All Topics

• Dole Salad Mix Recalled for E coli Contamination

  Joe Saunders | September 22, 2007 5:07 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Dole's Hearts Delight salad package mix, tainted with E coli bacteria, has prompted a product recall in 9 states so far. The tainted lettuce was sold in a store in Canada. The voluntary recall, issued Monday, affects all packages of Hearts Delight sold in the U.S. and Canada with a "best if used by" date of Sept. 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B," the company said.Last...

• Congress Gives FDA More Power to Monitor Drug Safety

  Joe Saunders | September 21, 2007 8:18 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Congress has passed legislation giving the FDA new powers of oversight concerning the pharmaceutical industry including more authority to require changes to drug labels, demand additional safety studies and limit the distribution of medications when safety concerns arise. The new legislation includes an interesting twist in that it may limit protection of pharmaceutical companies for drugs that...

• Grocery Manufacturers Association Wants Beefed Up Regulation to Curb Food Poisoning

  Joe Saunders | September 18, 2007 12:01 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the largest trade group in the industry, has called on federal regulators to strengthen their regulation of imported foods. In light of the e coli outbreaks in spinach and lettuce and the ConAgra peanut butter contamination, one would also hope for tighter controls on domestic food processing and handling but in any case, this is a good move for consumers....

• Bradenton Bayshore High School Blamed For Rare Cancers

  Courtney Mills | September 14, 2007 2:48 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  State lawmakers are checking into claims asserted by graduates of former Bayshore High School, Bradenton, Florida, who say they contracted a variety of rare cancers because of exposure to toxic chemicals while at the school. The high school itself was pulled down in the late 1990's. Numerous alumni have come forth to contend that their loved ones have died from rare cancers after attending the...

• Ketek Significantly Increases Risk of Liver Disease

  Joe Saunders | September 13, 2007 5:43 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Ketek, an antibiotic used for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, acute bacterial sinusitis, tonsillitis, or pharyngitis, has been shown to cause severe liver injury. Health Canada, in its September 2007 edition, has documented the risk of liver damage for users of the drug. The FDA should recall Ketek as a dangerous drug. Its risks significantly outweigh its...

• Mass Torts and Consolidated Litigation

  Joe Saunders | September 12, 2007 9:15 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Mass torts are different from other litigation in that they usually involve a large number of claims concerning a single product, device, or concern. Secondly, there is a common thread in legal and factual issues. Today, mass torts often involve medical devices and/or pharmaceutical products. The issues are complex and the litigation is increasingly expensive. Recently, the tendency has been...

• Another Toy Recall

  Joe Saunders | September 07, 2007 11:03 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  As the holiday shopping season fast approaches, consumers are increasingly spooked by the happenings in the toy industry. This week marks the third major toy recall this summer. The latest toy recall involves Mattell and lead paint. The company has announced that it will recall 775,000 toys manufactured in China. The majority of the toys involve Mattel's Barbie brand, Barbie Dream Puppy...

• Nuvaring Joins OrthoEvra in Birth Control Blood Clot Dangers

  Joe Saunders | September 04, 2007 8:24 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  OrthoEvra preceded Nuvaring in drawing media attention for its risks of causing blood clots. Now, however, Nuvaring has taken its place beside OrthoEvra as another birth control device that has risky side effects such as blood clots, pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, heart attack, and death. Nuvaring is a birth control device placed in the vagina during a woman's cycle. It has a...

• Contaminated Spinach Recall

  Joe Saunders | August 30, 2007 2:08 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  A year after spinach was recalled after being found to be contaminated with e coli bacteria, another contaminated spinach recall is underway in California. This time, 68,000 pounds of tainted spinach is being recalled after a sampling was found to be contaminated with salmonella. Salmonella can cause fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. It can be life-threatening to children, the elderly and...

• Supplement Manufacturers Will Have to Comply with More Stringent FDA Regulations

  Joe Saunders | August 29, 2007 1:44 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The FDA has published a final rule establishing good manufacturing requirements for the manufacturers of supplements. The rule requires that all supplement manufacturers evaluate the identity, purity, quality, strength, and composition of dietary supplements. In addition, they are required to provide accurate labeling information on all their products. The FDA ruling is supposed to protect...