Food and Drug Administration
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Milk from China isn't safe
China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the country's leading dairy companies prompting stores, including Starbucks, to yank milk from their shelves.
The recalls come as evidence is mounting that adding chemicals to watered-down milk was a widespread practice in China's dairy industry.
The crisis was initially thought to have been confined to tainted milk powder, used to make baby formula that has been blamed in the deaths of four infants and for sickening 6,200 other children.
But tests found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from China's two largest dairy producers, Mengniu Dairy Group Co. and Yili Industrial Group Co., as well as Shanghai-based Bright Dairy. The chemical, which is used in plastics and fertilizers, can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.
Suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have added it to watered-down milk to cover up the resulting protein deficiency.
No tainted infant formula has turned up in the United States, where authorities have inspected more than 1,000 retail markets mainly serving Asian communities. China is an importer of liquid milk, so it's unlikely that milk from that country would have been shipped to the U.S.
But the Food and Drug Administration said it is stepping up inspections at ports as a precaution. Inspectors will be sampling bulk shipments of food ingredients from Asia that are derived from milk, such as milk powder and whey powder. The FDA also plans to issue a consumer alert warning people not to buy milk products from China on the Internet. China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the count... more -
OK to eat tomatoes again; stay away from hot peppers
According to the FDA it is now permissible to eat all kinds of tomatoes. The recent salmonella outbreak has been contained in the tomato industry, however jalapenos and serranos are still at risk for infecting people with salmonella. The elderly and those with weak immune systems are encouraged to stay away from any hot peppers. According to the FDA it is now permissible to eat all kinds of tomatoes. The recent salmonella outbreak has been contained in the tom... more
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It's a bird, It's a plane, It's China's 'Super-Ministries...
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled today a bureaucratic revamp he hopes will foster greener, more efficient government, but experts said it was unlikely to end turf wars over industry, energy and pollution.
The reforms herd together dozens of agencies, creating "super-ministries" for industry, transport, housing and construction and the environment, and bring food and drug safety back under the Health Ministry after a series of damaging scares.
Anyone think that these "super-ministries" may actually be a more efficient way to run a government?! Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled today a bureaucratic revamp he hopes will foster greener, more efficient government, but experts s... more -
Supermarket sushi officially less gross
Toxic levels of tuna at Nobu are through the roof and might require warning labels. But for once, the little fish wins. And of course scientists from New Jersey would know a thing or two about mercury. Toxic levels of tuna at Nobu are through the roof and might require warning labels. But for once, the little fish wins. And of cours... more
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High mercury levels are found in tuna sushi
Recent laboratory tests found so much mercury in tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants that at most of them, a regular diet of six pieces a week would exceed the levels considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Sushi from 5 of the 20 places had mercury levels so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market. The sushi was bought by The New York Times in October. Recent laboratory tests found so much mercury in tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants that at most of them, a regular d... more -
China Offers Production Guidelines for Seafood
China is the world's largest producer and exporter of seafood and its shipments to the United States have grown significantly over the last decade. The country produced about 54 million tons of seafood this year, more than the world?s next nine largest seafood producers combined. By comparison, the United States produces about 5 million tons of seafood a year. China is the world's largest producer and exporter of seafood and its shipments to the United States have grown significantly ove... more
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