Consumer Goods
Posted on November 23, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine
Heating up a can of soup may be an easy lunch, but it could have consequences. Eating canned food on the daily may raise the levels of the compound bisphenol A (BPA) in a person’s urine more than previously suspected, according to a recent study.
People who ate a serving of canned soup every day for five days had BPA levels of 20.8 micrograms per liter of urine, whereas people who instead ate fresh soup had levels of 1.1 micrograms per liter, researchers said. When they compared the average person who ate canned soup to the average person who ate fresh soup, there was a 1,221 percent jump in levels of BPA.
The study noted that levels higher than 13 micrograms per liter were found in only the top 5 percent of participants in the National Health and Examination Survey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention runs this study on an ongoing basis.
Only several studies have examined BPA levels in canned foods, and most of those have only surveyed study participants to see many canned items they eat on a regular basis.
Do you eat canned foods often?
Posted on November 18, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Recalls
- Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. recalled about 283,000 Toyota vehicles and 137,000 Lexus vehicles to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine. A problem with the pulley may cause the power steering to become detached.
- The FDA is warning consumers not to eat Bio Gaudiano brand Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds. The product, imported from Italy, has been linked with a botulism outbreak in Europe.
- United Natural Foods is also recalling selected types of FoodMatch, Inc. Divina Stuffed Olives tied to a botulism outbreak.
- Assi Brand oysters are being recalled due to norovirus cases in Washington state. The frozen oyster meat (shucked; not in shell), is packed in 3-lb bags.
- Wolfgang Puck is recalling combination electric griddles/grills imported from China due to a defect in the electrical wiring of the appliances.
- All 2011 Arctic Cat XC 450 ATVs and some 2012 Arctic Cat 450 ATVs are being recalled because the vehicles steering tie-rod can bend, possibly causing the driver to lose control and crash.
- The Joss Cam, a mechanical device placed in the crack of the rock to support a climber’s weight, is being recalled because it may fail unexpectedly after being set.
- Ikea Pax Aurland wardrobe mirror doors are being recalled because they may detach from the wardrobe door, fall, and shatter.
- Kiddieland Toys’ Disney Fairies plastic racing trikes are being recalled because the plastic fairies protrude from the top of the trike’s handle bar, posing a laceration hazard.
- Battat Inc.’s B. Toulouse-LapTrec magnetic sketchboards are being recalled because the magnetic tip of the drawing pen for the sketchboard may detach and pose a choking hazard.
Posted on October 29, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Food, Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recent Studies
A candy binge might not be the first thing you’d think a dentist would recommend. But this Halloween, dentists are encouraging kids to gorge on their spoils from trick-or-treating—because it’s healthier than rationing the candy over a longer period.
Eating candy bit by bit, every few hours, day after day, keeps your teeth bathed in enamel-corroding acid. This may lead to dental caries, or cavities. If kids eat ten pieces of candy in a short period of time, saliva will neutralize the acid over the course of an hour so. Spread those candy bars out over ten days, and the teeth are being constantly exposed to the harmful acid.
Still, dentists are recommending a good brushing after every candy gorging episode. Sour candies do the most damage to teeth, so consider switching to less-corrosive chocolate. Of course, the recommendation to eat lots of candy at one time only applies to oral health: kids may take in lots of unnecessary calories without nutrients if they eat their entire stash of treats the day after Halloween.
Will you encourage your kids to eat lots of candy?
Posted on October 27, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine
Ever wondered who makes the decisions on which foods are classified as safe to consume? In thousands of cases, private industries may have made the calls on which ingredients are safe without federal scrutiny, a new report finds.
The peer-reviewed report published in the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety journal relies on research funded by the Pew Health Group, the health and consumer safety branch of the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts. The group is looking to make the food safety process more transparent, and make data on the health impact of certain foods publicly available. In many cases, they say, the FDA has not reviewed this data.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires manufacturers to make sure food ingredients are safe. Companies can classify an ingredient as “generally recognized as safe” for use in a specific product but aren’t required to tell the Food and Drug Administration about what they find.
Do you think food safety needs to be more transparent?
Posted on October 17, 2011 in Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Recalls
CooperVision’s Avaira Toric contact lenses were recalled in August—but many consumers suffering from corneal tears and vision problems may not be aware that the product is defective, according to reports from the FDA. CooperVision hasn’t heeded FDA requests to broaden notifications about the recall.
The lenses were recalled on August 19 after some users experienced “haziness and discomfort.†The contact lenses were sold at stores like Costco, Walmart, and Lenscrafters. Customers can log into CooperVision’s website to check the complete list of retailers and affected lots.
The FDA has contacted CooperVision and asked them to increase efforts to notify customers. According to an MSNBC report, some have ended up in the emergency room after using the defective lenses. The recall affected about 600,000 contact lenses, or 10 percent of those sold or issued as samples in the United States.
Do you wear Avaira Toric contact lenses?
Posted on October 16, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Parenting, Recalls
Almost half a million baby strollers are being recalled due to a choking hazard, the CPSC and Health Canada announced. An embroidered logo on the canopy of the B.O.B. Trailers Inc. stroller can come loose, posing a choking risk to young children. The recall involves all B.O.B. strollers manufactured between November 1998 and November 2010.
About 411,700 strollers in the United States and 27,000 in Canada are being recalled. In February, 357,000 units were recalled due to strangulation hazard posed by the canopy drawstring.
The stroller company has received six reports of children mouthing the detached panel on the single and double strollers. Choking and gagging has been reported twice, B.O.B. Inc. reported.
Do you own a B.O.B. stroller?
Posted on October 12, 2011 in Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Women's Health
California became the first state to prohibit most teens from visiting tanning beds this week. The law bars those ages 14-18 from using tanning beds without an adult or legal guardian’s permission. While many states regulate how minors can use tanning facilities, California’s restrictions go further than any other state, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
More than 20 epidemiological studies found that one’s skin cancer risk increases 75% when a person starts using tanning beds before the age of 30. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified UV-emitting tanning devices as “carcinogenic to humans.â€
State Senator Ted Lieu first tried to pass the legislation in 2007, but failed to prevent teens between the ages of 14 and 18 from walking into a facility and tanning. Lieu expressed concern over the marketing tactics used by tanning facilities and the emphasis on package deals.
“I know that Snooki on the ‘Jersey Shore’ has changed to spray tanning,” Lieu told CNN in an interview. “Spray tanning has no known harmful effects, and you can get tans from lotions or cream. There are safe ways to get that brown look.”
What’s your stance on indoor tanning?
Posted on October 7, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Food, Health & Medicine, The Environment
The farmers market trend has taken off in recent years, attracting hordes of “locavoresâ€â€”
people who prefer to eat locally-grown food–with its fresh produce. Are small-business-
friendly farmers markets really better?
Although the food sold at farmers markets is generally seen as healthier than grocery-
aisle fare, it also receives less federal and local oversight. Few pathogen outbreaks have
been linked to farmers markets, but most sources of foodborne illness go undetected.
Recently, Congress exempted small farms from the safety requirements of the new Food
Safety Modernization Act. Farms that gross under $50,000 annually and sell most of their
products directly to consumers within 275 miles of the farm qualified for the exemption,
spelled out the act’s Tester-Hagan Amendment. Small farmers argued that they wouldn’t
be able to afford the expensive new requirements.
Still, state and local governments have jurisdiction over farmers markets. Some well-
known markets, like the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, have farmers
undergo multiple screenings and on-site investigations to make sure their food is safe. At
many of these markets, market managers make sure vendors are following health codes
and make the local food experience pleasant—and safe.
Do you buy food from farmers markets?
Posted on in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Technology
Apple Inc.’s newest iPhone 4S has been met with harsh criticism from investors and fans after leaving Wall Street, sending shares plummeting down to 5 percent before recovering to close down 0.6 percent.
Enthusiasts of the former iteration of the iPhone expected to be blown away with new features for the gadget. While the device comes with voice recognition and a better camera, it looks identical to the last version. Analysts say that in future months, it will be even more important to keep up the popularity of the older iPhone 4.
The iPhone has been a hot commodity since it first emerged in 2007, making Apple one of the leading consumer electronics companies. The iPhone accounts for more than 40% of Apple’s sales.
Android phones by Samsung Electronics and other rivals are starting to approach Apple’s sizable lead, making it even more important for Apple to create a buzz with the new product.
Will you buy the new iPhone?
Posted on October 5, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine
A pill designed to stop gray hair might be too good to be true—and could be risky, to
boot. Dermatologists are unsure how the L’oreal-developed pill will impact the skin and
the organs.
The pill, scheduled to become available in 2015, contains an undisclosed fruit extract that
mimics the chemical tyrosinase-related protein, an enzyme that protects pigmentation
production. The goal of the fruit extract pill is to stop oxidative stress from turning hair
cells gray. But some people in search of a cure for graying strands may be out of the luck:
the pill must be taken at least 10 years before hair starts going gray.
Hair typically starts turning gray in mid-30s to 40s, but some lucky ones never
experience graying. That means people who take the drug are gambling on the
outcome…and popping a pill daily for no reason.
Research still needs to be conducted before the pills hits the cosmetic market, but some
are already beginning to worry about the possible health risks it might carry.
