Food and Drug Administration

[Updated] Frozen Berries Recalled, Lawsuit Filed as Hepatitis Outbreak Grows

Updated, June 12, 11:22 a.m.: The outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen berry mix sold at Costco has grown to 99 people with illnesses in eight states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak has also spawned more lawsuits, including cases filed against food pr ... More >>

Black Ant No Spanish Fly, FDA Says

We know that male, uh, issues are a tough topic. And over the centuries, men have turned to some pretty bizarre remedies. But for those of you who have resorted to pricey capsules containing black ants, well you're going to have to stop that right now, because they are being recalled. Black ant is ... More >>

FDA Probing New High-Caffeine Gum

It used to be that double the mint (and the pleasure and the fun) was as crazy as gum got. Now Wrigley's has introduced a new product called Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, which has sounded an alarm with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said the gum has prompted it to take a "fresh look" ... More >>

Dangerous Levels of Lead Found in Imported Rice

Researchers have found unacceptably high levels of lead in rice imported into the U.S., particularly from China and Taiwan, BBC News reports. Some samples exceeded the "provisional total tolerable intake" (PTTI) set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by a factor of 120.

[Updated] Bumble Bee Recall Expands to 3 Million Cans

Updated March 8, 2013, 10:03 a.m. The Bumble Bee tuna recall has expanded to over 3 million cans and now includes Chicken of the Sea products as well, USA Today reports. The 659,784 recalled cans of Chicken of the Sea tuna were canned at Bumble Bee's California plant. The Chicken of the Sea recall ... More >>

[Updated] Whole Foods Recalls Smoked Salmon

Updated: 1/30 1:54 p.m. Whole Foods is recalling an additional lot code (for a total of two lot codes) of Whole Catch Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (4 oz.), UPC code 0 99482 40880 0, cold smoked and sliced, because it may contain listeria. The second lot code is 7425A2297A. The recall has also expande ... More >>

FDA Proposes Tough New Food Safety Rules

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed new food-safety rules aimed at preventing foodborne illnesses at the source -- food processors and farms, Reuters reports. The new rules are a requirement of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law two years ... More >>

First Frankenfish Poised to Hit Your Plate

Anti-GMO fanatics, start your engines. The first genetically altered fish is about to hit your plates. According to The New York Times, "government regulators moved a big step closer last Friday to allowing the first genetically engineered animal -- a fast-growing salmon -- to enter the nation's fo ... More >>

Filthy Peanut Butter Plant Gets Preliminary OK to Reopen

Remember that filthy peanut butter factory that the feds shut down last month? You know, the one responsible for the massive peanut butter recall that sickened at least 42 people in 20 states and eventually expanded to nearly 300 different nut and seed products the company produced? Every single pro ... More >>

Monster Energy Drinks Cited in Deaths

Monster Beverage Corp.'s energy drinks have been cited in the deaths of five people -- including a 14-year-old girl -- in the last year, according to incident reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. The reports said the victims consumed Monster drinks prior to their deaths, Shelly B ... More >>

Peanut Butter Recall Expands to Just About Everything

The peanut butter recall that began innocently enough with one Trader Joe's brand has expanded exponentially and now includes everything from crackers and cookies to gelato and tahini, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Almost 300 products have now been recalled in what the FDA is callin ... More >>

[Updated] Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Recalled for Salmonella

Update, 9/24 1:12 p.m.: The maker of Trader Joe's peanut butter tied to a multi-state salmonella outbreak has pulled 76 additional peanut and almond products because of possible contamination, NBC News reports. California is among the 18 states that have reported infections of the rare and nasty st ... More >>

Viagra Alternative Found Over-the-Counter Contains ... Viagra's Active Ingredient

If you ever wanted to try Viagra without the embarrassing visit to the doctor or the street-dealer prices, now's your chance. Apparently an L.A.-based company named Body Basics Inc. inadvertently let that cat out of the bag via an over-the-counter product it calls ACTRA-Sx 500 Dietary Supplement Ca ... More >>

[Updated] Multistate Listeria Outbreak Triggers Cheese Recall

Update: 9/12, 10:50 a.m. The CDC is now reporting at least one death in connection with the Listeria outbreak related to imported cheese, according to USA Today. Three deaths total have been reported among those who were sickened after eating Frescolina ricotta salata, but Listeria has not been con ... More >>

Sushi Alert: Spicy Tuna Rolls Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Dubbed the pink slime of the sea, nearly 59,000 pounds of yellowfin tuna have been recalled after a salmonella outbreak. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has been reported in 20 states and 12 people have been hospitalized. The product is called Nakaochi Scra ... More >>

Arsenic, Prozac Banned Antiobiotics Found in Chicken

What's in that delicious chicken wing you're gnawing? Chicken, you say? Yes, but among the herbs and spices might also be arsenic, Prozac, caffeine, Tylenol, Benadryl and banned antibiotics like Cipro, according to Mother Nature Network. Two new studies conducted by scientists at Johns Hopkins' Bl ... More >>

Fight Against BPA in Food Packaging Takes a Hit

The fight to get bisphenol A (BPA) out of our kitchens took a hit on Friday, when the Food and Drug Administration declined to ban the controversial chemical from food packaging. The FDA rejected a petition from the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), but also said it will ... More >>

Quorn: The Questionable Joys of Faux Meat

Fake chicken products were the subject of a piece by Mark Bittman in this past Sunday's New York Times, in which he described one faux meat, known by the brand name, Quorn, as "pretty appealing in some instances." While the name Quorn conjures up images of the charming English village for which it's ... More >>

Coca-Cola, Pepsi Will Modify Recipe to Use Less Cancerous Caramel Coloring

As if you need another reason to scale back on all that soda pop: NPR and Reuters report that Coca-Cola and Pepsi will change their recipe slightly to reduce the amount of 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), a chemical that, in high very doses, has been known to cause cancer in animals. In sodas, it's used t ... More >>

To Our Health

FDA to Investigate Safety of Caffeine Inhaler AeroShot Pure Energy

T. NguyenAeroShot Pure Energy​AeroShot Pure Energy -- a small canister that delivers a "shot" of inhalable, powdered caffeine with just a puff or two -- landed on the market in New York and Massachusetts last month without much scrutiny by the Federal and Drug Administration. Until now, anywa ... More >>

Arsenic Found in Organic Brown Rice Syrup Baby Formula

Arsenic is totally bad for you. Even if it doesn't kill you a la the classic "old lace" cocktail, small amounts have been associated with raising the risk for cancer and heart disease. Chronic arsenic ingestion in the young appears to result in dumb children (low IQ and "poor intellectual function") ... More >>

Activists Call for Food Safety Czar's Ouster

Occupy cornfields! Support is growing for a petition calling for the ouster of Michael Taylor, a senior adviser for the FDA who formerly served as vice president of Monsanto, the controversial agricultural multinational at the forefront of genetically modified foods, the Washington Post reports. Pre ... More >>

U.S. Still a Dumping Ground for Crappy Honey, Study Finds

Flickr/Joelk75​ They're calling it "honey laundering." More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores is filtered to the point where it contains no pollen -- which would make it flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies, according to testing ... More >>

Something's Fishy on Your Fish Plate

Guzzle & NoshSea bass at a fish market.​Maybe the latest crime show spinoff ought to be CSI: Seafood. More than one-fifth of the nearly 200 pieces of seafood bought at retail stores and restaurants in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut weren't what they claimed to be, according to an investi ... More >>

Bagged Salads Recalled Due to Salmonella

NatalieMaynor/FlickrLettuce toss your salad.​Taylor Farms Retail, a California producer of bagged salads, has issued a voluntary recall of various salad blends over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella, the Food and Drug Administration announced October 19.

Listeria Update: 23 Deaths Since September

clayirving​A listeriosis outbreak first reported last month has now resulted in 23 deaths, making this the deadliest outbreak since 1985, when 52 people died from the Listeria strain contracted via Mexican-style soft cheese. The sad food story began last month when a Colorado produce company i ... More >>

The Corn Syrup Diaries: Why Won't You Love Us, FDA?

Guzzle & NoshCorn on the cob.​The high fructose corn syrup battle has many fronts: There's the court of public opinion, the court of law and, perhaps most importantly, the "court" of the Food and Drug Administration. Last September, the Corn Refiners Association, petitioned the FDA to let th ... More >>

FDA Cracks Down on Lazy Larry Brownies

​ The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on Lazy Larry (nee Lazy Cakes), a special brownie marketed as a way to reduce stress and facilitate relaxation. (Lazy Larry bears a startling resemblance to "South Park"'s Towelie, but that's another legal issue.) "Relaxing. It's what we're ... More >>

Charles B. Hensley, SoCal Inventor of Zicam, Arrested For Allegedly Selling Fake Bird Flu Remedy

​The SoCal inventor of zinc-based Zicam cold treatment has been charged with importing and distributing an unapproved treatment for bird flu, the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. announced today. Charles B. Hensley was due in federal court downtown today to face the music. (What, the Zicam cash ... More >>

Groups Sue FDA Over Antibiotics in Animal Feed

Flickr/delgaudm​ A coalition of consumer groups filed a federal lawsuit May 20 against the Food and Drug Administration, saying that the use of human antibiotics in farm feed creates dangerous "superbugs," Agence France-Presse reports. The suit alleges that the FDA has known since 1977 that ... More >>

Vicodin, Painkillers To Be Gutted Of The Good Shit; Livers Rejoice, Heidi Montag Weeps

The FDA doesn't feel Heidi Montag's pain​First Four Loko, now the very pills we were using to numb the pain? This is an outrage of the highest order. The FDA's newest beef is with acetaminophen, or paracetamol, that delightful ingredient most famously found in Vicodin. Apparently the feds don ... More >>

Food Safety Bill Passes in House; Heads to Obama for Signature

After a year in legal limbo and what looked like certain defeat only weeks ago, the House this afternoon passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (a.k.a. S. 510), paving the way for the first overhaul of America's food safety system in seven decades. The vote was 255-144 mostly along party lines (D ... More >>

[Updated] Senate Votes on Sweeping Food Safety Bill

Flickr/graymalkna farm in Northern California​ Updated: Yesterday evening the Senate passed the Food Safety Bill, otherwise known as the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, or S.510. The bill passed on a 73-25 vote. It now goes to the House, which is widely expected to pass it, and then to Pre ... More >>

Energy-Alcohol Beverage Four Loko Bows To Government Pressure: Don't The Feds Have Better Things To Do?

Four Loko is making the FDA crazy.​The economy is lower than Andy Dick on hangover day, Congress might let unemployment benefits for two million Americans expire this month, and the country's deficit is at $1.3 trillion. And the feds find time to crack down on ... energy-drink alcoholic bevera ... More >>

Four Loko Can Stay -- If Purged Of Everything That Makes It Delicious

Houston PressQ: What do you get when you pour out all the good stuff? A: One depressing chance at re-entering society. No thanks.​It seems just yesterday we were making fun of New York City for its lonely state of Four Loko-less-ness, sitting around playing Edward Lokohands like we were untouc ... More >>

'F You' To Smokers: Embarrassing New Warning Labels To Be Stamped On All Cigarette Cartons -- And L.A. City Council Wants To Ban Smoking In Public

U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationQuit smoking, and you could be as happy as this guy​Just like sex offenders, cigarette smokers are being pushed out of Los Angeles one ordinance at a time. Following a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandate for graphic warning labels on cigarette carton ... More >>

Raw Means War: FDA Raids Venice Beach Raw Food Co-Op

Venice Beach is famous for many things, among them glistening meatheads pumping iron at Muscle Beach, hippies parked on grassy dunes exhaling plumes of herbal smoke, and throngs of European tourists snapping photos of both. Now we can add news of an FDA raid of Venice-based Rawsome Foods, a raw-fo ... More >>

The Sweetener Perhaps Soon to be Formerly Known As High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Steven Vance/FlickrCorn Syrup for sale.​ According to a September 14th New York Times Well piece, the Corn Refiners Association, the representative of firms manufacturing high-fructose corn syrup, is trying to get the FDA to start referring to the ingredient as "corn sugar." The FDA has six mo ... More >>

FDA Cracks Down on Green Tea Claims

Flickr/KankoThe real stuff. ​ Seems "green tea-adjacent" doesn't really count. The Food and Drug Administration has told the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea to stop making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages, the Associated Press reports. ... More >>

FDA May Approve First Genetically Modified Animal

Flickr user woodleywonderworksWould you eat this salmon if it were genetically altered?​ The Washington Post is reporting that the FDA may be getting ready to approve the first genetically modified animal for human consumption. The FDA released a briefing document stating that the food from A ... More >>

Chew: A Comic Book Series for Geeks and Gastronomes

CHEW​Psychic eating powers, bird flu-related conspiracies, and ass-kicking FDA agents more or less round out the major plot points in Chew, the latest full color comic book venture from writer John Layman (Puffed, Army of Darkness/Xena: Why Not?) and artist Rob Guillory. In July, Chew, which c ... More >>

Egg Watch Continues: More Recalls, New Safety Rules

Flickr user Muy YumPoached egg from Bottega Louie​ Our egg problem is still going strong. MSNBC is reporting that over a half-billion eggs have been recalled, and even more could be on the horizon. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that new egg safety rules were only recently pu ... More >>

Airplane Food Is Grosser Than You Thought

Flickr/Mr. MysteryDoes this meal have an unsavory history?​ While airlines debate whether or not to serve peanuts to potentially allergic passengers, they apparently haven't been paying attention to what's being served up from their caterers. USA Today reports that many meals served by major a ... More >>

FDA Plans to Legally Limit Your Salt Intake

Morton Salt​ According to today's report in The Washington Post, the FDA is planning an "unprecedented" effort to limit the salt consumption of Americans. The idea is that putting legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food would significantly lower the number of deaths from heart dise ... More >>

Small Farms Exempt from New Egg Safety Regulations

Ah, government bureaucracy. Since the discovery in the mid-1980s that table eggs contaminated with the bacteria Salmonella Enteritidis were making thousands of people sick, food regulators and lawmakers have been quibbling over how to address the problem. On July 9, they finally did something about ... More >>

Mercury Rising: Yet Another Reason to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup

Even if you're not a Stephen King fan, you've got to admit that cornfields are creepy. Crop circles. Kevin Costner wandering between the rows with a baseball bat. But unless you fled an Iowa childhood, it's not the corn itself that's the problem, but what it's processed into. High fructose corn syru ... More >>

The God of Sperm

In an industry veiled in secrecy, a powerful L.A. sperm peddler shapes the nation’s rules on disease, genetics — and accidental incest

The Torn Condom

Thin hopes for a Plan B pill

Under My Tongue

The new face of the anti-addiction drug buprenorphine — safer, easier and FDA-approved