Natural Supplements Can be Dangerously Contaminated, or Not Even Have the Specified Ingredients
16 February
Food
Pexels
By C. Michael White
More than two-thirds of Americans take dietary supplements. The vast majority of consumers — 84 percent — are confident the products are safe and effective.
<p>
They should not be so trusting.
</p><p>
<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lWAD9d8AAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">I'm</a> a professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut. As described in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1060028019900504" target="_blank">my new article</a> in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, consumers take real risks if they use diet supplements not independently verified by reputable outside labs.
</p>
<p>
<em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/natural-supplements-can-be-dangerously-contaminated-or-not-even-have-the-specified-ingredients-131021" target="_blank">The Conversation</a></em><em>.</em>
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What Are the Risks?
<p>Heavy metals, which are known to cause <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4427717/" target="_blank">cancer, dementia and brittle bones</a>, contaminate many diet supplements. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049676" target="_blank">One study of 121 products</a> revealed 5 percent of them surpassed the safe daily consumption limit for arsenic. Two percent had excess lead, cadmium and aluminum; and 1 percent had too much mercury. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/fda-advises-consumers-stop-using-certain-life-rising-dietary-supplements" target="_blank">In June 2019</a>, the Food and Drug Administration seized 300,000 dietary supplement bottles because their pills contained excessive lead levels.</p><p>Bacterial and fungal contamination in dietary supplements <a href="https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/08/dietary-supplements-recalled-for-possible-salmonella-contamination/" target="_blank">is not uncommon</a>. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1745-4565.2009.00167.x" target="_blank">In one assessment</a>, researchers found bacteria in all 138 products they investigated. Toxic fungi were also in many of the supplements, and counts for numerous products exceeded the acceptable limits set by the <a href="https://www.usp.org/" target="_blank">United States Pharmacopeia</a>. Fungal contamination of diet supplements <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/fpd.2015.2108" target="_blank">has been linked</a> to serious liver, intestinal and appendix damage.</p><p><span></span>From 2017-18, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fda-investigated-multistate-outbreak-salmonella-infections-linked-products-reported-contain-kratom" target="_blank">dozens were hospitalized</a> with salmonella poisoning after ingesting kratom, a highly addictive natural opioid. Thirty-seven of the kratom products studied were contaminated.</p><p>Some dietary supplements contain drugs, yet the manufacturers <a href="https://theconversation.com/beware-of-natural-supplements-for-sex-gain-and-weight-loss-106484" target="_blank">don't disclose that information</a> to consumers. Frequently, the concealed drugs are experimental and, in some cases, removed from the market because they're dangerous. Hundreds of weight-loss, sexual-dysfunction and muscle-building products are adulterated with inferior or harmful substances.</p><p>Sometimes, the herb you think you're buying contains little to no active ingredient. Occasionally, another herb is substituted.</p><p>The consequences for consumers are considerable. When manufacturers replaced the herb <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200006083422301" target="_blank">Stephania tetrandra with the herb Aristolochia fangchi</a> in 2000, more than 100 patients developed severe kidney damage; 18 more got kidney or bladder cancer. Although the herb is now banned by the U.S., <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19440049.2014.892215?src=recsys" target="_blank">a 2014 investigation</a> found Aristolochia fangchi in 20 percent of the Chinese herbal products sold on the internet.</p><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.1387" target="_blank">In an assessment</a> of CBD products, only 12.5 percent of vaporization liquids, 25 percent of tinctures and 45 percent of oils contained the promised amount of CBD. In most cases they held far less. A few CBD products had enough THC to put the user in legal jeopardy of marijuana possession.</p><p><span></span>Embarrassed by a New York Attorney General's Office <a href="http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1532311-supplements.html#document/p1" target="_blank">investigation</a> suggesting widespread and fraudulent under-dosing of active ingredients in dietary supplements, <a href="https://cvshealth.com/newsroom/press-releases/cvs-pharmacy-launches-tested-be-trusted-program-vitamins-and-supplements" target="_blank">CVS pharmacies analyzed</a> 1,400 products that it previously sold in its stores. <a href="https://cvshealth.com/newsroom/press-releases/cvs-pharmacy-launches-tested-be-trusted-program-vitamins-and-supplements" target="_blank">Seven percent,</a> or about 100 products, failed, resulting in updates to the supplement facts panel or removal of the product from shelves.</p>What Should Consumers Do?
<p>The <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/About/DSHEA_Wording.aspx" target="_blank">Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act</a> of 1994 allows manufacturers to sell dietary supplements without providing proof of their quality to the FDA. Instead, it's up to the FDA to prove a product is unsafe and take it off the market. That's an incredibly tall order, and woefully inadequate. But it's unlikely to change.</p><p>In the meantime, I recommend that consumers should not purchase supplements without verification from one of three highly regarded independent laboratories: the aforementioned United States Pharmacopeia, the National Science Foundation and ConsumerLabs.com. The United States Pharmacopeia is an organization that <a href="https://www.usp.org/dietary-supplements-herbal-medicines" target="_blank">sets reference and quality standards</a> for prescription medication and food in the U.S.; the National Science Foundation is a governmental scientific body that sponsors basic science research; and ConsumerLabs.com is a company started to verify product quality for consumers that are paying members. These laboratories conduct an <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/supplements/how-to-choose-supplements-wisely/" target="_blank">initial analysis</a> and then perform periodic unannounced assessments of the products; those with the appropriate amount of active ingredient, and without contamination or adulteration, can put the United States Pharmacopeia, National Science Foundation and <a href="https://www.consumerlab.com/seal.asp" target="_blank">ConsumerLabs.com seals</a> on their bottles. CVS announced that all products sold at its stores going forward will need to provide the company proof of quality. Other major retailers should follow suit.</p><p>In the meantime, I recommend that consumers should not purchase supplements without verification from one of three highly regarded independent laboratories: the aforementioned United States Pharmacopeia, NSF International and ConsumerLabs.com. The United States Pharmacopeia is an organization that <a href="https://www.usp.org/dietary-supplements-herbal-medicines" rel="noopener noreferrer">sets reference and quality standards</a> for prescription medication and food in the U.S.; the NSF International is an independent group that assesses safety and risk for food, water and consumer products; and ConsumerLabs.com is a company started to verify product quality for consumers that are paying members. These laboratories conduct an <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/supplements/how-to-choose-supplements-wisely/" rel="noopener noreferrer">initial analysis</a> and then perform periodic unannounced assessments of the products; those with the appropriate amount of active ingredient, and without contamination or adulteration, can put the United States Pharmacopeia, NSF and <a href="https://www.consumerlab.com/seal.asp" target="_blank">ConsumerLabs.com</a> seals on their bottles. CVS announced that all products sold at its stores going forward will need to provide the company proof of quality. Other major retailers should follow suit.</p><p>Some manufacturers conduct quality testing and post certificates of analysis on their websites. But the autonomy of the laboratory, and its standards, <a href="https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/can-i-trust-supplement-manufacturer-lab-reports-and-certificates-of-analysis/certificates-of-analysis/" target="_blank">are often not known</a>. Sometimes, labs may select an inappropriate testing method, intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes they perform the test incorrectly, or simply make up results.</p><p>Because the FDA can't fully protect you from quality issues in dietary supplements — at least not right now — you must protect yourself. Even if a celebrity or "health guru" recommends a product, that doesn't mean it's high-quality. Before you put any supplement into your body, demand proof.</p><p><em>Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the organization that tests consumer products for safety is the National Science Foundation. It has been corrected to clarify that NSF International is the organization who conducts the testing. </em></p>
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After a year that saw the most Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) food safety investigations in at least 12 years, one of the most frightening impacts of the ongoing government shutdown has been the suspension of routine food safety investigations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
<p>Now it looks like America's eaters can rest a little easier. FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb announced on Twitter Monday that FDA employees had stepped up to do some important food inspection work unpaid.</p><p>"We re-starting high risk food inspections as early as tomorrow," Gottlieb wrote.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="d9d04" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="N0B3RP1576664045"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1084927002761744385" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This work is being done by an inspectorate that's largely going unpaid. These men and women are the tip of the spea… https://t.co/piBTFckh3c</div> — Scott Gottlieb, M.D. (@Scott Gottlieb, M.D.)<a href="https://twitter.com/SGottliebFDA/statuses/1084927002761744385">1547501729.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>'High risk' foods include soft cheeses, sea food, custard-filled baked goods, some fruits and vegetables and baby formula, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/health/shutdown-fda-food-safety.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. Lower risk foods include non-custard-filled baked goods, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-resume-food-safety-inspections-tuesday-n958631" target="_blank">NBC</a>.<br></p><p>Gottlieb told NBC last week he would attempt to recall about 10 percent of the food inspectors who had been furloughed since the government shutdown began December 22.</p><p>"We got an overwhelming response from our very dedicated and mission-driven field force who are coming back to work unpaid," he told NBC. </p><p>The FDA is responsible for inspecting food-producing facilities. It usually conducts about 160 inspections a month with a team of 5,000 inspectors. Gottlieb said about 700 were returning to work. In addition to restarting high-risk inspections today, the FDA also began sampling high-risk imported produce in the Northeast region on Monday, Gottlieb tweeted. The agency will also restart drug inspections.</p><p>"By next week we will have restarted all the medical product inspections that weren't covered by user fees that were shut down," he told NBC. "That includes things like compounding inspections."</p><p>Recalled workers will also assist with the monitoring of food-caused disease outbreaks, The New York Times reported.</p><p>Meanwhile, inspections of meat and some egg products, which fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have continued throughout the shutdown thanks to unpaid workers. Congress mandates that these inspections never cease, NBC reported. </p><p>Gottlieb told The New York Times that the shutdown had not interfered with many scheduled FDA inspections because it began over the holidays and not many inspections were scheduled for the second week of January. As the shutdown wore on, Gottlieb got permission from the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to recall some employees, about 40 percent of whom had been furloughed. </p><p>About a third of FDA inspections involve high risk food, Gottlieb told The New York Times. The FDA is responsible for monitoring around 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, as well as international imports. It is responsible for some 80,000 food plants, inspecting around 10 percent each year. </p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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The FDA oversees about 80 percent of the nation's food supply. liz west / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Americans only just survived the great romaine lettuce scare of 2018, and now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has postponed routine domestic food safety inspections due to the partial federal government shutdown, the agency's commissioner said on Wednesday.
FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb tweeted that the agency usually conducts about 160 domestic inspections on manufacturing and food processing plants each week. About a third of that inventory are foods considered at high risk for causing foodborne illnesses, such as seafood, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. The ongoing government impasse, however, has postponed much of these inspections.
<p>
"There's no question of whether it's business as usual at FDA," Gottlieb told
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/government-shutdown-stops-fda-food-safety-inspections-n956716" target="_blank">NBC News</a>. "It's not business as usual, and we are not doing all the things we would do under normal circumstances. There are important things we are not doing."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="87224" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8PHS4N1576683773"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1083055700593516545" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">THREAD: Food Safety During Shutdown: We’re taking steps to expand the scope of food safety surveillance inspections… https://t.co/YDFxJGrBSt</div> — Scott Gottlieb, M.D. (@Scott Gottlieb, M.D.)<a href="https://twitter.com/SGottliebFDA/statuses/1083055700593516545">1547055575.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
The FDA oversees the manufacturing and distribution of the vast majority of the nation's food, pharmaceuticals and other consumer products.
</p><p>
About 41 percent the agency's 17,000 employees are currently furloughed due to the shutdown, according to NBC News.
</p><p>
Gottlieb told
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/health/shutdown-fda-food-inspections.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> he wants to bring back 150 inspectors by next week to restore food safety surveillance, especially at high-risk domestic facilities, but he was not sure how to do it.
</p><p>
"These are people who are now furloughed and can collect unemployment insurance or take a second job," he explained to the newspaper. "If we pull them in and tell them they have to work, they can't collect. I have to make sure I'm not imposing an undue hardship."
</p><p>
The shutdown has not stopped FDA inspections on foreign food, Gottlieb
<a href="https://twitter.com/SGottliebFDA/status/1083055869913374722" target="_blank">emphasized</a>. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture is still inspecting domestic meat and poultry, but the staff are doing so without pay, according to The Times.
</p><p>
At the moment, the FDA's operations are continuing "to the extent permitted by law, such as activities necessary to address imminent threats to the safety of human life and activities funded by carryover user fee funds,"
<a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank">its website</a> states.
</p><p>
Consumer advocates are worried about the health and safety American public with so many FDA inspectors off the job.
</p><p>
"These are inspections where they catch issues before people get sick," Sarah Sorscher, deputy director of regulatory affairs at the
<a href="https://cspinet.org/" target="_blank">Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> told The Times. "The announcement that they are going to try to start up high-risk inspections is a positive step. But, we've had outbreaks from foods that are not high risk—from flour, from packaged foods. So I think that the fact that two-thirds of establishments are not going to be inspected is still a problem."
</p><p>
About 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases each year, according to the
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC).
</p><p>
Last year's high-profile outbreak of E. coli traced to romaine lettuce sickened 62 people in the U.S. and 29 in Canada. The outbreak, traced to farms in California, appears to be finally over as of Wednesday, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html" target="_blank">CDC announced</a>.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="6f7b9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="BX9K3A1576683774"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1083123773941915649" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">My former colleagues at @US_FDA have a hard enough job when the government is “open.” It’s nearly impossible when… https://t.co/1AgC3p9xGB</div> — Peter G. Lurie, MD (@Peter G. Lurie, MD)<a href="https://twitter.com/DrPeterLurie/statuses/1083123773941915649">1547071805.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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Health agencies say avoid romaine lettuce as they investigate an E. coli outbreak. Agricultural Resources Service / USDA
If you're hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow, be sure to leave romaine lettuce off the menu! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are warning everyone to avoid the classic salad green until investigators can pinpoint the exact source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 32 people in 11 states.
The FDA advised Americans to stop eating romaine and to toss any that's left in the fridge. Restaurants and retailers should also stop serving it until more is known.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="7cde6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7UKS881576663059"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1065079773360209921" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FDA, @CDCgov, & partners are investigating a new multistate outbreak of E. coli likely linked to romaine lettuce. C… https://t.co/0fHwLJxDr5</div> — U.S. FDA (@U.S. FDA)<a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA/statuses/1065079773360209921">1542769780.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>"The quick and aggressive steps we're taking today are aimed at making sure we get ahead of this emerging outbreak, to reduce risk to consumers, and to help people protect themselves and their families from this foodborne illness outbreak. This is especially important ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, when people will be sitting down for family meals," FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/ucm626351.htm" target="_blank">press release issued Tuesday</a>. "We want to get this information out to consumers early. While we've made progress, it's still early in this investigation and work remains to pinpoint the source of contamination that contributed to this outbreak and allow us to employ more targeted measures to reduce future risk."<br></p><p>Cases so far have been reported in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. The particular strain causing the outbreak is called Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli </em>O157:H7, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html" target="_blank">CDC alert</a>. It has sent 13 people to the hospital so far, and no one has died.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODkxODYyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTEzMjExNn0.bgF6b4Hdhc4HGG7NEvbDDcG3P6X_QE8GUaw63yLYgZg/img.jpg?width=980" id="3182e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="06c52fc3c960703be07f7b9e60c8e066" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A map of states where illness has been reported</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small></p><p>Illnesses began on Oct. 8, and the last reported case was on Oct. 31. It usually takes about two to three weeks for someone to report an illness after first getting sick, so more people might have been infected since then, the CDC said. Public health workers believe romaine is the culprit because 79 percent of the 14 infected people interviewed so far said they ate romaine lettuce in the week before getting sick, but researchers have not yet been able to pinpoint a specific grower, supplier, brand or distributor to issue a recall. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODkxODYzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTIyNzYxNH0.Vy-RyhHvMFBnql4Vaj86_E59_BL-VAM15ENObjOAAIc/img.jpg?width=980" id="55127" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="940a2ebe2afb613b4eb39844beba15f9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A timeline of the outbreak so far</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small></p><p>The outbreak has also crossed the border into Canada, where 18 people in Quebec and Ontario have been infected so far.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="e942a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="G8K1YL1576663060"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1065062380252684288" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Recent illnesses reported in Ontario and Quebec suggests that there is a risk of E. coli infections associated with… https://t.co/FYYXdHXKUS</div> — GovCanHealth (@GovCanHealth)<a href="https://twitter.com/GovCanHealth/statuses/1065062380252684288">1542765634.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>This isn't the first time salad has made people sick in the U.S. and Canada. The strain of this outbreak has a similar DNA fingerprint to one in 2017 that was linked to leafy greens in the U.S. and romaine lettuce in Canada.<br></p><p>The symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli</em> kick in two to eight days after initial infection. They usually include stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea, and sometimes a fever of 101 degrees or lower, according to the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm626330.htm" target="_blank">FDA</a>. It usually clears up after five to seven days, but 5 to 10 percent of people who get it develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially life-threatening condition. The FDA explains:</p><blockquote>Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Most people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent damage or die. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. Persons with HUS should be hospitalized because their kidneys may stop working (acute renal failure), but they may also develop other serious problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.</blockquote><p>If you think you are coming down with <em>E. coli, </em>the CDC advises that you:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Talk to your doctor.</li><li>Write down what you ate the week before you got sick.</li><li>Alert the health department.</li><li>Answer any questions public health employees ask you about your illness.</li></ol>
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By Dan Nosowitz
When we think of dangerous gases emitted by cattle, the logical first thought is of methane, let loose into the air by burps and farts to contribute to climate change. But cattle are complex creatures in their diversity of noxious fumes, and the FDA just approved the first drug to treat a lesser-known one.
<p>Cattle produce ammonia—well, sort of. <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/nitrogen-ammonia-emissions-and-the-dairy-cow" target="_blank">According to Penn State</a>, it would be more accurate to say that cattle are very inefficient at breaking down nitrogen, which they take in as part of their diet. They pass that nitrogen out mostly in urine, where it's reasonably harmless. But there are enzymes in cattle feces that, when they mix with cattle urine, form ammonia and ammonia is not reasonably harmless. This is a problem at its worst in indoor facilities, especially larger farms and indoor dairy farms, where liquid and solid waste combine on floors.</p><p>Aside from the fact that ammonia smells really bad and can be an irritant for humans and animals around it, ammonia can also contribute to something called eutrophication. Eutrophication is the process by which, in this case, ammonia goes into water sources and promotes the mass growth of algae and other organisms, throwing off ecosystems and sometimes choking waterways. Excess of algae on the surface of ponds and lakes can end up killing marine animals.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm625209.htm" target="_blank">FDA this week sent its official approval</a> of a drug called Experior, the first approved drug tasked with reducing gas produced by waste. According to studies conducted by both Elanco, the company that makes Experior, and others, Experior has no known health effects on cattle, with treated cattle showing about the same growth patterns and ailments as non-treated cattle.</p><p>There are, of course, other solutions to the ammonia problem. Experior reduces ammonia production by 14 to 18 percent, according to its FDA filing. Great! <a href="http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/best-management-practices-for-reducing-ammonia-emissions-beef-cattle-nutrition-1-631c/" target="_blank">But other studies have been done</a> in which farmers simply feed their cattle less nitrogen-containing protein—primarily soy—and those studies have shown that simply a better diet can reduce ammonia by up to 40 percent. Experior seems good! But feeding cattle appropriate diets—like grass—might also be good. Or better.</p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="http://modernfarmer.com/2018/11/fda-approves-first-waste-gas-reduction-drug-for-cattle/" target="_blank">Modern Farmer</a>.</em><em></em></p>
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FDA Grants 'Breakthrough Therapy' Status to Psychoactive Psilocybin Mushrooms, Says Startup
02 November 2018
Popular
OllyPlu / iStock / Getty Images
By Dan Nosowitz
Various parts of the cannabis plant have already received full FDA approval; a drug consisting of cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has already been approved to treat two rare forms of epilepsy. Researchers have been pushing for years for relaxed legal status to study the possible medicinal benefits of hallucinogenic drugs, and now the FDA has given psilocybin—magic mushrooms—a conditional form of research approval, according to Compass Pathways, the company granted that approval.
<p>Allowing researchers to study the effects of otherwise banned substances is tricky; the DEA's legal definition of schedule 1 drugs requires that they have "no accepted medical use." That's an immediate barrier to study, and also throws the drug into question if an "accepted medical use" is discovered. Can the drug even be a schedule 1 drug in that case? The DEA has generally refused to remove substances from the list, regardless of research, though CBD—which is not psychoactive at all—<a href="https://hempindustrydaily.com/dea-takes-cbd-off-schedule-1-with-fdas-approval/" target="_blank">was recently rescheduled</a>.</p><p>Anyway! Psilocybin has been casually used both recreationally and medicinally for decades, and <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/182410/magic-mushrooms-reset-brains-depressed-patients/" target="_blank">international studies have indicated</a> that controlled, somewhat low-level doses of psilocybin can be useful in treating depression. Earlier this month, researchers at Johns Hopkins <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/03/science/magic-mushrooms-psilocybin-scheduleiv.html" target="_blank">wrote an analysis of existing studies</a>, recommending that psilocybin be re-classified to enable more thorough study.</p><p><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/fda-approves-psychedelic-magic-mushrooms-ingredient-psilocybin-depression-1086759" target="_blank">Compass Pathways says</a> they have received designation as a Breakthrough Therapy treatment. That's the official name (rather than a hype-filled description) for <a href="https://www.fda.gov/forpatients/approvals/fast/ucm405397.htm" target="_blank">an FDA program</a> designed to expedite the approval process for drugs that have proved promising in treating serious conditions. As part of that designation, Compass Pathways will be able to conduct the largest North American clinical trial of psilocybin ever done: 216 patients with treatment-resistant depression.</p><p>From an agricultural perspective, growing psilocybin mushrooms is not particularly difficult, and <a href="https://medium.com/@Ayahuasca_yage/how-to-grow-your-own-psychedelic-mushrooms-d2c777d780a2" target="_blank">guides abound online</a>. But these mushrooms are not legally grown at any reasonable scale, and it's proved insanely expensive to buy approved psilocybin extract. <a href="https://qz.com/1235963/scientists-who-want-to-study-psychedelic-mushrooms-have-to-pay-7000-per-gram/" target="_blank">This Quartz piece</a> reveals that it can take up to a year for researchers to actually get their needed material, and that the price per gram can reach 13 times the street value. Compass Pathways actually grows their own and provides it at no charge to other researchers, because it can be so hard to get.</p><p>But this preliminary FDA approval, though very far from anything like decriminalization, might edge that door open a bit more for researchers who want to find out if psilocybin actually can help people.</p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="http://modernfarmer.com/2018/11/fda-grants-breakthrough-therapy-status-to-psychoactive-psilocybin-mushrooms-says-startup/" target="_blank">Modern Farmer</a>.</em><em></em></p>
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A recall of ready-made meat and poultry products included three Harris Teeter deli meals, like from this store in Apex, NC. Mike8411251995
A problem at a single food-processing plant in California has led to a massive recall impacting millions of pounds of pre-made salads and meals, more than two dozen chains and 13 food companies, USA Today reported Tuesday.
The problem started October 15 when McCain Foods USA recalled the Fire Roasted Black Bean Corn processed at its plant in Colton, California near Los Angeles for potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella, Food Safety News reported. McCain Foods has since recalled all products from its Colton plant, which makes fire roasted, caramelized and sauteed frozen fruit and vegetables.
<p>The recall has reverberated from Walmart to Whole Foods and offers a case study in the complexity of the U.S. food supply chain. </p><p>"These recalls demonstrate just how complex and interconnected our food system is today. When you buy something from the store, it's possible the company that produced it was three companies ago," <a href="https://consumersunion.org/" target="_blank">Consumers Union</a> Senior Food Policy Analyst Will Wallace told USA Today. "This is a big deal. It could impact tens of thousands of people, if not more."</p><p>On Friday, the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> (USDA)'s <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/home" target="_blank">Food Safety Inspection Service</a> (FSIS) and the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) issued a joint warning about the various recalls.</p><p>"No illnesses to date have been identified in connection with any of these foods, but consumers should not eat any of the products that have been recalled, as they could be contaminated with Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes." the joint statement said, according to Food Safety News.</p><p>This isn't the first time McCain Foods has had to issue a recall. In April 2017, it took its Roundy's, Harris Teeter and Southern Style hash browns off the shelf because golf balls had somehow gotten mashed up with the potatoes, causing a choking hazard. </p><p>The companies impacted this time around are listed below, so make sure none of your favorites are caught up in the recall. You can click on the link for more detailed information about each recall. Stay safe!</p><p><strong>1. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-092-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Prime Deli Corporation</strong></a>: On Oct. 16, This Lewisville, Texas company recalled two shipments of "7-ELEVEN™ BISTRO SOUTHWEST STYLE SALAD WITH BACON" with use-by dates of Oct. 16 sent to retail locations in Texas.</p><p><strong>2. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-093-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>GH Foods CA</strong></a>: On Oct. 17, this Sacramento company recalled around 987 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken salads shipped to stores in California including "365 BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET BBQ STYLE CHOPPED SALAD WITH CHICKEN" and "365 BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD," both with sell-by dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20. </p><p><strong>3. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-094-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Mary's Harvest Fresh Foods</strong></a>: On Oct. 17, this Portland company recalled around 916 pounds of salads and wraps containing corn, including "TRADER JOSE'S MEXICALI INSPIRED SALAD WITH CHILI SEASONED CHICKEN" with sell-by dates from the 15th to the 19th of October. The products were sent to stores in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. </p><p><strong>4. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-095-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Taylor Farms Northwest</strong></a>: On Oct. 17, The Kent, Washington company recalled around 276 pounds of pork carnitas bowls with sell by dates ranging from Oct. 15 to 19 sent to stores in Washington and Oregon.</p><p><strong>5. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-096-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>GHSE, LLC</strong></a>: The last Oct. 17 recall was from this Florida company and impacted around 738 pounds of its "Marketside™ FIESTA SALAD WITH STEAK" with sell-by dates of October 17 to October 20. The products were shipped to stores in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. </p><p><strong>6. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm623808.htm" target="_blank">Hy-Vee</a>:</strong> On Oct. 18, Des Moines, Iowa-based grocery store chain Hy-Vee recalled six of its meat and potato products in 245 stores across eight states. All of the recalled products had a best-by date of Oct. 22 or earlier. </p><p><strong>7. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-097-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>GHSW, LLC</strong></a>: The Houston-based company recalled around 1,786 pounds of ready-made chicken salads on Oct. 19, including several from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's: "365 BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET BBQ STYLE CHOPPED SALAD WITH CHICKEN" , "365 BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD", "TRADER JOE'S BBQ SEASONED WHITE CHICKEN SALAD" , "TRADER JOE'S FIELD FRESH CHOPPED SALAD WITH GRILLED WHITE CHICKEN", and "TRADER JOSÉ'S MEXICALI INSPIRED SALAD WITH CHILI SEASONED CHICKEN". Expiration dates ranged from Oct. 18 to 21, and the products were sent to stores in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.</p><p><strong>8. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-098-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Ruiz Food Products</strong></a>: On Oct. 19, the Denison, Texas company recalled around 2,490,593 pounds of Go-Go Taquitos that had been sent to stores around the country. </p><p><strong>9. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-099-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Caito Foods</strong></a>: Operating out of Indianapolis, Caito Foods recalled around 1,532 pounds of salad and bowl products containing chicken that had been sent to stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri and had best-by dates ranging from Oct. 12 to 21. </p><p><strong>10. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-100-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Envolve Foods</strong></a>: On Oct. 19, the Corona, California company recalled around 292,764 pounds of ready-made chicken and beef products in the Simple Truth and Cadence Gourmet lines that had sell by dates between Oct. 20 and March 2020. They were sent to stores around the country. </p><p><strong>11. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-101-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Buddy's Kitchen</strong>:</a> On Oct. 19, Minnesota company Buddy's Kitchen recalled around 212,746 pounds of ready-to-eat pork and chicken meals that were sent to institutions in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and New Jersey.</p><p><strong>12. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-102-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>SK Food Group</strong></a>: The last Oct. 19 recall came from an Ohio and Nevada company that recalled around 174,207 pounds of "jenny CRAIG CHICKEN WRAP WITH BBQ SAUCE" that had been sent to customers in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas through catalogue sales. </p><p><strong>13. </strong><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-103-2018-release" target="_blank"><strong>Bakkavor Foods</strong></a>: The most recent recall came from a company with locations in California, North Carolina and Pennsylvania that was recalling around 795,261 pounds of ready-made meat and poultry products including three HARRIS TEETER FRESH FOODS MARKET DELI-BAKERY meals and one "TRADER JOE'S CARNITAS WITH SALSA VERDE Burrito." The products had sell-by dates ranging from October 2017 to April 2019 and were sent around the country. </p>
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Under pressure from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and other environmental and public health groups, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned seven substances used in artificial flavors that have been linked to cancer in animals.
<p>
"Chemicals that could cause cancer should never have been allowed in our food in the first place, especially not hiding behind the confusing label of 'artificial flavors,'" said Melanie Benesh, EWG's legislative attorney. "The FDA finally did the right thing by taking this important step to better protect consumers."
</p><p>
These food additives are most commonly used to enhance the flavor of baked goods, ice cream, candy, chewing gum and beverages. The newly banned flavors are benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, eugenyl methyl ether, myrcene, pulegone, pyridine and styrene.
</p><p>
"Consumers will never know which foods were made with these chemicals, since manufacturers have been allowed to hide these ingredients behind the vague term 'flavor,'" said Dawn Undurraga, EWG's nutritionist. "This is a positive step forward, but the FDA should empower consumers to make their own fully informed decisions by requiring full ingredient disclosure."
</p><p>
The ban on styrene was also supported by a petition from the food industry. But the FDA acted on the other six after public interest groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit petitioning the FDA to make a final decision whether to prohibit the seven cancer-causing artificial chemicals from use in food.
</p><p>
Earthjustice represented the petitioners, including Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Environmental Defense Fund, the Environmental Working Group, Natural Resources Defense Council, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="75714" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8A0ZCQ1576662851"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1050008173053177857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"We think this is a win for consumers. Our petition laid out the science linking these flavoring chemicals to cance… https://t.co/ijya5LiJPi</div> — NRDC 🌎 (@NRDC 🌎)<a href="https://twitter.com/NRDC/statuses/1050008173053177857">1539176431.0</a></blockquote></div>
Manufacturers that use these food additives will have two years to comply with the new rules.<br>
<p></p><p>
To learn more about the chemicals used in processed foods, please visit EWG's <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/ewg-s-dirty-dozen-guide-food-additives" target="_blank">Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives</a>. Consumers looking for healthier options can also visit EWG's <a href="https://www.ewg.org/foodscores#.W7zC-i2ZNTY" target="_blank">Food Scores</a> database or download EWG's <a href="https://www.ewg.org/apps/" target="_blank">Healthy Living App,</a> which provides ratings for more than 120,000 food and personal care products.
</p>
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Denise Taylor / Moment / Getty Images
By Dan Nosowitz
A report from the Office of the Inspector General found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was not only slow to find problems in food production but that it often didn't take the right steps to correct violations and ensure that proper procedures were followed after violations were found. Foodborne illnesses, in some ways, are on the rise, and certainly, reporting of those violations are more visible than ever before. But there are still issues to correct.
<p>Last week, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm621692.htm" target="_blank">the FDA released an announcement</a> that there would be a significant change in the reporting of food recalls: there is now guidance that encourages reporting of exactly where tainted food is sold. In the past, the FDA would single out the supplier, but not necessarily the specific retail locations where products were sold. This isn't always a problem; the FDA does give out product batch numbers, which can be checked against the product itself, or will list the specific brand name of a product.</p><p>But there are also products where this is a significant issue. Some products don't come with batch numbers at all, like produce, deli meats or nuts. In that case, it can be difficult to figure out, as a consumer, whether you've actually purchased one of the affected products. So the FDA's new guidelines provide a bit more power: they will, in cases like those un-numbered products, list the exact retail locations where affected food was sold.</p><p>Though probably inadvertent, this change is well-timed, as a significant recall of ground beef from Cargill was announced last week. More than 130,000 pounds of the ground beef, sold in nationwide retailers including Target, Sam's Club and Albertson's, has been recalled due to fears of <em>E. coli</em> contamination. <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-081-2018-release" target="_blank">The USDA</a>, which regulates meat recalls—the FDA handles everything else, which, yes, is confusing—attributed 17 illnesses and one death to the tainted meat. The USDA, for its part, <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/1c32728c-d885-463b-85e7-7308b092e9c7/RC-081-2018-092818.pdf?MOD=AJPERES" target="_blank">already lists</a> the specific retail locations that sold affected products.</p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="http://modernfarmer.com/2018/10/fda-will-now-tell-you-where-contaminated-food-was-actually-sold/" target="_blank">Modern Farmer</a>.</em><em></em></p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmodernfarmer.com%2F2018%2F10%2Ffda-will-now-tell-you-where-contaminated-food-was-actually-sold%2F%3Futm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DSocialMFdotCom" target="_blank"><span></span></a>
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Monday the final results of a "special assignment" that examined the residue levels of glyphosate and a competing herbicide glufosinate in corn, soy, eggs and milk during the fiscal year 2016.
Their labs detected glyphosate in 63 percent of the corn samples and 67 percent of the soybean samples at "non-violative levels," or in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) pesticide tolerances. Glufosinate was found in 1.4 percent of the corn samples and 1.1 percent of soybean samples, also within legal limits. No residues of either pesticide were found in the milk and egg samples.
<p>
The special assignment was part of the FDA's yearly monitoring report that reviewed 7,413 samples, including 6,946 human foods and 467 animal foods, for residues of 711 pesticides and industrial chemicals. This is the first year the agency tested glyphosate and glufosinate.
</p><p>
FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb was pleased with the report's results.
</p><p>
"Like other recent reports, the results show that overall levels of pesticide chemical residues are below the Environmental Protection Agency's tolerances, and therefore don't pose a risk to consumers," Gottlieb said in a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm622192.htm" target="_blank">press release</a>.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="c3793" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GW4HFJ1576662686"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1046937083422695424" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The results are from our 2016 Pesticide Monitoring Program report which show that in more than 7,000 samples, the o… https://t.co/jLi8zpEd6i</div> — Scott Gottlieb, M.D. (@Scott Gottlieb, M.D.)<a href="https://twitter.com/SGottliebFDA/statuses/1046937083422695424">1538444226.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Glyphosate is the star ingredient in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto" target="_self">Monsanto</a>'s widely used and controversial herbicide, Roundup, that's sprayed on crops that are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-genetically-modified-organism/">genetically modified</a> to resist applications of the weedkiller. In addition to killing weeds, it can also serve as a drying agent for crops before harvest.
</p><p>
<span></span>The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a <a href="http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/MonographVolume112.pdf" target="_blank">probable human carcinogen</a> in 2016, but Monsanto and the EPA consider it safe. The chemical has come under increased scrutiny after a California jury <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/jury-finds-monsanto-liable-in-the-first-roundup-cancer-trial--2595446068.html" target="_self">ruled in favor</a> of a former groundskeeper who claimed that constant use of Roundup caused his cancer.
</p><p>
In recent years, tests from consumer groups have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-glyphosate-cheerios-2093130379.html" target="_self">found</a> traces of glyphosate in many popular food products including <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/quaker-oats-accused-of-being-deceptive-and-misleading-after-glyphosate-1891128136.html" target="_self">Quaker Oats</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-wine-beer-testing-2553632957.html" target="_self">alcoholic beverages</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/natural-bread-glyphosate-lawsuit-2608077778.html" target="_blank">bread</a>.
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As EcoWatch <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/30/fda-weedkiller-glyphosate-in-food-internal-emails">mentioned previously</a>, even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the FDA routinely test thousands of food samples for residues of commonly used pesticides, the regulators have refused for decades to test for glyphosate because the government considers it safe.
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</p><div id="9d0b6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="S6G0M91576662686"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1031344748605440001" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I am calling on the FDA to speed up and make public their final report on the prevalence of the weed-killing chemic… https://t.co/lzNUf9wVh2</div> — Chuck Schumer (@Chuck Schumer)<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/statuses/1031344748605440001">1534726724.0</a></blockquote></div>
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In 2014, the Government Accountability Office <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-38" target="_blank">criticized both agencies</a> for the failure to test regularly for glyphosate.
</p><p>
As the public's concerns of the pesticide continued to mount, the FDA began in 2016 its own limited testing program—the so-called "special assignment"—for glyphosate residues that only looked for traces in corn, soy, eggs and milk.
</p><p>
The EPA has <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/pesticides/ucm583713.htm" target="_blank">established tolerances</a> for glyphosate on a wide range of crops, including corn, soybean, oil seeds, grains and some fruits and vegetables, ranging from 0.1 to 310 parts per million.
</p><p>
In April, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/30/fda-weedkiller-glyphosate-in-food-internal-emails" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported that the FDA's own scientists found traces of the ubiquitous chemical in granola, crackers and other everyday foods.
</p><p>
"I have brought wheat crackers, granola cereal, and corn meal from home and there's a fair amount in all of them," FDA chemist <a href="https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FDA-Richard-Thompson-wheat-crackers-email.pdf" target="_blank">Richard Thompson emailed</a> to colleagues in January 2017, per The Guardian.
</p><p>
An FDA spokesperson told the publication those tests were not considered part of the official glyphosate residue special assignment.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="2ec7f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="OU9X3J1576662686"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="872607140766199808" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Roundup Revealed: Glyphosate in Our Food System https://t.co/ksUoUg5lIS</div> — Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@Robert F. Kennedy Jr)<a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/statuses/872607140766199808">1496880729.0</a></blockquote></div>
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First U.S. BPA Lab Study on Humans Finds Troubling Health Effects at Levels Deemed ‘Safe’
14 September 2018
Health + Wellness
BPA is found in plastic bottles, and it also leaches from can linings into foods, beverages and infant formula. Pixabay
The first U.S. study of the effect on people of exposure to a hormone-disrupting chemical widely used in food packaging showed that levels the Food and Drug Administration deems "safe" can alter insulin response, a key marker for diabetes.
The groundbreaking study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, administered low doses of bisphenol A, or BPA, to 16 people, then tested their insulin production in response to glucose, commonly called blood sugar. When insulin and blood glucose levels were compared to the same measurements taken without exposure to BPA, researchers found that BPA significantly changed how glucose affected insulin levels. Similar insulin and glucose tests are used by doctors for diagnosing diabetes.
<p>"We're living in an age where type 2 diabetes is rampant. Here is a signal of a new path to explore for what is causing it," Pete Myers, a co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.ehn.org/bpa-linked-to-diabetes-2604258226.html" target="_blank">Environmental Health News.</a></p><p>Myers is founder, CEO and chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences. Other researchers for the study were from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Elche in Spain.</p><p>"These troubling findings should raise alarms at the Food and Drug Administration and ignite renewed efforts to drastically reduce all Americans' exposure to BPA," said Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., an EWG toxicologist. "It's appalling that the FDA and other federal agencies continue to say current exposure levels to BPA are safe, and refuse to ban BPA from food and food packaging."</p><p>The study also adds to the body of literature suggesting that insulin response could be a key link between BPA exposure and obesity. In recent years, studies from researchers at the <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1205548/" target="_blank">University of California at Berkeley</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047776/" target="_blank">Columbia University</a> and the <a href="https://experts.umich.edu/en/publications/bisphenol-a-and-phthalates-in-utero-and-in-childhood-association-" target="_blank">University of Michigan</a> reported that children exposed to BPA had increased amounts of body fat.</p><p>In the new study, people who were less effective at controlling blood sugar levels seemed more sensitive to BPA's effects. In addition to diabetes and obesity, it has been linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935116302110" target="_blank">ADHD</a> in children and <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2018/04/new-research-links-bpa-breast-cancer-lab-animals-fda-downplays-concerns#.W5p5lpNKjok" target="_blank">breast cancer</a> in laboratory animals.</p><p>It leaches from can linings into <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/food/">foods</a>, beverages and even infant formula, and ends up in the bodies of more than 9 in 10 of Americans. Another main route of exposure to BPA comes from handling store receipts. In 2010, EWG found BPA in <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2010/07/27/ewg-tests-find-high-bpa-loads-receipts#.W5p6RZNKjok" target="_blank">40 percent of receipts</a> sampled from major U.S. businesses and services, including outlets of McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway and the U.S. Postal Service.</p><p>Independent research consistently documents serious health problems associated with low-dose exposure to BPA, yet the FDA continues to insist that the chemical is "<a href="https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAdditivesIngredients/ucm064437.htm#summary" target="_blank">safe at the current levels occurring in foods</a>."</p><p>This week, independent scientists who have studied BPA held a <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/igs/sustainable/CLARITY-BPA/index.html" target="_blank">webinar</a> discussing results of a joint FDA and academic study that found statistically significant adverse health effects associated with low level exposure to BPA. The webinar presenters stated the FDA's reference dose for BPA would need to be cut by 20,000 times in order to protect public health.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="515a1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="AOYNRI1576662843"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="744647228757794816" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">These 16,000 Foods May Contain the Hormone-Disrupting Chemical BPA https://t.co/EUyylKrBTo @Healthy_Child @Healthy_Child</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/744647228757794816">1466372708.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Chafer Sentry applies glyphosate, the most widely applied pesticide worldwide, to stubbles in North Yorkshire. Chafer Machinery / Flickr
Scientists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) have found traces of a ubiquitous and controversial weedkiller in granola, crackers and other everyday foods, according to internal documents obtained by The Guardian through a freedom of information request.
The FDA has tested food samples for glyphosate for "two years, but has not yet released any official results," Carey Gilliam reported in The Guardian article. Gilliam is an author, investigative journalist and research director for U.S. Right to Know.
<p>
"I have brought wheat crackers, granola cereal, and corn meal from home and there's a fair amount in all of them," FDA chemist
<a href="https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FDA-Richard-Thompson-wheat-crackers-email.pdf" target="_blank">Richard Thompson emailed</a> to colleagues in January 2017.
</p><p>
He noted that broccoli was the only food he tested that "does not have glyphosate in it."
</p><p>
In other emails, FDA chemist Narong Chamkasem found
<a href="https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Over-the-tolerance-finding-in-corn.pdf" target="_blank">"over-the-tolerance" levels of glyphosate in corn,</a> detected at 6.5 parts per million, which is over the legal limit of 5.0 parts per million.
</p><p>
Gilliam observed, "An illegal level would normally be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>), but an FDA supervisor wrote to an EPA official that the corn was not considered an 'official sample.'"
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</p><div id="af151" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="N2BUON1576683825"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="990969988155695104" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">And this is only part of the story- In response to my FOIA @US_FDA redacts & withholds- says "we have determined th… https://t.co/9nhCOuCR5D</div> — carey gillam (@carey gillam)<a href="https://twitter.com/careygillam/statuses/990969988155695104">1525100631.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Chamkasem has also found glyphosate in
<a href="https://usrtk.org/fda-glyphosate-in-honey/" target="_blank">numerous samples of honey</a> and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/carey-gillam/fda-tests-confirm-oatmeal_b_12252824.html" target="_blank">in oatmeal products</a>. But the FDA temporarily suspended testing after those findings, and Chamkasem's lab was "reassigned to other programs," FDA documents show. An FDA spokesperson said those tests were not considered part of the official glyphosate residue "special assignment," which only looks for traces in corn, soy, eggs and milk.
</p><p>
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto">Monsanto's</a> top-selling product, RoundUp. The chemical is the world's most widely used weedkiller and has been sprayed on agricultural fields and home gardens for decades. Other tests have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-glyphosate-cheerios-2093130379.html" target="_blank">found</a> glyphosate in many common food products including "all-natural" <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/quaker-oats-accused-of-being-deceptive-and-misleading-after-glyphosate-1891128136.html" target="_blank">Quaker Oats</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-wine-beer-testing-2553632957.html" target="_blank">alcoholic beverages</a> and, consequently, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-found-in-urine-of-93-percent-of-americans-tested-1891146755.html" target="_blank">human urine</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/toxic-weed-killer-glyphosate-found-in-breast-milk-infant-formula-1882030657.html">breast milk</a>.
</p><p>
The widespread use of glyphosate is also creating environmental problems, including
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gmos-glyphosate-enlist-duo-2075835175.html" target="_blank">herbicide-resistant weeds</a>.
</p><p>
Scrutiny has surrounded the chemical ever since the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as a
<a href="http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/MonographVolume112.pdf" target="_blank">probable human carcinogen</a> in 2016.
</p><p>
Even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the FDA routinely test thousands of food samples for residues of commonly used pesticides, the regulators have refused for decades to test for glyphosate because the government says it considers it safe.
</p><p>
In 2014, the Government Accountability Office
<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-38" target="_blank">criticized both agencies</a> for the failure to test regularly for glyphosate.
</p><p>
As safety concerns continued to mount, the FDA began in 2016 its own limited testing program—its so-called "special assignment"—for glyphosate residues. The USDA was moving forward with its own glyphosate testing program in 2017 but quietly
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/usda-glyphosate-testing-2326808630.html" target="_blank">dropped the effort</a>.
</p><p>Monsanto has vehemently defended its product and the safety of glyphosate. The EPA and other international scientific bodies, including the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/un-says-glyphosate-unlikely-to-cause-cancer-industry-ties-to-report-ca-1891132192.html" target="_self">Food and Agriculture Organization</a> and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/does-monsantos-glyphosate-cause-cancer-1882118579.html" target="_self">European Food Safety Authority</a>, say that glyphosate is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-glyphosate-cancer-2518609280.html" target="_self">not likely</a> to be carcinogenic to humans. </p><p><span></span>When asked about the emails, an FDA spokesperson told The Guardian that the FDA has not found any illegal levels in corn, soy, milk, or eggs, which it considers part of the "special assignment." The spokesperson did not address the FDA scientists' unofficial findings.<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="bb4b2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="H0M2Q71576683825"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="986650249866498048" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Germany to Put 'Massive Restrictions' on Monsanto Weedkiller https://t.co/0xKVnPjy5U @NRDC @GMWatch… https://t.co/l9WKucdBxz</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/986650249866498048">1524070725.0</a></blockquote></div>
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