, anthrax and Helicobacter pylori associated diseases. The award was conferred by the Scientific Board of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation. The Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize is among the most prestigious international awards granted in the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of medicine. The award ceremony will take place in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt on March 14, 2011, the birthday of Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915).
Cesare Montecucco is engaged in research into human diseases caused by different pathogens of bacterial and animal origin. He has provided important insights in the molecular pathogenesis of tetanus, botulism, anthrax and gastrointestinal diseases due to Helicobacter pylori. Major contributions were those regarding the mechanism of action the neurotoxins that cause botulism and tetanus and tetanus, caused by the tetanus bacterium Clostridium tetani and characterized by a muscular rigidity popularly known as "lockjaw." These neurotoxins provided a major evidence that the SNARE proteins are the core of the nanomachine which mediates neurotransmitter release at the synapse, and more in general of most events of vesicle fusion with the target membrane within the cell.
Professor Cesare Montecucco was born in Trento, Italy, in 1947 and studied chemistry and biology at the University of Padua, Italy, where he is currently Professor of Pathology and Deputy Director of the Scuola Galileiana. He also did research at Cambridge University in the UK, in the Dutch city of Utrecht, at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany and at the University of Costa Rica. Professor Montecucco has published over 250 articles and edited three books. He is a member of the board of various leading scientific journals and acts within the scientific committees of several institutes. In addition, he is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Istituto Veneto di Scienze Lettere ed Arti, the Academia Europaea and the American Academy of Microbiology. For his contributions to the field of infectious diseases, Cesare Montecucco was awarded the Shipley Award of Harvard Medical School in 1993, the Prize of the Italian Consortium for Biotechnology in 1998, the Prize of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie in 2000, the Prize of the Masi Foundation for Venetian Civilization in 2003, the Feltrinelli Prize for Medicine in 2004 and the Redi Award of the International Society on Toxinology in 2009.




NEW ZEALAND: Awards serve up 16 years of food safety in Hamilton
27.oct.10
Voxy.co.nz
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/awards-serve-16-years-food-safety-hamilton/5/69208
Eighty-nine Hamilton food businesses will be presented with excellence awards during the 2010 Hamilton Food Safety Awards at Wintec's The Atrium this afternoon.
It is the 16th year that Hamilton City Council has held the Food Safety Awards, which aim to recognise and reward businesses that maintain a standard of food safety excellence in their premises above that required by legislation.
In addition to the excellence awards, a second level of award, a merit, was introduced several years ago to recognise the achievement of a secondary level for food businesses that have maintained a high standard of food safety. This year 52 merit awards will be mailed out to local food premises.
Hamilton City Council environmental health manager Peter McGregor said that as well as providing customers with an indication of the standard of food safety they can expect at award-winning premises, the Food Safety Awards offer extra incentive for food businesses to improve their standard of hygiene and commitment to staff training in order to reach and maintain this level.
"Feedback from past recipients has told us that these awards have impacted positively on their businesses. This shows us that the Food Safety Award is recognised and valued by the public," he said.
Hamilton uses the Food Safety Award system instead of the grading system used by many other councils throughout the country - with an excellence award equivalent to an 'A grading' and a merit award equivalent to a 'B grading'.
All merit and excellence recipients receive a certificate and sticker outlining their achievement which can be displayed in their premises.
An award will also be presented this afternoon to the 'Top Food Safety Student' at Wintec's School of International Tourism, Hospitality and Events. Adam Thorley-Symes will receive the award for academic achievement and coursework, excellent kitchen hygiene standards and exemplary attendance.
A full list of this year's Food Safety Award winners is available on the Hamilton website at www.hamilton.co.nz/foodsafety.




Antioxidant enrichment and antimicrobial protection of fresh-cut fruits using their own byproducts: looking for integral exploitation
01.oct.10
Journal of Food Science
J.F. Ayala-Zavala, C. Rosas-Domínguez, V. Vega-Vega, G.A. González-Aguilar
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01792.x/full
Abstract:  Fresh-cut fruit consumption is increasing due to the rising public demand for convenience and awareness of fresh-cut fruit's health benefits. The entire tissue of fruits and vegetables is rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and vitamins. The fresh-cut fruit industry deals with the perishable character of its products and the large percentage of byproducts, such as peels, seeds, and unused flesh that are generated by different steps of the industrial process. In most cases, the wasted byproducts can present similar or even higher contents of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds than the final produce can. In this context, this hypothesis article finds that the antioxidant enrichment and antimicrobial protection of fresh-cut fruits, provided by the fruit's own byproducts, could be possible.




Physical performance of biodegradable films intended for antimicrobial food packaging
01.oct.10
Journal of Food Science
Begonya Marcos, Teresa Aymerich, Josep M. Monfort, Margarita Garriga
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01785.x/abstract
Abstract:  Antimicrobial films were prepared by including enterocins to alginate, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and zein films. The physical performance of the films was assessed by measuring color, microstructure (SEM), water vapor permeability (WVP), and tensile properties. All studied biopolymers showed poor WVP and limited tensile properties. PVOH showed the best performance exhibiting the lowest WVP values, higher tensile properties, and flexibility among studied biopolymers. SEM of antimicrobial films showed increased presence of voids and pores as a consequence of enterocin addition. However, changes in microstructure did not disturb WVP of films. Moreover, enterocin-containing films showed slight improvement compared to control films. Addition of enterocins to PVOH films had a plasticizing effect, by reducing its tensile strength and increasing the strain at break. The presence of enterocins had an important effect on tensile properties of zein films by significantly reducing its brittleness. Addition of enterocins, thus, proved not to disturb the physical performance of studied biopolymers. Development of new antimicrobial biodegradable packaging materials may contribute to improving food safety while reducing environmental impact derived from packaging waste.




Minimal effects of high-pressure treatment on salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium inoculated into peanut butter and peanut products
01.oct.10
Journal of Food Science
Elizabeth M. Grasso, Jeremy A. Somerville, V.M. Balasubramaniam, Ken Lee
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01807.x/abstract
Abstract:  About 1.2 billion pounds of peanut butter are consumed annually in the United States. In 2008 to 2009, an outbreak involving Salmonella Typhimurium in peanut butter led to a recall of over 3900 products by over 200 companies. More than 700 people became sick, 100 were hospitalized, and 9 people died from this outbreak. This study examines the efficacy of high-pressure processing (HPP) to decrease S. Typhimurium American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 53647 inoculated into peanut butter and model systems. The viability of S. Typhimurium in peanut butter stored at room temperature was investigated. A culture of S. Typhimurium (6.88 log CFU/g) was inoculated into peanut butter. Following 28 d at 20 °C there was a 1.23-log reduction. Approximately 106 to 107 CFU/g S. Typhimurium were inoculated into 4 brands of peanut butter, 3 natural peanut butters and peanut flour slurries at 2, 5, and 10% peanut flour protein in peanut oil and in distilled water. All were treated at 600 MPa for 5 min at 45 °C. While significant differences were found between natural peanut butter and peanut protein mixtures, the reduction was <1.0 log. The peanut flour/oil mixtures had a 1.7, 1.6, and 1.0-log reduction from HPP (2, 5, and 10% protein, respectively) whereas peanut flour/water mixtures had a 6.7-log reduction for all protein levels. Oil had a protective effect indicating HPP may not help the microbial safety of water-in-oil food emulsions including peanut butter.




Temperature and bacterial profile of post chill poultry carcasses stored in processing combo held at room temperature
01.oct.10
Journal of Food Science
John A. Handley, Irene Hanning, Steven C. Ricke, Michael G. Johnson, Frank T. Jones, Robert O. Apple
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01790.x/abstract
Abstract:  Post chill whole poultry carcasses from a commercial processing plant were stored in a processing combo at room temperature (70 °F/21 °C) for 54 h to mimic the scenario of temperature abuse before further processing. Temperature data were collected in 1-min intervals and averaged each hour by 9 temperature data loggers. Two linear regressions were developed for the combo and internal breast temperature and slopes were nearly identical. Microbial data was collected by performing whole bird carcass rinses that were enumerated for aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, and total coliform. Samples were collected from the chiller chute at time zero for initial bacterial counts. Carcass sampling continued once the internal breast temperature achieved 45 °F (7 °C 10 h) and continued every 2 h until the final internal breast temperature was 63 °F (17 °C 54 h). Linear regressions were developed for the first 26 h, which exhibited no statistically significant growth except for Enterobacteriaceae. A 2nd linear regression (28 to 54 h) exhibited significant growth for all analyses. Overall, APC increased from a log10 colony forming unit (CFU)/mL count of 2.86 to 7.02, Enterobacteriaceae increased from 0.66 to 6.64, coliform increased from 0.72 to 4.81, and E. coli increased from 0.53 to 4.45. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was performed to detect changes in the bacterial populations, which indicated 95% similarity within sampled groups, but the overall percent similarity among samples collected over 54 h was 8%. From the data, microbial growth demonstrates a period of 26 h for minimal growth; therefore, the product could be further processed rather than designated as waste.




Preservation of chicken breast meat treated with thyme and balm essential oils
01.oct.10
Journal of Food Science
Florinda Fratianni, Laura De Martino, Antonio Melone, Vincenzo De Feo, Raffaele Coppola, Filomena Nazzaro
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01791.x/abstract
Abstract:  The present study evaluated the effects of thyme and balm essential oils on the 3-wk storage of fresh chicken breast meat at 4 °C. Thyme and, to a lesser extent, balm essential oils reduced DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical formation in the meat (25% to 30% and 20%, respectively). Treatment with the 2 essential oils also limited lipid peroxidation and the deterioration of sarcoplasmic proteins, helping to preserve the meat even after 2 wk of storage. Thyme and balm essential oils decreased the natural microflora present in the meat; total microbial content decreased down to 50% in comparison to the control samples. In addition, a clear effect on lactic acid bacterial growth was recorded. Balm essential oil significantly limited the growth of Salmonella sp., whereas thyme essential oil effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli. Our data demonstrate that these 2 essential oils effectively reduced deteriorative processes in chicken meat and extended the shelf life of this fresh product.




Detection of target staphylococcal enterotoxin b antigen in orange juice and popular carbonated beverages using antibody-dependent antigen-capture assays
01.oct.10
Journal of Food Science
aryAnn Principato, Joyce M. Njoroge, Andrei Perlloni, Michael O' Donnell, Thomas Boyle, Robert L. Jones, Jr
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01806.x/abstract
Abstract:  There is a critical need for qualitative and quantitative methodologies that provide the rapid and accurate detection of food contaminants in complex food matrices. However, the sensitivity of the assay can be affected when antigen-capture is applied to certain foods or beverages that are extremely acidic. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of orange juice and popular carbonated soft drink upon the fidelity of antibody-based antigen-capture assays and to develop simple approaches that could rescue assay performance without the introduction of additional or extensive extraction procedures. We examined the effects of orange juice and a variety of popular carbonated soft drink beverages upon a quantitative Interleukin-2 (IL-2) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay system and a lateral flow device (LFD) adapted for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in foods. Alterations in the performance and sensitivity of the assay were directly attributable to the food matrix, and alterations in pH were especially critical. The results demonstrate that approaches such as an alteration of pH and the use of milk as a blocking agent, either singly or in combination, will partially rescue ELISA performance. The same approaches permit lateral flow to efficiently detect antigen.



NEW JERSEY: Good Earth Tea voluntarily recalls limited amount of caffeine free original blend due to possible health risk
26.oct.10
Good Earth Tea
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/good-earth-tea-voluntarily-recalls-limited-amount-of-caffeine-free-original-blend-due-to-possible-health-risk-105821358.html
MONTVALE, N.J. -- Good Earth Tea is voluntarily recalling a limited amount of its Caffeine Free Original blend due to the possible presence of salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
Good Earth is issuing this voluntary recall notification out of an abundance of caution based on an instance discovered through routine microbial testing in which a minor ingredient had a positive result for salmonella.
This is a proactive, voluntary recall that is isolated to two retailers and to Caffeine Free Original blend only.
The affected blend was only distributed to a limited number of Costco retail locations in California, and Trader Joe's retail locations in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Pennsylvania. All affected product has been or is in the process of being removed from store shelves. Good Earth is working closely with the FDA and its customers on this matter.
The tea subject to this voluntary recall is limited to the following blend having UPC Codes with Best By Dates of 18AUG12 to 02SEP12 respectively:
* Good Earth Caffeine Free Original-25 count sold at Costco (UPC 2701830401); as part of the Costco 3-pack (UPC 27018 30169)
* Good Earth Caffeine Free Original-18 count sold at Trader Joe's (UPC 27018301356)
While no illness related to this voluntary recall has been reported to date, any potential health risk is significantly reduced when following the printed brewing instructions on the package. Consumers who have purchased these products should discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-888-625-8227 between 8am EDT and 8pm EDT, Monday to Friday.


bites is produced by Dr. Douglas Powell and food safety friends at Kansas State University. For further information, please contact dpowell@ksu.edu or check out bites.ksu.edu.

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Fw: Bayer Caves In to State AGs on One A Day Cancer Claims

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From: News from CSPI <cspinews@cspinet.org>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:41:47 -0500
To: News from CSPI<cspinews@cspinet.org>
Subject: Bayer Caves In to State AGs on One A Day Cancer Claims




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Wednesday, October 27, 2010  
Contact:
 Jeff Cronin, 202-777-8370, or Stacey Greene, 202-777-8316


Bayer Caves In to State AGs on One A Day Cancer Claims


Drug Company Must Pay $3.3 Million to States and Support Future Claims with Competent Scientific Evidence

WASHINGTON—Bayer will be barred from claiming that its One A Day multivitamins may cure, treat, or prevent any disease, including cancer, unless the company can back up such claims with competent and reliable scientific evidence.  As part of a settlement agreement reached yesterday with Attorneys General from Oregon, California, and Illinois, Bayer must also make a $3.3 million payment to those states.  A complaint, filed by Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, accused Bayer of "deceptively leveraging fear of prostate cancer" in order to market One A Day multivitamins for men.

        Bayer claimed that "emerging research" suggested that the mineral selenium in One A Day might reduce the risk of prostate cancer.  But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "emerging research" did no such thing.  In fact, a seven-year, $118-million study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that selenium does not prevent prostate cancer in healthy men. That massive trial, which involved 35,000 men, was abruptly halted when it became clear to researchers that selenium was not protecting the men from prostate cancer and may have been causing unexplained cases of diabetes.  Yet Bayer continued to claim a protective benefit from selenium.  

In October of 2009, CSPI sued Bayer in federal court in California over the selenium claims on One A Day, which a judge dismissed on technical grounds.  CSPI was planning on filing suit on behalf of a California consumer in another court.  But in the wake of the settlement agreement reached with the Attorneys General, CSPI is announcing that it will not move forward with the second suit.

"We are very glad that the Attorneys General have obtained a binding settlement prohibiting Bayer from exploiting men's fear of prostate cancer in order to sell more vitamin pills," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner.  "And we're also pleased that Bayer seems to have had a change of heart, since after CSPI publicly questioned the company's unsupportable claims on One A Day, its response then was to threaten us with a libel lawsuit."  Bayer has since backed off that threat, Gardner said.

The agreement reached yesterday is the latest in a long list of settlement agreements, fines, guilty pleas, and other enforcement actions involving the German pharmaceutical giant.  In 2001, Bayer paid $14 million to U.S. and state governments to settle allegations that the company's actions helped health care providers submit inflated Medicaid claims for drugs.  In 2003, Bayer pleaded guilty to a criminal charge and paid $257 million in fines and penalties after a whistleblower exposed a scheme by the company to overcharge for the antibiotic Cipro.  In 2004, Bayer pleaded guilty to a criminal charge and paid a $66 million fine after a Justice Department investigation into Bayer's role in a price-fixing conspiracy involving a chemical used to make rubber products. And in 2007, Bayer paid $8 million to resolve allegations by state attorneys general that the company failed to warn physicians and consumers about safety issues surrounding its now-withdrawn cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol.

Prior marketing for One A Day has also posed legal problems for Bayer.  In 2007, it paid a $3.2 million civil fine as part of a consent decree reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.  The case centered on weight-loss claims that the FTC said violated an earlier order requiring that all health claims for One A Day be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.  And in 2009, Bayer was required to run a $20-million corrective advertising campaign about its birth control pill Yaz and to submit its ads for FDA approval, as part of a legal settlement secured by a number of state attorneys general and the FDA.

#   #   #



The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, DC, that focuses on nutrition, food safety, and pro-health alcohol policies.  CSPI is supported by the
900,000 U.S. and Canadian subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.  

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Fw: FRAC's Weekly News Digest - Issue #30, October 26, 2010

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From: Food Research and Action Center <mambrose@frac.org>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:08:27 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
ReplyTo: "mambrose@frac.org" <mambrose@frac.org>
Subject: FRAC's Weekly News Digest - Issue #30, October 26, 2010


The Weekly Food Research and Action Center News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.


Issue #30, October 26, 2010

  1. Blog Gives Kudos to D.C., but Holds Applause for Congress
  2. D.C. Schools Now Serve Afterschool Meals
  3. Rhode Island Awarded for Improving SNAP/Food Stamp Participation
  4. Florida County Missing Out on SNAP/Food Stamp Funds
  5. California Food Bank Begins SNAP/Food Stamp Outreach
  6. Huge SNAP/Food Stamp Caseloads Cause Recipients in Nevada to Wait for Benefits
  7. New Hampshire Starts Mailing EBT Cards
  8. Two More California Farmers’ Markets Begin Accepting EBT Cards
  9. Florida Pilot Program Focuses on Seniors and SNAP/Food Stamps
  10. Florida County Sees Rise in Free and Reduced-Price School Meal Participation
  11. Study Forecasts Increased Obesity-Related Health Care Costs

1. Blog Gives Kudos to D.C., but Holds Applause for Congress
(The Washington Post, October 21, 2010)

“While the D.C. school district is moving forward on helping to curb childhood hunger, Congress adjourned…for next month’s mid-term elections without reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act,” writes Washington Post “The Answer Sheet” reporter Valerie Strauss in this blog post. D.C. schools launched a program recently to feed afterschool meals to about 10,000 more students. At the same time, the Child Nutrition Act currently moving through Capitol Hill takes money away from SNAP/Food Stamps in order to fund increases in child nutrition programs. “Anti-hunger advocates complained to the Senate, as did scores of House Democrats, noting that it makes no sense to help hungry people by taking money from one food program to fund another,” she writes. Hungry kids are more at risk of developmental delays in language, motor skills, and behavior and more likely to exhibit signs of depression, anxiety and loneliness. “Ideally all families would have the resources to make sure kids are properly fed, but in that absence, it really is incumbent on school and government officials to care as much about this…as much as they do about making sure the kids take standardized tests,” Strauss concludes.


2. D.C. Schools Now Serve Afterschool Meals
(The Washington Post, October 19, 2010)

In 99 of the 123 D.C. Public Schools, students can now receive an afterschool meal; the nutrition assistance now reaches an estimated 10,000 students, a quarter of the District’s total enrollment. D.C. joins 13 other states that can operate this meal program, coming at a time when concerns about childhood poverty and hunger are rising. At least once between 2008 and 2009, 40 percent of D.C. households with children lacked money to buy food, according to the Food Research and Action Center. And a 2009 D.C. Health Department study found that 43 percent of public school students were overweight or obese. D.C. schools have a number of goals in serving the meals: battling childhood hunger, reducing the high rate of obesity in the city’s children, and getting more students involved in afterschool programs. The District also is working to upgrade school meal nutrition by using fresh, locally-grown food. According to Jeff Mills, director of food services for D.C. Schools, “a lot of kids were only eating at school.” Some children have been “taking food home to feed their families,” said Alex Ashbrook, director of D.C. Hunger Solutions. D.C. is reimbursed $2.92 for each meal through the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program. Students say the meals are an improvement.


3. Rhode Island Awarded for Improving SNAP/Food Stamp Participation
(Providence Business News, October 4, 2010)

USDA awarded the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) $501,701 for improving access to SNAP/Food Stamps. The agency recognized the state for having one of the most-improved Program Access Index, which measures the ratio of participants to the number of people below 125 percent of the federal poverty level. The state DHS intends to use the money to further improve access to the program. Currently about 149,000 residents receive SNAP/Food Stamps.


4. Florida County Missing Out on SNAP/Food Stamp Funds
(Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 6, 2010)

Although 56 percent of Flagler County, Fla. schoolchildren receive free or reduced-cost lunch, the county has 3,000 recipients who could receive SNAP/Food Stamps but have not signed up for the program. Resources are going unused, noted Doug Baxter, president of the county’s Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates; these resources include money coming to residents. To address the issue, the Chamber formed a coalition with the Department of Children and Families, the United Way, and Second Harvest.


5. California Food Bank Begins SNAP/Food Stamp Outreach
(Mydesert.com, October 19, 2010)

The FIND Food Bank in Indio, Calif. has hired a worker to find eligible SNAP/Food Stamp recipients in the area and help them apply for the program. In Coachella Valley, many of those eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps in Riverside County are not participating, according to a California Food Policy Advocates report. “Why does a food bank get involved with food stamps? It’s because we see it as the first line of defense in food hunger,” said Lisa Houston, FIND’s CEO. Increasing the number of participants in SNAP/Food Stamps not only will help take the pressure off emergency food providers, say hunger advocates, it will also help the local economy.


6. Huge SNAP/Food Stamp Caseloads Cause Recipients in Nevada to Wait for Benefits
(KTNV, October 6, 2010)

SNAP/Food Stamp caseworkers in Nevada are carrying between 800 and 900 cases each as the state’s 14.4 percent unemployment rate drives many to apply for the benefit. According to Rachelle Church of the state’s Department of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS), SNAP/Food Stamp participation increased 45 percent last year. One SNAP/Food Stamp recipient emailed Action News in Las Vegas because he hadn’t received his monthly SNAP/Food Stamp benefit – he said he called DWSS and was told there was a delay because they’re handling twice the caseload. New eligibility policies have added to these caseloads, and because of mandatory office furloughs, workers have fewer work hours to process applications. In addition, SNAP/Food Stsamp recipients must re-apply every three months, adding caseworker workloads. Although DWSS plans on hiring more workers in November and December, the lengthy training process means that these new workers won’t be starting to handle cases when they first come to work.


7. New Hampshire Starts Mailing EBT Cards
(Boston Globe, October 10, 2010)

New Hampshire’s SNAP/Food Stamp recipients, as well as recipients of other benefits in the state, will no longer be required to travel to the state welfare office to pick up their EBT cards. The state began mailing the cards to recipients recently. In addition, recipients can get a pin number and account information at
http://www.ebtedge.com or by calling 1-888-997-9777.


8. Two More California Farmers’ Markets Begin Accepting EBT Cards
(San Bernardino County Sun, October 16, 2010)

SNAP/Food Stamp recipients, and others who receive nutrition assistance benefits through EBT cards, can now use their cards at two more farmers’ markets in San Bernardino, Calif. EBT card users at these markets also get a 50 percent bonus, meaning a customer spending $10 in SNAP/Food Stamps through their EBT card gets an extra $5 to spend at the market. The Kaiser Foundation provided a $1,000 grant to the markets, hosted by the Patrons of the Roosevelt Bowl, to begin accepting EBT cards.


9. Florida Pilot Program Focuses on Seniors and SNAP/Food Stamps
(WDBO, October 11, 2010)

Low-income elderly residents of Florida will receive help signing up for SNAP/Food Stamps through a new three-year pilot project funded by a $500,000 grant from the state’s Department of Elder Affairs. Seniors will be able to call the Elder Helpline and have a trained expert assist them in applying online for the benefit. Previously, seniors had to either go online [without assistance] or visit a state office to apply for SNAP/Food Stamps. “As Florida government moves further into the electronic age, we must be careful to make sure out older residents don’t get left behind,” said Charles Corley, Elder Affairs Interim Secretary.


10. Florida County Sees Rise in Free and Reduced-Price School Meal Participation
(Hernando Today, October 9, 2010)

In Hernando County, Fla., the number of children receiving free or reduced-price school meals increased 74.7 percent since 2001-02 to a projected total of 13,688 this year. In the 2001-02 school year, 44 percent of students received free or reduced-price meals; that percentage climbed this year to 60.5 percent. Even though there’s been little decrease in the number of the county’s unemployed, many parents who have signed their children up for the meals are working two or three jobs, but are unable to make ends meet. Hernando County receives Title I funding, based partly on poverty numbers calculated from free and reduced-price lunch figures. This year, the county will receive an estimated $5.125 million in Title I funding, an increase from $4.025 million in the 2006-07 school year. Lunch and Title I data, according to Eric Williams, district accreditation facilitator and grant writer, were also used to gain the school more than $350,000 in E-rate telecommunications refunds, as well as garnering the school millions of federal dollars from the federal Race to the Top application.


11. Study Forecasts Increased Obesity-Related Health Care Costs
(Food Navigator, October 20, 2010)

A new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research ups the potential health care costs of obesity from the $147 billion in a previous Institute of Medicine study to as high as $168 billion a year, or 17 percent of total U.S. medical costs. According to the CDC, more than a third of the U.S. is obese, and nearly a third is overweight. The study, titled “The Medical Care Costs of Obesity: An Instrumental Variables Approach,” examined not only the correlation of obesity with health care costs, but possible causal effects as well. Previous studies relied on self-reported weight data, which many people underestimate. The researchers’ statistical methods minimized this effect.


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