FDA Suspends Orange Juice Imports to Examine for Fungicide – Bloomberg
The U.S. has temporarily halted shipments of imported orange juice from all countries while they’re being tested, and said it will destroy or ban products containing even low levels from a banned fungicide. If levels of the chemical, carbendazim, are found to be below trace amounts, the products may be released and sold, according to [...]
OMB Says Food Agency Merger Is Next
A single federal food safety agency, long sought by many advocates, will happen if Congress grants the Obama Administration authority to reorganize the government, according to the subscription news service The Hagstrom Report. In its Friday edition, The Hagstrom Report said Office of Management and Budget Director for Management, Jeff Zients, said that if Congress [...]
USDA Closings Won’t Affect Food Safety, Vilsack Says – Businessweek
Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) — A U.S. Department of Agriculture plan to close 259 domestic offices as part of a $150 million budget-cutting measure will have “no impact whatsoever” on food safety, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Agency inspectors will continue their jobs at every meat- processing plant in the country, Vilsack said today on a [...]
Novartis issues voluntary recall because of broken, mislabeled pills – CNN.com
(CNN) — Pharmaceutical company Novartis on Sunday voluntarily recalled a number of over-the-counter drugs — including certain bottles of Excedrin and Bufferin — because of complaints about mislabeled and broken pills. The Switzerland-based company said on its website that "there have been no related adverse (health) events" related to the problems. At the same time, [...]
CBP Discovers Nearly $300K in Counterfeit Cash at JFK Airport – CBP.gov
New York — On December 27, 2011 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at John F. Kennedy Airport found more than dirty laundry during a baggage inspection last Thursday, when they discovered nearly $300,000 in fake U.S. currency. This counterfeit currency was discovered in the baggage of a passenger arriving from Colombia. CBP officers stopped [...]
Aguilar Assumes CBP Leadership; Bersin to Take New DHS Position – CBP.gov
Leadership of U.S. Customs and Border Protection changed hands today as Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano administered the oath of office to Acting Commissioner David V. Aguilar and Acting Deputy Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski. Outgoing Commissioner Alan D. Bersin gave his farewell address during the ceremony at CBP’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. Napolitano lauded Bersin’s [...]
CDC, FDA: Powdered Infant Formula Not Tainted – TIME
KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — Four cases of infants sickened by a rare bacteria sometimes linked to powdered formula, including two who died, are not related and parents can continue using the products to feed their babies, two federal agencies announced Friday. Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug [...]
CPSC Launches Registry for Small Batch Children’s Product Manufacturers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 23, 2011, CPSC launched an easy-to-use registry for small batch manufacturers, which can be found at www.SaferProducts.gov. Congress directed CPSC to establish this registry for small batch manufacturers in Public Law 112-28, which was signed into law by President Obama on August 12, 2011. Small batch manufacturers, defined as those [...]
Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > RECALL Green Valley Food Corp. is Expanding Its Recall to Include Additional Products because of a Possible Health Risk.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 31, 2011 – Green Valley Food Corp. is recalling approximately 35,159 cases of a variety of products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Random samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or [...]
Pharma Fraud Continues To Fill The US Treasury // Pharmalot
Boasting about recovering lots of money from prosecuting health care fraud has become an annual pasttime at the US Department of Justice. In general, fraud is a hot topic. Why? For the second consecutive fiscal year, the feds recovered more than $3 billion under the False Claims Act, and the total since January 2009 was [...]
