Beach-Nut recalls infant rice cereal, terminates production of single grain...
The Beech-Nut Nutrition Co. Tuesday initiated a recall of some of its infant cereal because of excessive levels of arsenic. Also, the company will stop selling it, saying it may not be able to...
View ArticleLawsuits piling up against baby food firms over potential damage to infant...
There are reports of more than 80 lawsuits filed against firms that were named in a February congressional report about highly dangerous levels of arsenic and other poisons in baby food. The report,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tackling climate change can boost food safety
Stifling heat waves, droughts, devastating forest and wildland fires, flooding, violent cyclones, rising sea levels, human lives lost — we’ve heard about this and more in the news this summer. And...
View ArticleBaby cereal sold at Walmart recalled because of excessive arsenic levels
Maple Island Inc. is recalling three lots of its Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal that it manufactures for Walmart because of inorganic arsenic that tested above FDA guidance. This recall is a result...
View ArticleArsenic and some mycotoxins at top of health risk ranking in Finland
The greatest risks of serious health effects from contaminants in food are associated with arsenic and certain mycotoxins, according to an analysis in Finland. The Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto)...
View ArticleHow to avoid processed baby foods and accompanying heavy metals
– OPINION – By Jenny Shell On Feb. 4, 2021, the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy released a report detailing its findings and concerns about the presence of heavy...
View ArticlePublic action groups call for separate food arm at FDA to streamline food safety
Consumer groups continue to call for faster and more efficient work from FDA on a variety of topics including heavy metals in baby food and the recent outbreak of cronobacter from infant formula. The...
View ArticleEU to lower arsenic levels in some food products
The European Commission has tightened the rules on the presence of arsenic in food products. The allowed concentration of inorganic arsenic in white rice is lowered, while there are new limits for...
View ArticleFDA adopts decade-old draft guidance for arsenic in apple juice
It’s been 10 years in the making, but the FDA has announced final guidance on the levels of arsenic in apple juice, seen as crucial for children’s safety. The new guidance sets the level at 10 parts...
View ArticleClik here to view.
WHO turns foodborne estimates focus to heavy metals
WHO is looking for experts to work on the burden of disease caused by foodborne exposure to cadmium, methylmercury, arsenic, and lead. It is part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tests Show Washington State Shellfish Safe Following Chinese Ban
Laboratory tests on Washington state’s exotic shellfish export, the geoduck clam, have found no evidence of unsafe or excessive levels of arsenic, rebutting claims made by Chinese food safety...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Codex Adopts Limits on Lead in Infant Formula, Arsenic in Rice
At the its annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, last week, the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted a number of new standards, including maximum acceptable levels of lead in infant formula and of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Consumer Reports Releases New Guidelines for Arsenic in Rice and Grains
Consumer Reports (CR) today issued new consumption guidelines for inorganic arsenic (IA) in rice and other grains. While past reports on the subject by CR and others have been complex and academic,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
As Toxin Fears Grow, More Chinese Are Buying Imported Rice
Despite being the number-one producer and consumer of rice in the world, more Chinese citizens are buying rice imported from Japan and elsewhere due to fears about heavy metals and other toxins,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lawsuit Alleges High Arsenic Levels in Some California Wines
A lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court claims that some California wines tested for inorganic arsenic contain higher-than-allowable levels. The complaint lists four individual...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FDA to Withdraw Approval for Arsenic-Based Drug Used in Poultry
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that it has received a letter of commitment from Zoetis Animal Health that, by this coming fall, the company will suspend the sale of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Bill Would Limit Permissible Level of Inorganic Arsenic in Rice
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced a bill in Congress on Thursday which would limit the amount of inorganic arsenic permitted in rice and rice-based foods. The R.I.C.E (Reducing food-based Inorganic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Arsenic in infant rice cereals compared with lead exposure
To view a larger version of the graphic, please click on the image. Infant rice cereals are popular with parents because they are affordable, easy to digest, and unlikely to cause allergic reactions....
View ArticleClik here to view.
GAO tells Rep. DeLauro that agencies need to pick up the pace
At the request of Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-CT, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has returned to the problem of managing the risk of arsenic in rice. The GAO is an agency in the...
View ArticleConsumer Reports: Some bottled water brands have unsafe arsenic levels
Consumer Reports has identified 11 brands of bottled water, out of more than 130 that either self-reported or were tested by the consumer organization, that contain detectable amounts of arsenic. ” Of...
View ArticleSenator wants action now to resolve problems with baby, toddler foods
Sen. Chuck Schumer wants immediate action from the FDA to address toxic metals in baby food. He is also demanding the agency tell the public what it’s going to do about the food safety problem....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Experts present on foodborne chemical and toxin burden
Researchers have presented updated data on the global disease burden caused by foodborne chemicals and toxins. The data were discussed at a symposia in Arlington, VA, at the annual meeting of the...
View ArticleFSAI data shows food recalls up slightly in Ireland
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued an average of two alerts per week in 2019 about products subject to withdrawal or recall. This past year, a 107 alerts were issued made up of 55 food...
View ArticleResearchers find arsenic in rice risk for UK infants
Scientists have found half of rice varieties they tested exceeded maximum arsenic limits for young children in the United Kingdom. A team at the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Norway looks at metals in seafood; assesses local meat producers
An analysis by Norwegian scientists has found a low level of heavy metals in processed fish products in the country. Commercially available items were collected from 2015 to 2018 and analyzed as...
View ArticleFinland assesses heavy metals risk from foods
Some adults in Finland are exposed to amounts of heavy metals in food that could pose a risk to their health, according to an assessment. The Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) studied the exposure...
View ArticleBottled water’s arsenic king remains legal but still loaded with heavy metal
Consumer Reports still has a knack for finding something hiding in plain sight that many people will find outrageous. The find this time is bottled Starkey Spring Water manufactured by Whole Foods and...
View ArticleFDA announces limit on inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals
The Food and Drug Administration has announced the availability of a final guidance for industry entitled “Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Cereals for Infants: Action Level.” “This guidance finalizes FDA’s...
View ArticleNew report says arsenic, other metals consistently contaminate baby foods
A new congressional report has revealed highly dangerous levels of arsenic and other poisons in baby food. It also reveals that Walmart, Campbell Foods, and Sprout Organic Foods refused to cooperate...
View ArticleFDA announces ‘Closer to Zero’ plan to reduce toxic elements eaten by babies...
Janet Woodcock, the acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and Susan T. Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Thursday announced Closer to Zero, a new action plan...
View Article
