A consumer has filed a proposed class action alleging Sargento Foods misleadingly advertises its cheese products as “natural” despite containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or animal growth hormones. Stanton v. Sargento Foods, Inc., No. 17-2881 (N.D. Cal., filed May 19, 2017). The plaintiff asserts that the cows providing milk for the production of Sargento cheeses are fed GMO corn and soybeans as well as a growth hormone. Alleging violations of state consumer protection acts and breach of warranty laws, the plaintiff seeks class certification, damages, an injunction and attorney’s fees. Issue 636
Tag Archives hormones
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has proposed amendments to organic livestock and poultry production requirements to clarify “how producers and handlers must treat their livestock and poultry to ensure their health and well-being throughout life.” Based on recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board, the draft rules also specify “which physical alterations are allowed and prohibited” and establish “minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for poultry.” In particular, the proposed amendments provide for “a feed ration sufficient to meet nutritional requirements, including vitamins, minerals, protein and/or amino acids, fatty acids, energy sources, and fiber (ruminants), resulting in appropriate body condition.” They also limit physical alterations to those performed only at “a reasonably young age, with minimal stress and pain and by a competent person,” and only in cases determined to “benefit the welfare or hygiene of the animals, or for identification purposes or safety.” In…
An Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigation has reportedly concluded that 49 processed snack foods contain propylparaben, a preservative commonly found in cosmetic products. In light of its findings and various studies allegedly linking exposure to the chemical to decreased fertility and other hormone-related issues, EWG is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reconsider the preservative’s current “Generally Recognized as Safe” status as a food additive. “It is of great concern to us that the use of an endocrine-disrupting chemical in our food is considered safe by our own government,” Johanna Congleton, an EWG senior scientist was quoted as saying. “European Union regulators do not permit propyl paraben in food. So why do we?” EWG is soliciting concerned consumers to sign an online petition to food companies that states: “Your company uses the endocrine-disrupting chemical propylparaben in your products! Parabens are being taken out of some cosmetics and food products,…
A study led by University of California, Davis, toxicologist Michael Denison and CertiChem, Inc. founder George Bittner has allegedly found that some hard, clear thermoplastic resins made without bisphenol A (BPA) still release chemicals with estrogenic activity (EA). George Bittner, et al., “Chemicals having estrogenic activity can be released from some bisphenol a-free, hard and clear, thermoplastic resins,” Environmental Health, December 2014. According to the study, which used in vitro assays “to quantify the EA of chemicals leached into ethanol or water/saline extracts of fourteen unstressed or stressed (autoclaving, microwaving, UV radiation) thermoplastic resins,” four types of resin “leached chemicals having significant levels of EA.” In particular, the authors noted that UV radiation increased the probability that certain thermoplastic resins would leach chemicals with detectable EA levels. However, the study stopped short of assigning any human health effects to the consumption of these chemicals, as no scientists or other entities “have…
Investigators with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have for the first time identified a hormone that, when stimulated by fructose ingestion, could serve as the basis for a reliable fructose-tolerance test. Jody Dushay, et al., “Fructose ingestion acutely stimulates circulating FGF21 levels in humans,” Molecular Metabolism, October 2014. Known as Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21), the hormone in question has been associated with obesity, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in both humans and animals. In this study, researchers reported that FGF21 levels increased by an average of 400 percent in healthy volunteers who consumed 75 grams of fructose. By comparison, the consumption of glucose had little immediate effect on FGF21 blood levels. “This tells us that fructose actively regulates FGF21 in humans,” explained one study author. “The hormone-like response of FGF21 to fructose ingestion suggests that FGF21 might play an unanticipated role in regulating fructose metabolism. We…
The European Commission (EC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have launched public consultations seeking comments on endocrine active substances and draft genetically modified (GM) plant guidance. In accordance with regulations governing biocides and plant protection products, the commission has asked the public “to help define criteria for endocrine disruptors” as part of its effort to identify and regulate substances that interact with human and animal hormone systems. “Endocrine disrupting chemicals have triggered a substantial debate: there are strong signals from science, there is increasing public and political concern and awareness, while some stakeholders still have doubts,” said European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik. “Europe is watching—we need these criteria to improve protection and give industry the certainty it requires. Citizens and stakeholders can help us make an informed decision.” See EC Press Release, September 29, 2014. In addition, EFSA’s Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms has requested views on…
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has released the first part of its bisphenol A (BPA) report, which provides an overview of regulatory and scientific developments through March 2014. Slated for publication in 2015, the second part of the report will assess the European Food Safety Authority’s final opinion on the risks of BPA exposure for consumers; a Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks assessment of patients exposed to BPA; and two advisory reports from the Dutch Health Council on prenatal BPA exposure and BPA analogues. In addition to summarizing what is known about BPA’s environmental impact, the current report addresses human BPA exposure via consumer products, food, medical devices, and inhalation during the manufacture of BPA-containing epoxy resins. Based on this overview, RIVM concludes that despite various studies associating BPA with adverse immune effects, obesity, diabetes, and prostate cancer, “[t]here is still…
A recent study has reportedly identified an alternative hormonal receptor that mediates bisphenol A (BPA), raising questions about the purported link between BPA exposure, diabetes and obesity. Marie Tohmé, et al., “Estrogen-related receptor γ is an in vivo receptor of bisphenol A,” The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, April 2014. Researchers with the Institute of Functional Genomics of Lyon (ENS de Lyon) and Deakin University apparently used a zebrafish model to demonstrate that “the in vivo action of [BPA] was mediated by the orphan nuclear receptor, ERRy (estrogen-related receptor),” which previous studies have implicated in metabolism regulation, insulin secretion, newborn obesity, and inner ear development. “We found that the way the BPA binds to and activates ERRy is 1000 times better than with the estrogen receptor. This means that ERRy is 1000 times more potent; a tiny amount of BPA will result in a huge…
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Keep A Breast Foundation have released an October 2013 report detailing how to avoid exposure to certain endocrine disruptors allegedly found in food, food packaging and other consumer products. Titled “The Dirty Dozen: 12 Hormone-Altering Chemicals and How to Avoid Them,” the report singles out bisphenol A, dioxins, atrazine, phthalates, perchlorate, fire retardants, lead, arsenic, mercury, perfluorinated chemicals, organophosphate pesticides, and glycol ethers as among “the worst hormone disrupters.” In particular, EWG argues that the interference of these substances with hormone production and signaling has been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, obesity, early puberty, heart disease, and other health conditions. To this end, the report urges consumers to avoid canned foods, thermal receipts, plastic food containers, plastic wrap, and non-stick pans, among other products. It also recommends that readers increase their consumption of organic products as well as sustainable seafood, such as wild salmon…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Scientific Committee has issued an opinion “that clarifies the scientific criteria for identifying an endocrine disruptor.” Requested by the European Commission, the opinion addresses “the testing and assessment of endocrine active substances (EASs) and endocrine disruptors (EDs)” by adopting the World Health Organization’s definition for EDs, which must meet the following three criteria: “the presence of (i) an adverse effect in an intact organism or a (sub)population; (ii) an endocrine activity; and (iii) a plausible causal relationship between the two.” The opinion also identifies “a reasonably complete suite of standardized assays for testing the effects of EASs [that] is (or will soon be) available for the oestrogenic, androgenic, thyroid and steroidogenic modalities in mammals and fish” known to be sensitive to endocrine disruption. The Scientific Committee has stressed, however, that not all EASs are EDs, ultimately advocating “a risk assessment approach” that evaluates substances…
