Health News: : Live beetles found in baby food ♦ Polar bears aren't the only victims of climate change ♦ Why is scratching an itch so rewarding?

Fresh trouble for Nestle: Live beetles found in baby food In the midst of the controversy over the safety of popular noodles Maggi, Nestle India seems to be headed for more trouble with a city couple complaining of the presence of live beetles inside the pack of baby food they purchased.The samples were collected and will be sent to labs for testing.

Polar bears aren't the only victims of climate change From heat waves to damaged crops to asthma in children, climate change is a major public health concern, argues a researcher. Climate change is about more than melting ice caps and images of Earth on fire, he said, believing that bioethicists could help re frame current climate change discourse.

Law enforcement officers should be authorized to administer naloxone One way to reduce the nation's number of opioid-related deaths, states an American drug policy expert, is through the timely administration of naloxone, the life-saving overdose antidote. New research highlights law enforcement's overdose prevention efforts and addresses the legal risk associated with their administration of naloxone.

Can phone data detect real-time unemployment? Mobile phone data can provide rapid insight into employment levels, precisely because people's communications patterns change when they are not working

Why is scratching an itch so rewarding? Researchers may be closer to understanding why scratching evokes a rewarding and pleasurable sensation in patients with chronic itch. Using advanced fMRI, they looked at brain activity while chronic itch patients and healthy subjects scratched. They found areas of the brain involved in motor control and reward processing were more activated in chronic itch patients while they scratched. This may help explain the addictive scratching experienced by these patients.

Health News:Campylobacter cases linked to raw milk ♦ Zero tolerance for pesticide in baby food ♦ DNA: Expanding code of life with new 'letters'

Several Campylobacter cases linked to raw milk Campylobacter cases have been reported in several children younger than 2. Some of the cases have been linked to drinking unpasteurized, or raw, milk. Bacteria such as E. coli O157, Campylobacter and Salmonella can contaminate milk  

New Zealand group seeks zero tolerance for pesticide in baby food A petition seeking zero tolerance for pesticide residues in baby food was discussed Friday by a committee of the New Zealand parliament, but members reportedly took no action on it. The Safe Food Campaign, which is sponsoring the petition, noted that the European Commission has mandated no detectable pesticide levels.

America's research funding squeeze imperils patient care Constraints in federal funding, compounded by declining clinical revenue, jeopardize more than America's research enterprise. These twin pressures have created a "hostile working environment" that erodes time to conduct research, "discourages innovative high-risk science" and threatens to drive scientists out of the field. And this in turn undermines patient care.

Hallucinations and delusions more common than thought Scientists have found that hearing voices and seeing things (that others cannot) impacts about 5 percent of the general population during their lives.

DNA: Expanding code of life with new 'letters' The DNA encoding all life on Earth is made of four building blocks called nucleotides, commonly known as 'letters,' that line up in pairs and twist into a double helix. Now, two groups of scientists are reporting for the first time that two new nucleotides can do the same thing -- raising the possibility that entirely new proteins could be created for medical uses.

Canada; Recall Heinz Sweet Potato & Beef Medley Baby Food

Canada; Recall Heinz Sweet Potato & Beef Medley Baby Food

Heinz Canada is recalling Heinz brand Sweet Potato & Beef Medley from the marketplace due to potential loss of seal, which could cause spoilage. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product has been sold nationally.

Recalled products

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC
Heinz	Sweet Potato and Beef Medley	213 mL	2017AU04	0 579050 2

Beech-Nut baby food recalled because it contain glass

Beech-Nut Nutrition, an Amsterdam, N.Y. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,920 pounds of baby food products that may be contaminated with small pieces of glass, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The baby food product was produced on December 12, 2014. The following product is subject to recall: [View Labels]

• 4-oz. glass jars containing “Stage 2 Beech-Nut CLASSICS sweet potato & chicken”

The product subject to recall bears the establishment number “P-68A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The affected product expires in “DEC 2016” and includes product numbers “12395750815” through “12395750821”. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered after the firm received a complaint from a consumer who found a small piece of glass in the product.

The company has received a report of an oral injury associated with consumption of these products. FSIS has received no additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

1/9/15 Health News: Baby food with cricket contamination ♦ Avocados Reduce Bad Cholesterol ♦ 43 states hit with ‘widespread’ flu ♦ Food poisoning scare at farmers' markets

An avocado a day may help keep bad cholesterol at bay

Individuals on a moderate-fat diet who ate an avocado every day had lower bad cholesterol than those on a similar diet without an avocado a day or on a lower-fat diet, researchers report  Continue Reading

43 states hit with ‘widespread’ flu

activity, CDC reports. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 43 States experienced “widespread” flu activity and 6 others reported “regional” flu activity due to influenza viruses that caused 8,893 deaths in 2014. Continue Reading

Food poisoning scare from farmers' markets

Farmers’ markets are becoming increasingly popular, providing opportunities for people to purchase fresh produce as opposed to pre-packaged supermarket fare. A study in the U.S. warns about the presence of pathogens. The new research has looked for the presence of bacterial pathogens like Salmonella and Escherichia coli on herbs sold at farmers' markets. The study sampled 133 …Continue Reading

Japan recalls baby food over cricket contamination in latest food scare

A Japanese firm said Thursday it was recalling tens of thousands of pouches of baby food after an insect was discovered in one package, the latest food scare to rock consumers. Asahi Holdings said its subsidiary would be calling back an estimated 120,000 bags of the meat-and-potatoes mix after one was found to contain a cricket, a small grasshopper-like insect. Baby brand Wakodo … Continue Reading

Great Britain: Holle branded and Lebenswert branded baby foods recalled

Holle Baby Food GmbH Serviceburo is recalling all batches of specific Holle branded and Lebenswert branded baby foods due to the presence of atropine and scopolamine.

All batches of the following products are being recalled:

• Holle Organic Millet Porridge Apple-Pear (pack size: 250g)
• Holle Organic Millet Porridge with Rice (pack size: 250g)

• Holle Organic Milk Porridge Millet (pack size: 250g)

• Holle Organic Holle Organic 3-Grain Porridge (pack size: 250g)

• Millet and Rice Whole Wheat Porridge (Lebenswert bio Hirse & Reis Vollkornbrei)

The FSA is investigating how these products have been distributed in the UK and is requesting any food businesses who stock this product to recall it from sale.

If you have bought this product, do not feed it to your infant. Consumption of the affected products may cause short-term adverse effects, for example, dilated pupils, change of heart rate, dryness of the mouth, constipation, urinary retention, and flushed skin. The chemicals present will be excreted from the body and therefore there are no long term health effects.

Ireland:Baby Food Recalled,Contains Traces of Chemicals

Recall of Some Holle Branded and Lebenswert Branded Baby Foods Due to Presence of Chemicals

Products	Holle Organic Millet Porridge Apple-Pear (250g);   Holle Organic Millet Porridge with Rice (250g); Holle Organic Milk Porridge Millet (250g); Holle Organic Holle Organic 3-Grain Porridge (250g); Millet and Rice Whole Wheat Porridge (Lebenswert bio Hirse & Reis Vollkornbrei). Some of the product images are below.
Batch Code:	All batch codes, all best before dates.
Country Of Origin:	Switzerland

Message:

Holle Baby Food GmbH Serviceburo is recalling the Holle branded and Lebenswert branded baby foods listed above due to the presence of atropine and scopolamine.  These chemicals are undesirable plant constituents. In-store recall notices should be displayed in outlets that sold the affected products.

Nature Of Danger:

Consumption of implicated products may cause short term adverse effects, for example, dilated pupils, change of heart rate, dryness of the mouth, constipation, urinary retention, and flushed skin.  The chemicals present will be excreted from the body and therefore there are no long term health effects.

It is advised that the affected baby food is not consumed. If people are concerned they should consider seeking medical advice.

12/6/14 Health News; NZ BABY FOOD CONTAINED PESTICIDE ♦ 3-D mammography ♦ How red wine prevents cancer ♦ tobacco smoke bad for spinal cord injury

ANALYSIS: 30 PERCENT OF NZ BABY FOOD CONTAINED PESTICIDE RESIDUES

According to a recent analysis of a government study, New Zealand baby food contained nearly 800 times more pesticides than baby food in Europe. The analysis results and the perceived risks to New Zealand babies were presented Thursday to the parliament in Wellington by Dr. Meriel Watts of the Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa and Alison... Continue Reading

3-D mammography improves cancer detection in dense breasts

A major new study has found that digital breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3-D mammography, has the potential to significantly increase the cancer detection rate in mammography screening of women with dense breasts. Continue Reading

How red wine prevents cancer

'Alcohol damages cells and resveratrol kills damaged cells,' says a scientist who studied red wine and its relationship to preventing cancer. "Alcohol bombards your genes. Your body has ways to repair this damage, but with enough alcohol eventually some damage isn't fixed. That's why excessive alcohol use is a factor in head and neck cancer. Now, resveratrol challenges these cells -- the ones with unrepaired DNA damage are killed, so they can't go on to cause cancer. Alcohol damages cells and resveratrol kills damaged cells," he says.Continue Reading

Toxin from tobacco smoke could increase pain in spinal cord injury

A neurotoxin called acrolein found in tobacco smoke that is thought to increase pain in people with spinal cord injury has now been shown to accumulate in mice exposed to the equivalent of 12 cigarettes daily over a short time period Continue Reading

9/19/14 Health News: How Can Diet Sodas Make You Fat? ♦ Flame Retardants in Baby Food ♦ WHITE HOUSE ADDRESSES ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Study: Flame Retardants in Baby Food Well Below Unsafe Levels

The levels of flame retardant chemicals in baby food from the U.S. and China are well below levels considered unsafe, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental  Continue Reading

How Can Diet Sodas Make You Fat? Study May Explain It

Researchers trying to figure out whether artificial sweeteners really do make people fat think they’ve found a possible explanation — they may disrupt the bacteria in some people’s bodies. Continue Reading

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

The White House announced Thursday its plan to make the issue of antibiotic resistance a national priority. In addition to the release of the much-anticipated President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report on antibiotic resistance requested by President Obama last year, there are three related developments. These include an Executive Order (EO)... Continue Reading

9/12/14 Health News: Maggots in baby food ♦ DANISH LISTERIA OUTBREAK HAS KILLED 15 PEOPLE ♦ European Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to meat

Maggots in baby food

Keizer family says they made a disturbing find inside a package of baby yogurt they were about to feed their 2-year-old daughter: maggots. "My wife pulled out of the package and just looked at it and screamed," Sonny Lorentz said. "It was literally disgusting, made me sick to my stomach, and the smell was so putrid." Lorentz says his wife … continue reading

DANISH LISTERIA OUTBREAK HAS KILLED 15 PEOPLE, 38 HAVE BEEN SICKENED

The Danish State Serum Institute (SSI) reportedly confirmed on Monday that 15 people have now died from the ongoing Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, with the total number of those sickened at 38. The outbreak has been traced to a spiced meat roll known as “rullepølse,” and 30 products, including salami and hot dogs, have been recalled and... Continue Reading

European Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to meat

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have released a joint Rapid Outbreak Assessment relating to reports of infection with an unusual strain of Salmonella Typhimurium from six EU countries Continue Reading

Canada: Heinz Baby Food Recalled

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is informing the public that Heinz Canada has conducted a voluntary recall. The products may contain a packaging defect that may allow the entry of spoilage microorganisms.

Health Canada has reviewed the information related to these products and conducted a health risk assessment. Health Canada concluded that the health risk associated with the consumption of these products is very low to remote.

Affected products

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC	Additional Info
Heinz	Peas zucchini spinach	128 mL	06/11/14 HH:MM* 2203+0 8EX EX57	0 57000 03423 8	* HH:MM indicates the time
Heinz	Sweet baby vegetables	128 mL	05/11/14 HH:MM* 2193+0 8EV EX57	0 57000 03424 5	* HH:MM indicates the time
Heinz	Beef bolognese with vegetables	128 mL	24/12/14 HH:MM* 2683+0 8GN EX57	0 57000 03420 7	* HH:MM indicates the time
Heinz	Beef butternut squash rice spinach	128 mL	23/12/14 HH:MM* 2673+0 8EY EX57 23/12/14 HH:MM* 2673+1 8EY EX57	0 57000 03421 4	* HH:MM indicates the time
Heinz	Tuna sweet corn chowder	128 mL	07/11/14 HH:MM* 2213+0 8GV EX57	0 57000 03422 1	* HH:MM indicates the time
Heinz	Butternut squash apricot peas couscous	128 mL	05/11/14 HH:MM* 2193+0 8EW EX57	0 57000 03425 2	* HH:MM indicates the time

What You Should Do

Check to see if you have the products in your home. If the products are in your home do not consume them.

Spoiled packages may not be necessarily dangerous and may be identifiable. However, if spoiled food is inadvertently consumed, it is advisable to watch for symptoms that may include upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.

• Sign up for recall notifications by email or follow us on Twitter

Background

This warning was triggered by a consumer complaint. The importer, Heinz Canada, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace.

Illnesses

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

More information

Heinz Canada: 1-888-570-1675, HeinzCanada@Stericycle.com