HotDog Recall - Incomplete Listeria Testing

Maple Leaf recalls wieners, citing incomplete listeria testing

Maple Leaf Foods has voluntarily recalled hundreds of cases of wieners that had not completed tests for the listeria bacteria species.

The affected products were shipped to Eastern Canada, mostly to Ontario, Maple Leaf spokeswoman Linda Smith told CBC News.

People who have purchased 450 gram packs of Shopsy's Deli Fresh All Beef Frankfurters (product code 20730 and UPC 6487520730, best before date of April 22 and 23) and Maple Leaf Hot Dogs (product code 22356 and UPC 6310022356, best before date of April 23) are advised not to consume them.

Smith said 1,100 cases of wieners were quarantined for a second round of testing at a plant in Hamilton, Ont., but they were mistakenly shipped out prematurely. Initial testing revealed a partial positive result for a listeria species, Smith said. Maple Leaf says it tests for all six listeria species, not just Listeria monocytogenes.

It is not known whether the recalled wieners have tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a species that can be fatal in humans and was blamed for last year's deadly listeriosis outbreak.

More listeria-related recalls likely: McCain

"Unlike other situations, this event occurred as a direct result of human error and did not uphold our stringent industry leading protocols," said Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods.

Smith said the recalled shipment is small — there are 12 packs of wieners in each case. She estimated that each pack contains between 10 and 12 wieners. Maple Leaf expects to have all the recalled wieners in its possession by tomorrow morning at the latest, she said.

The company said the wieners are being taken off shelves "immediately," and that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is overseeing the recall. Maple Leaf said no illnesses were reported as a result of consuming the wieners, and that "the risk to human health is extremely low."

"As we have seen with the wide range of food products which have been recalled to date in 2009, as enhanced surveillance becomes more pervasive in the food industry, positive listeria findings and related recalls will occur more frequently," said McCain.

"This should be regarded positively as it provides assurance that the industry and government are acting swiftly to protect public health."

According to the Canadian Food Directorate, one to 10 per cent of all prepared food contains listeria.

Maple Leaf is still dealing with fallout from the company's involvement in last year's listeriosis outbreak. The deaths of 17 people were linked to meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes produced at a Maple leaf plant in Toronto last summer.

Source: CBC.ca

SuperSize Toxicity - French Fries under Fire

French-fry chemical may go on toxic list

Worries that Canadians might be inadvertently ingesting too much cancer-causing acrylamide from French fries, potato chips and other processed foods has prompted Health Canada to recommend adding the chemical to the country's toxic substances list.

Acrylamide is an industrial chemical that isn't naturally found in foods, but is produced accidentally when sugars and other items in potatoes and grains are exposed to high cooking temperatures.

It has also been detected in breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, breads, rolls, toast, cocoa products and coffee, although at levels far below those in fried potato products.

The decision to recommend placing acrylamide on the toxic list is being announced in today's Canada Gazette, and is part of an ongoing review by the federal government of nearly two hundred potentially harmful substances in widespread commercial use that have never been subject to extensive safety assessments.

The gazette notice on the chemical, which was posted on the Internet yesterday afternoon, said the toxic listing was based on the "carcinogenic potential" of acrylamide and the lack of an adequate safety margin at current exposures for causing reproductive and developmental harm during fetal and early life development.

The government didn't announce specific steps to control exposures to acrylamide in fries and chips, but said that it planned to use the Food and Drugs Act "to reduce the inadvertent production of acrylamide in certain processed foods intended for human consumption."

Acrylamide is also used to make polymers found in grout, cement, waste water treatment, pesticides, cosmetics, and diapers, among other products. The data posted by the government didn't give any indication that these non-food uses would be regulated.

The toxic announcement was greeted positively by environmentalists, who have been arguing that potentially dangerous chemicals in consumer goods need to be limited.

"We think it's particularly important to list the chemicals that are in common, everyday items," said Aaron Freeman, a spokesman for Environmental Defence, a Toronto-based advocacy group. He said the government should move quickly to introduce control measures.

Source: theGlobeandMail.com

Crib Recall - Health Canada

Health Canada recalls crib

Health Canada is asking parents to stop using a particular crib that was manufactured in Chile and imported to Canada by Bambino Reale Furniture, a company that's gone out of business.

There is a potential for a serious fall-related injury, although to date Health Canada says it hasn't received any reports of injuries related to these cribs.

The model number is 612C19CH.

Because the company, a subsidiary of Quebec-based Ragazzi Furniture, has gone out of business, Health Canada hasn't been able to determine how many of the cribs were sold in Canada, or when they were sold.

The warning was issued following a complaint by a consumer in Alberta and a determination that the cribs don't meet labelling and minimum side height requirements for cribs.

Health Canada says the cribs don't provide an adequate barrier to prevent infants and young children from falling out or climbing out.

The cribs should be disassembled and disposed of in a way that they won't be used again.

Source: theGlobeandMail.com

Cancer Risk Elevated with Alcohol Intake for Women

Just a little alcohol a day boosts cancer risk for women

The old motto may be everything in moderation, but middle-aged women who enjoy a daily glass of alcohol should try on a new mantra if they want to lower their cancer risk, new research suggests.

In a study of nearly 1.2 million women, British researchers found that even low to moderate alcohol consumption can boost a woman's risk of developing cancers of the breast, liver, rectum and, in smokers, the mouth and throat, by as much as 13 per cent combined.

These cancers have already been linked to alcohol consumption but in much higher doses, according to the study published yesterday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute's online edition.

Most previous studies linking alcohol use and cancer risk have focused on men who drank to excess, says Naomi Allen, lead study author and cancer epidemiologist with the University of Oxford. But this discovery sheds a disturbing light on how even a small amount of alcohol consumed on a regular basis raises the risk of cancer, specifically in females, she says.

“What's novel about this study is even though it's low level of drinking – about one or two alcoholic drinks regularly consumed each day – it increases a woman's risk not just of developing breast cancer, which has been well established already, but also cancer of the liver, cancer of the rectum and in smokers cancer of the mouth and throat,” she says. “These are cancers that were commonly believed to be associated with high alcohol consumption.”

Dr. Allen and her research team analyzed data from the Million Women Study, which included more than a million middle-aged British women surveyed at breast cancer screenings between 1996 and 2001. These women, with an average age of 55, were routinely tracked for incidence of cancer. Of the women who reported drinking, the average alcohol intake was 10 grams, or one drink a day. In the study, moderate drinking for women was defined as less than 21 drinks a week or three a day. Researchers controlled for smoking status, and whether the women had undergone hormone replacement therapy and considered the women's ages, socioeconomic background and place of residence among many other factors.

In all cases, the more a woman drank the higher her risk rate climbed, Dr. Allen says.

The study also found that the type of alcohol consumed made no difference. A glass of red wine – widely acknowledged for reducing the risk of heart disease – and a glass of spirits increased risk the same way, Dr. Allen says.

These findings may call into question the recommended daily glass of red wine, she acknowledges. It's a confusing mixed message, but she views her study as just one more thing for women to discuss with their doctors.

“Only [after] you've examined heart disease in the same populations would we be in a position to comment on the overall risks and benefits of moderate alcohol drinking in women,” she says. It will then be the responsibility of expert committees and governmental health organizations to create guidelines for the public. “I think women have to be as well informed as possible and only then can they take responsible action over how much alcohol they drink.”

Cardiologists actually don't recommend non-drinkers start sipping wine daily says Michael Lauer, the director of the Division of Prevention and Population Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, MD.

“There is this lore that a drink a day is good for you, but if you look at the message, it's more nuanced,” he says. “The message is it may be a reduced risk, but this is something you need to discuss with your doctor.”

In an editorial also published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute , Dr. Lauer said the Oxford team's research offered “fascinating findings that should give us pause.”

Dr. Allen says she plans to test for heart disease incidence and morality rates among participants in the Million Women Study so that clearer recommendations can be made. She also wants to track what impact drinking patterns have on increased cancer risk.

Source: theGlobeandMail.ca

Listeria Food Recall

Listeria concerns prompt recalls

A health warning has been issued for two products the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says may be contaminated with the Listeria bacteria.

One is egg salad manufactured by Plaisirs Gastronomique Inc. of Boisbriand, Que., and included in some Ziggy brand egg salad sandwiches. These Ziggy's brand products bear a best-before date up to and including Feb. 17 and are distributed in Ontario and Quebec.

The warning also covers various products containing egg salad at some chain stores and other retailers and deli stores in Quebec and Ontario.

Consumers who bought the affected products between Feb. 2 and Feb. 17 are advised to check the retailer to see if they have the recalled products.

The agency has issued a similar warning for Kanata Smoke House brand Smoked Atlantic Salmon sold from Costco stores in Quebec. The product is sold in 500 gram packages (bearing UPC 8 19269 00350 5 and Product code 3001 Best Before 2009 FE
Source: theGlobeandMail.ca

Ontario Promotes New Health Info Site

Ontario touts new service to help Ontarians find an MD, neighbourhood clinics

Ontario has announced a program aimed easing the pressure on hospital emergency rooms by linking patients with family doctors and clinics close to home.

Emergency departments see more than five million patients every year, and about half of those visits are for non-urgent conditions.

Health Minister David Caplan says the new service will help people get the care faster and closer to home.

Health Care Connect is a hotline — 1-800-445-1822 — staffed by nurses that residents can call to help find a family health-care provider.

The province has also compiled health information on a website that contains details about health-care facilities.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/ms/healthcareoptions/public/index.html

The site allows residents to type in a postal code and find the nearest walk-in and after-hours clinics, urgent care centres, family health teams, general practitioners and emergency rooms.

The government is also pledging to expand the site to offer information on all front-line health services in Ontario, including community care centres, laboratories and long-term care homes.

Source: CBC.ca

Atkins Granola Bar Warning - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Granola bar may contain contaminated peanuts: CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned the public on Wednesday not to eat the Atkins Advantage Peanut Butter Granola Bar because it may be contaminated with salmonella.

The granola bar, manufactured in Canada, comes in 48-gram packages and carries best-before dates of June 6, 2009, and July 19, 2009.

The agency said the granola bar contains peanut products that have been recalled in the U.S. and Canada by the Peanut Corporation of America as a result of a salmonella outbreak that has made 600 people sick in the U.S. The outbreak may be linked to eight deaths.

Canadians were also warned not to consume chocolate-covered peanuts, including sugar-free ones, sold in unmarked, clear plastic, cone-shaped containers with gold foil tops, by Golden Chocolate in Lakeshore, Ont.

The chocolate-covered peanuts, manufactured in the U.S., come in 220-gram and 440-gram packages.

The warning also applies to Sunbird Snacks yogurt trail mix, health mix and chocolate peanut butter blast, all manufactured in the U.S. but which may have been available in Canada.

"This is an ongoing food safety investigation," the agency said in a news release Wednesday.

The agency said it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify and remove all affected products imported into Canada from the U.S.

CFIA is also working with Canadian manufacturers to recall foods containing affected U.S. peanuts.

The salmonella outbreak has led to the recall of more than 1,800 products in the U.S. and more than 200 products in Canada.

Peanut Corp. is currently being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. Its corporate headquarters in Lynchburg, Va., were raided by the FBI on the weekend, and two of its plants, one in Georgia and the other in Texas, have been closed while the investigation continues.

It makes only about one per cent of U.S. peanut products, but its ingredients are used by dozens of other food companies.

Source: CBC.ca

Why Exercise is Good for the Brain

Source: Men's Health Feb 2009

First Genetically Altered Drug from Goats Approved by FDA

Drug from genetically altered goats approved by U.S. regulator

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made history Friday as it approved the first drug made with materials from genetically engineered animals, clearing the way for a new class of medical therapies.

GTC Biotherapeutics said regulators cleared its drug ATryn, which is made using milk from goats that have been scientifically altered to produce extra antithrombin, a protein that acts as a natural blood thinner.

The drug's approval may be the first step toward new kinds of medications made not from chemicals, but from living organisms altered by scientists.

Similar drugs could be available in the next few years for a range of human ailments, including hemophilia.

The FDA cleared the drug to treat patients with a rare hereditary disorder that causes a deficiency of the protein, putting them at higher risk of deadly blood clots. The injectable treatment will be sold in the U.S. by Deerfield, Ill.-based Ovation Pharmaceuticals.

About one in 5,000 people don't produce enough antithrombin protein, according to Framingham, Mass.-based based GTC. As a result, their blood is more likely to stick together, occasionally causing clots that can travel to the lungs or brain, causing death.

Clots threaten placenta

Pregnant women with the disorder are at higher risk of miscarriage or stillbirth, because of blood clots in the placenta.

Patients with hereditary antithrombin deficiency are currently prescribed conventional blood thinners, like Plavix from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis. That will not change with the new approval.

ATryn is only approved for use when patients are getting surgery or having a baby, times when the risk of dangerous clots is particularly high. Those patients would receive the drug by intravenous infusion for a limited time before and after their procedures.

To make the drug, scientists at GTC put DNA for the human antithrombin protein into single-cell embryos of goats.

Goat embryos with the gene were then inserted into the wombs of surrogate mothers, who gave birth to baby goats that produce the protein-charged milk.

Genetically engineered animals are not clones but rather animals that have had their DNA changed to produce a desirable characteristic.

Amid growing questions about the technology, the FDA last month issued guidelines for how it will regulate products made from genetically altered animals.

FDA said it will not allow any such products to be sold without first submitting them to scrutiny by independent advisers at a public meeting. The agency's panel of blood product experts recently concluded ATryn was safe and effective.

But consumer groups said the FDA's long-awaited policy will not require all genetically engineered foods to be labelled as such. And they said the government has not done enough to examine the potential impact of genetically engineered animals on the environment — particularly if some escape and begin to mate with animals in nature.

The drug received European approval in 2006.

Shares of GTC Therapeutics rose five cents, or 5.5 per cent, to 87 cents in midday trading.

Source: CBC.ca

US Orders Removal of Children's Toys - Health Risk

Toys with phthalates must come off shelves, U.S. judge rules

A New York judge says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can't let toys containing toxic manufacturing chemicals remain on store shelves after a ban takes effect next week.

U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe says the commission, whose role is to protect the public from dangerous goods, must eliminate a loophole that lets the substances remain in toys made before the ban is in place Feb. 10.

Manufacturers have said they'd have to pull hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of products from store shelves to comply.

However, consumer advocates call the ruling a victory for children's health.

CPSC spokesman Joe Martyak says the commission decided not to appeal the ruling, which relates to phthalates, chemicals used to soften plastics.

They're commonly found in bath toys, books, teethers, bibs, dolls and plastic figures.

Phthalates can be absorbed through the mouth or skin, interfering with reproductive hormones.

A federal law signed last summer bans the chemicals from toys.

Regulator created loophole, consumer advocates say

Two consumer advocacy groups, Public Citizen and the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), sued the CPSC in December.

They said the agency created a loophole by saying the ban didn't apply to toys or child-care products manufactured before Feb. 10.

Attorney Aaron Colangelo, who argued the case for the NRDC, described the ruling as "a big win for children's health and for consumer safety.

"Without this ruling, consumers buying toys after Feb. 10 would have no way of knowing whether they contain phthalates or not," he said.

The judge's ruling said the text of the law banning phthalates "provides unequivocally and unambiguously that no covered products may be sold as of Feb. 10, 2009."

"Unless another section of the statute can be read as creating an express exception for existing inventory," he continued, "the commission may not interpret the phthalate prohibitions as containing such an exception."

Colangelo said phthalates already have been banned in some places around the world, so phthalate-free products are already available to toy companies.

"It won't be hard for them" to comply, he said.

Source: CBC.ca

Spice List of AntiOxidant Benefits

Source: Psychology Today Jan 2009

Canada Adds 8 Chemicals to Toxic List

Government adds 8 chemicals to list of harmful substances

Ottawa has designated eight chemicals as being of concern to human health or the environment following its latest assessment of potentially dangerous substances.

The designated chemicals include silicon-based D4 and D5, which are used in a wide range of cosmetic products.

The joint assessment by Health Canada and Environment Canada means the chemicals can now be regulated. The latest assessment is part of a process of reviewing 200 chemicals in batches of up to 30 to determine whether they pose a risk to human health or the environment and should be more closely regulated.

It's the same process under which the federal government announced it would ban the import and sale of baby bottles made with bisphenol A.

Interested parties now have 60 days to comment on any risk management that may be required in the case of the eight newly named chemicals.

Of the eight chemicals placed on Ottawa's list, D4 and D5, along with TTBP, a fuel and oil additive, are not considered a threat to human health but are listed as of concern to the environment, including wildlife.

The ministers of health and environment issued a joint news release Tuesday stating "regulations will be developed to set a concentration limit for siloxanes D4 and D5 in products and for wastewater generated during the manufacturing process.

"The third substance [TTBP] will be managed so that releases to the environment will be reduced below levels that can be measured."

Harm to environment, carcinogenic effects among dangers

D5 is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and cleaners as well as inks, textiles, rubbers and fuel additives. It is considered bioaccumulative and can harm aquatic organisms at low concentrations.

D4 is another silicone fluid used in types of rubbers, plastics, soap, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics — including creams, lotions, hair care products and antiperspirants — as well as pesticides, paints, lacquers, varnishes, inks, textiles, leather goods and fuel additives.

Ottawa has said experimental data shows that D4 is persistent in the environment and can harm aquatic organisms at low concentrations.

Tuesday's release also lists five other chemicals as of concern to human health. They are thiourea, Pigment Yellow 34, Pigment Red 104, isoprene and epichlorohydrin.

Thiourea is used to extract silver and gold from ore and occurs naturally in some plants and fungi. Europe and the U.S. have classified it as a compound that should be examined as a possible carcinogen.

Pigment Yellow 34 and Pigment Red 104 contain chromium and lead and are used to colour plastics, inks, paints, coatings, adhesives, textiles and sealants. In addition, the European Commission classified Pigment Yellow 34 based on concerns that it may be carcinogenic and toxic to the reproductive system.

Isoprene is used to make medical equipment, toys, tires and paints, inner tubes, and some rubber adhesives and glues. The federal government decided to take a closer look at this chemical after other jurisdictions classified it as a possible human carcinogen.

Epichlorohydrin is a synthetic chemical used to make other chemicals and is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the European Commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: CBC.ca