A recent study funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has reportedly linked workplace bisphenol A (BPA) exposure to “[1] decreased sperm concentration, [2] decreased total sperm count, [3] decreased sperm vitality, and [4] decreased sperm motility.” De-Kun Li, et al., “Urine bisphenol-A (BPA) level in relation to semen quality,” Fertility and Sterility, October 2010. Researchers apparently examined 218 Chinese factory workers—some with occupational exposure to BPA and some with only environmental exposure—concluding that, “those with detectable urine BPA had more than three times the risk of lowered sperm concentration and lower sperm vitality, more than four times the risk of lower sperm count, and more than twice the risk of lower sperm motility.” Among the 88 study participants who did not work directly with BPA, the study authors observed “similar dose-response associations . . . with environmental EPA exposures at levels comparable with those in the…
Category Archives Issue 370
The University of Southern California Childhood Obesity Research Center (CORC) has published a study claiming that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains 18 percent more fructose than estimated by soft drink manufacturers. Emily Ventura, Jaimie Davis and Michael I. Goran, “Sugar Content of Popular Sweetened Beverages Based on Objective Laboratory Analysis: Focus on Fructose Content,” Obesity, October 2010. According to the study, food and nutrition researchers usually assume that the ratio of fructose to glucose in HFCS is 55 to 45, based on information provided by the Corn Refiners Association. But after analyzing 23 sugar-sweetened beverages and four standard solutions with high-performance liquid chromatography, CORC allegedly determined that not only was the mean fructose content 59 percent, but that “several major brands appear to be produced with HFCS that is 65 [percent] fructose.” The study also raises questions about the other kind of sugars used in these beverages, reporting “significant deviations…
Choices Magazine, an outreach publication of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, has released its 3rd Quarter 2010 issue focusing on the economic implications of rising U.S. obesity rates. Topics include medical costs and implications for policymakers; consumer behavior; farm policy; the diverse effects of food assistance programs; nutrition labeling; taxes on sweetened beverages; and the “behavioral economics” associated with what Americans eat.
In a recent FindLaw article, Cornell Law School Professor Sherry Colb addresses whether New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to prevent food stamp recipients from buying sugar-sweetened sodas and beverages violates any constitutional proscriptions. Titled “No Buying Soda with Food Stamps? Considering Mayor Bloomberg’s New Health Initiative,” Colb’s article concludes that arguments about equal treatment for the poor and consumer freedom in general hold no weight given the overwhelming risks to public health posed by “unhealthy, empty-calorie food.” She expresses confidence that food stamp recipients will experience measurable benefits by avoiding some unhealthy foods, which will convince public officials to expand such initiatives “to take on various industries that profit at the expense of human health.” Meanwhile, a New York Times article discusses what prompted a writer and former Rutgers professor to begin the “Candy Professor” blog, which apparently “dives deep into the American relationship with candy, finding irrational and…
Employees at 10 Minneapolis-based Jimmy John’s sandwich shops have reportedly voted against joining the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which has since alleged that the close election “was marred by misconduct.” According to The New York Times, “[U]nion supporters were predicting victory, noting that about 60 percent of the restaurants’ 200 workers had signed prounion cards asking the labor board to hold a unionization vote.” But when the National Labor Relations Board called the October 22, 2010, election, it reported that union backers fell short of a majority by three votes. With seven days to file objections, the Jimmy John’s Worker Union has charged MikLin Enterprise with 22 violations of the National Labor Relations Act, including bribery and intimidation. “We do not recognize these election results as legitimate and will continue to fight for our demands,” stated the group’s spokesperson in a press release. The vote was apparently IWW’s…
A corporate watchdog organization, Corporations and Health Watch, has issued a call for food industry critics who have been threatened with litigation for saying “anything critical about food,” to submit information about their experience to the organization. According to the group, corporations are using the food disparagement laws now in effect in 13 states “as leverage to silence their critics, frequently sending threatening letter[s] to those who speak out or those who publish [their critiques], threatening to sue under these menacing laws.”
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have unveiled plans to create a front-of-package (FOP) labeling system that aims to “inform consumers and combat obesity.” According to an October 27, 2010, joint press release, the FOP system will display “important information on calories and other nutrients to limit . . . in a fact-based, simple and easy-to-use format.” The two industry groups have also pledged to consult stakeholders as they work to finalize the system and “provide consumers with information on nutrients needed to build a ‘nutrient-dense’ diet and on ‘shortfall nutrients’ that are under-consumed in the diets of most Americans.” The announcement followed the release of an Institute of Medicine report calling for FOP labels that highlight the nutrients of greatest concern to consumers—calories, saturated fats, trans fat, and sodium—as well as serving size. Co-sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Phase 1 report…
According to a news source, a Brazilian judge has ordered McDonald’s Corp. to pay one of its former franchise managers US$17,500 because he gained 65 pounds over the 12 years he worked for the company. He reportedly claimed that he was required to sample all of the restaurant’s foods everyday to ensure their quality, and he consumed the free lunches that were offered to company employees. The 32-year old man apparently convinced the court that he had to sample the food because McDonald’s hired people to make unannounced visits to its restaurants to guarantee that food, cleanliness and service standards were maintained. See Product Liability Law360, October 28, 2010.
The United States has reportedly decided not to file an appeal from a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that its ban on Chinese poultry imports, imposed in 2004 upon fears of an avian flu outbreak, was illegal. According to a news source, this ends the trade dispute. While the legislative ban expired within five years, under current U.S. law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cannot allow poultry imports unless the foreign country’s food safety procedures are deemed equivalent to those used in the United States. A 2009 appropriations bill included this provision despite lobbying by U.S. trade organizations against it. See FoodNavigator-USA.com, October 27, 2010. Meanwhile, WTO has apparently decided to open to the public the second hearing on a complaint filed by Canada and Mexico, challenging the U.S. promulgation of country-of-origin labeling for cattle and hog imports. The parties reportedly requested an open hearing, which will take place December…
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has filed a complaint in federal court under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), seeking documents from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) related to the development of policies to protect scientific integrity in federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. PEER v. OSTP, No. __ (D.D.C., filed October 19, 2010). According to the complaint, President Barack Obama (D) issued an executive order in March 2009, requiring the development of such rules by July. They have not yet been promulgated. OSTP Director John Holdren reportedly wrote online in June 2010 that the “process has been more laborious and time-consuming than expected,” and that an interagency panel has developed draft recommendations for OSTP and Office of Management and Budget review. Representatives from the latter two offices “have been honing a final set of recommendations”…
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