Physicians, Health Experts Urge FDA To Restrict Caffeine In Energy Drinks

The New York Times (3/20, Meier, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) reported, “A group of 18 doctors, researchers and public health experts” in a letter (pdf) sent Tuesday to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, “argued that energy drink makers had failed to meet the regulatory burden placed on them to show that the ingredients used in their beverages were safe,” especially for use by children. Therefore, the group urged the agency to “restrict caffeine content in the products and to require manufacturers to include caffeine content on product labels.” The Times notes that energy-drink makers “have insisted their products are safe” and the FDA has “said that it is safe for adults to consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, though many experts say that most adults can consume 600 milligrams or more of caffeine without ill effect.”

Energy Drinks Changing Aisles To Avoid Federal Regs. In a front-page story, the New York Times (3/20, A1, Meier, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) reports, “Fans of Monster Energy, the popular high-caffeine energy drink, may not notice the change: its ingredients will be the same and its familiar label bearing a green, clawlike monogram will change only slightly. But the drink’s maker has decided after a decade of selling it as a dietary supplement to market it as a beverage, a switch that will bring significant changes in how it is regulated.” For one, the move from the supplement aisle to the beverage aisle in the grocery store means Monster Beverage “will no longer be required to tell federal regulators about reports potentially linking its products to deaths and injuries.” Monster’s move “follows a similar regulatory makeover by another brand, Rockstar Energy,” and comes “amid intensifying scrutiny of energy drink safety.”

Tree Fruit Farmers Worry About Costs To Meet FDA Safety Rules

The Washington Post (4/9, Dennis, 489K) reports that the US Food and Drug Administration, “wrestling to put in place a massive overhaul of the nation’s food safety system, drew a line this year when proposing which fruits and vegetables would be subject to strict new standards” under the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act. 

Growers, who are “subject to the new produce rules could face a variety of new responsibilities, including regular testing of irrigation water, sanitizing canvas fruit-picking bags and keeping animals away from crops.” Many tree fruit farmers, who are concerned “about the cost” of meeting the new standards “argue that the FDA should focus more on foods that have caused deadly outbreaks, such as spinach and cantaloupes, and less on fruits that have a virtually flawless safety record, grow above the ground and, in some cases, have protective skins or rinds.”

Columnist Takes Issue With Genetically Modified Food Bill

In the syndicated “Alternative Health with Dr. Lind” column in the Washington Times (3/28, 76K), Dr. Peter Lind, who practices metabolic and neurologic chiropractic at his wellness clinic in Salem, OR, wrote, “President Barack Obama signed a spending bill, HR 933, into law, the ‘Monsanto Protection Act,’ that strips federal courts of the authority to immediately halt the planting and sale of genetically modified (GMO) seed crop regardless of any consumer health concerns.”

In voicing his opposition to the bill, Lind quoted several studies and group statements pointing to potential safety issues with genetically modified foods, including one from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, which concluded, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation, ‘as defined by recognized scientific criteria.”

Lind urged readers to educate themselves about genetically modified foods and seeds and to get in touch with elected officials on all levels of government to voice their concerns.

GMO Food Labels Would Increase Transparency For Consumers

The Minneapolis Star Tribune (3/31, 335K) editorialized Minnesota officials should craft legislation that informs consumers about genetically engineered foods. The editorial board writes, “As Americans awaken in greater numbers to the link between nutrition and health, they’re demanding transparency on food labels in order to make the best choices for their diets, whether because of allergies, diabetes, vegetarianism, religion or other reasons.”

The board believes that American consumers “have a right to know what’s in the food they’re buying, and that’s currently not the case with genetically engineered ingredients, which are in the majority of processed foods in US supermarkets.” The board also warns that “the nation’s most powerful biotech, agribusiness, chemical and packaged-food companies are spending millions to prevent change,” and what at stake is not about “food safety, but basic consumer information.”

The Roll Call (4/2, Rojas, Subscription Publication) “Heard on the Hill” blog reports that on April 8, “food activists opposed to genetically modified crops will take their fight to the US Food and Drug Administration...sponsoring an old school eat-in at the agency’s College Park, Md., campus staged around a truly historic meal.”

An all-day “anti-GMO protest is scheduled for April 8 outside the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and will feature a full day of activities. It will include the preparation and consumption of a massive cauldron...of all-inclusive ‘stone soup.’” According to the blog, “Occupy Monsanto organizer Adam Eidinger told HOH that the event is geared toward one simple goal: a clear understanding of what we are all eating.”

Former Kraft Exec: Government Must Reform Food Industry

In a New York Times (3/16, Mudd, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) op-ed, Michael Mudd, former executive vice president of global corporate affairs for Kraft Foods, wrote that the food industry has “strayed from the honorable business of feeding people appropriately to the deplorable mission of ‘increasing shareholder value’ by enticing people to consume more and more high-margin, low-nutrition branded products.” 

Mudd believes that “food companies must be made to change their worst practices” as “it’s obvious the industry won’t change on its own. Quite simply, change will have to be forced — by public pressure, media attention, regulation and litigation.” 

Mudd proposed levying “federal and state excise taxes on sugared beverages and a few categories — snack foods, candy, sweet baked goods — that most undermine health mandatory” and making mandatory “federal guidelines for marketing food to children that were proposed in 2011” and “written jointly by the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture.”

Bumble Bee Expands Recall Of 5-Ounce Tuna Products

In continuing coverage, ABC World News (3/8, story 5, 0:35, Sawyer, 7.43M) reported, “An iconic American brand in millions of kitchens, Bumble Bee Tuna: Tonight, the recall of their tuna” has expanded to “2.4 million cans.”

Reuters (3/8, Sutton) reported Bumble Bee Foods LLC issued the recall for some of its Chunk White Albacore and Chunk Light Tuna products in 5-ounce cans, because the cans did not meet seal-tightness standards, according to a notice that the Food and Drug Administration posted on its website.

The San Diego, California-based company said the cans with loose seams could result in product contamination and spoilage, although so far, no reports of illness have been received.

The products under the recall were shipped to retailers across the nation, between Jan. 17 and March 6, and they are stamped with “best-by” dates from Jan. 14, 2016 to Jan. 18, 2018. USA Today (3/8, Painter, 1.71M) also covered the Bumble Bee recall as was well as the similar recall for Chicken of the Sea brand tuna products.

Study: Salsa, Guacamole Pose Safety Risks

The Packer (3/12, Nelson) reports that a new study shows, "Fresh salsa and guacamole can pose significant food safety risks," because they "often contain diced raw produce, are often made in large batches and are often poorly refrigerated, fresh salsa and guacamole can be prone to contamination that can cause food-borne illness."

The study, published in the journal Food-borne Pathogens and Disease, found "136 outbreaks in which salsa or guacamole was reported as a possible vehicle. Those outbreaks resulted in 5,658 illnesses," 24% of which were norovirus, and 19% of which were salmonella.

Many restaurants use Cambro's fractional food pans for condiments and salsas and the best way to prevent cross-contamination is to use Cambro's GripLids that have a molded-in polyurethane gasket on the lid that grips the side of the food pan also reducing spills. Another economical option for light storage are the seal covers.

Monster Beverage Refutes Lawsuit Alleging Energy Drink Is Responsible For Death

The AP (3/5) reports Monster Beverage responded to a lawsuit “alleging its energy drinks were responsible for the death of a 14-year-old Maryland girl” by arguing that the girl never received a blood test to confirm she died of caffeine toxicity.

The family of Anais Fournier filed a lawsuit last year against the energy beverage maker, claiming she went into “cardiac arrest after drinking two, 24-ounce cans of Monster drinks in a 24-hour period.”

The FDA is currently “investigating reports of deaths linked to energy drinks, including five that cite Monster beverages,” but noted there is no proof that the drinks are responsible for the deaths. An attorney for Monster told the AP that physicians hired by the company to review medical records in the case concluded that the girl’s death was likely due to natural causes related to pre-existing cardiac conditions.

FDA: Benefits Of Salmon Hormone May Not Outweigh Cancer Risks

Bloomberg News (3/1, Edney) reported that according to a Food and Drug Administration report, a “salmon hormone used to treat post-menopausal osteoporosis may not reduce bone fractures enough to outweigh the drug’s cancer risks.”

The agency said “three studies on oral, injectable and nasal calcitonin-salmon formulations sold by Novartis AG (NOVN), Upsher-Smith Laboratories Inc. and other companies showed unreliable or disappointing results.” FDA staff said, “This lack of effectiveness when combined with the potential for a cancer risk associated with calcitonin salmon therapy raises concerns about the overall risk and benefit assessment.”

Reuters (3/1, Clarke) reported that an advisory panel to the FDA will meet on March 5 and make a recommendation to the agency on the continued marketing of products containing calcitonin salmon to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. European regulators recommended last July that the extended use of calcitonin be reduced after evidence revealed a link between the hormone and an small, elevated risk in cancer.

Study: Certain Foods May Contain High Levels Of Phthalates

HealthDay (2/28, Storrs) reports, “Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, two types of chemicals in plastics that have been linked to a number of health effects, could still find their way into your body even if you avoid foods that are shipped, stored or cooked using plastic materials.”

In a study published Feb. 27 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, the researchers “detected high levels in milk, butter and cream, and also in some of the spices, such as cinnamon and ground coriander.” The Food and Drug Administration “approved phthalates for use in food packaging back in the 1960s, and has not reevaluated their safety since then, said Dr. Sarah Janssen, a senior scientist in the Health and Environment program of the Natural Resources Defense Council.” The FDA “has been reviewing the safety” of BPA, but “its evaluation has depended heavily on studies funded by the chemical industry, Janssen said.”

Cambro, a manufacturer of Food Pans and Food Storage Containers for the restaurant and catering industry provided the following information in regards to BPA in their polycarbonate products:

Recent news coverage regarding baby bottles, has suggested that all plastic containers and bottles labeled with the number "7" contain BPA. While all polycarbonate plastics containing BPA are labeled with the number "7" recycling category, not all number "7" contain BPA.

Based on the combination of materials used, some of Cambro products that do not contain BPA fall into category "7" for recycling. Cambro certifies that the food contact products made from the polycarbonate resins meet all applicable requests and regulations in the U. S. regarding food and safety. Bisphenol-A is key building block used to make the polycarbonate resin. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation prescribing safe conditions of use can be found at 21 CFR 177.1580.

Products produced with the polycarbonate plastic based resin are meant for its intended use as specified in Cambro’s written materials (e.g. instructions and product labels). The resin meets the FDA regulations to be used safely with food. The Polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins made with bisphenol-a (BPA) have been rigorously tested and safely used for more than 40 years. They have been repeatedly found to be safe for consumer use by governments around the world.

Further information can be found at www.bisphenol-a.org.