3/4/14 Health News: CONTROLLING SALMONELLA - Cashiers May Absorb Controversial Chemical When Handling Receipts- Pneumonia Vaccine

CONTROLLING SALMONELLA WOULD COST FARMERS

Controlling Salmonella or other pathogens would cost producers, and the cost would be expected to be transferred to processors and consumers. For animal pathogens, the USDA’s APHIS bears some of the burden and indemnifies producers for destroyed flocks. Many producers currently bear the cost of preventing animal pathogens from infecting their flocks and herds through... Continue Reading

Cashiers May Absorb Controversial Chemical When Handling Receipts

People who work a cash register all day are most likely absorbing a potentially toxic chemical from the receipts they handle, new research finds. Thermal receipt paper contains bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to prevent the color on paper from running or bleeding. Researchers discovered that people working a two-hour shift at a cash register saw their BPA levels increase three to five times from handling the receipts. Continue Reading

\

Flu Hit Working-age Adults Hardest This Year

Young people and middle-aged adults were at high risk this flu season. Working-age adults accounted for 61% of influenza hospitalizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Last flu season, about 35% of flu hospitalizations were in people ages 18 to 64, CDC reported. People in that age range accounted for about 60% of flu deaths. That compared with 18%, 30% and 47% for the three previous seasons, the CDC reported. "One of the reasons flu is hitting young adults hard is such a low proportion, get the flu shot," said CDC Director Tom Frieden. "Only one-third were vaccinated." That's in contrast to a 60% vaccination rate for seniors and more than 50% for children.Continue Reading

Pfizer Pneumonia Vaccine Study Meets Clinical Objectives

Pfizer Inc. said a clinical study of its pneumonia vaccine treatment for older adults showed the immunization prevented several kinds of community-acquired pneumonia. Pfizer's Prevnar 13 is a vaccine meant to prevent pneumococcal diseases, or illnesses caused by s. pneumoniae bacteria, which occur when the bacteria enters the bloodstream or causes an infection in the lungs. The Prevnar 13 trial tested the effectiveness of the vaccine in 85,000 patients aged 65 or older against pneumonia, which Pfizer said makes it the largest double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled vaccine efficacy trial conducted in adults. The immunization was effective against the first episode of community-acquired pneumonia, or pneumonia spread from normal social contact rather than a hospital. Prevnar 13 also prevented the first episode of non-invasive community-acquired pneumonia as well as the first episode of vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease..Continue Reading

Canada: Sandwiches Recalled Due to Salmonella Contamination

Lucerne Foods is recalling various sandwich products from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The following products have been sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and may have been sold in other provinces.

Recalled products

Common Name	Code(s) on Product	UPC
Roast Beef Submarine	BB MR 11, BB MR 12, BB MR 13, BB MR 14, BB MR 17	6 89048 03110 3
Meat Lover's Sandwich	BB MR 11, BB MR 12, BB MR 13, BB MR 16, BB MR 17	6 89048 03117 9
Roast Beef Submarine	4051	0 79944 00991 2
Roast Beef & Cheddar Sandwich	4051	0 79944 00987 5

What you should do

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

Baby Food Recalled Due to Choking Hazard

Plum Organics is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of two varieties of its World Baby line of pouch products due to intermittent damage to the plastic spouts during manufacturing.

There is a possibility that small fragments could loosen, detach and present a choking hazard if the product is consumed. These products should not be given to children. Plum has received approximately 14 consumer complaints about damaged spouts. No injuries have been reported to date. Out of an abundance of caution, Plum is removing all affected pouches from the marketplace.

The recalled products include World Baby Italy and World Baby Thailand varieties and can be identified by the following “Best By” dates on the package:

• World Baby Italy–Zucchini & Spinach with Pasta Marinara with “Best By” date of 09Sep14 (Sept. 9, 2014).
• World Baby Thailand–Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Rice with “Best By” date of 10Sep14 (Sept. 10, 2014).

Approximately 12,000 cases of the recalled products were shipped nationwide to grocery, mass and online retailers in the United States. No other Plum products are affected by this recall.

The company announced the recall after discovering damage to the top rim of the spout in some pouches. The damage should be plainly visible as a depression in the rim, possibly with a fragment of plastic attached to the damaged area.

Consumers who have purchased affected products can contact the Plum Organics Consumer Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 866-535-3774 or send an email to info@plumorganics.com to request reimbursement. For more information visit:www.plumorganics.com/March2014Recall  .

3/5/14 Health News: Hospitals Fall Short in Preventing Infections - Cancer Kills 50% More Men - Fertility Method That Raises Ethical Questions - Dog DNA Database

Many U.S. Hospitals Fall Short in Preventing Infections

Many U.S. hospitals don't follow rules meant to protect patients from preventable and potentially deadly infections, a new study shows. Researchers examined adherence to infection control policies in more than 1,600 intensive care units at 975 hospitals across the nation. They focused on three of the most common types of preventable infections in hospitals: central line-associated bloodstream infections; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; and ventilator-associated pneumonia.Continue Reading

Globally Cancer Kills 50% More Men Than Women

Figures published by Cancer Research UK reveal that more than 4.6 million men and 3.5 million women die of cancer worldwide every year, putting the global rate of cancer death among men (126 per 100,000) 50% higher than that of women (82 per 100,000). The figures also show every year, more than 14 million people worldwide find out they have cancer, with men 24% more likely to be among them than women. Continue reading

FDA Weighs Fertility Method That Raises Ethical Questions

The Food and Drug Administration is weighing a fertility procedure that involves combining the genetic material of three people to make a baby free of certain defects, a therapy that critics say is an ethical minefield and could lead to the creation of designer babies. The agency has asked a panel of experts to summarize current science to determine whether the approach — which has been performed successfully in monkeys by researchers in Oregon and in people more than a decade ago — is safe enough to be used again in people.Continue Reading

Dog Database to Limit Droppings

By developing a database of dog DNA linked to the dogs' owners, Naples hopes to eliminate dog waste from its sidewalks. "Now, when I walk the streets, the presences have greatly diminished," says Captain Enrico Del Gaudio from the Municipal Police, referring to droppings. "Before, it was like an obstacle course. Every day, a child would walk into school with a little gift under her shoe." Continue Reading

3/1/14 Health News: Tests Predicts MS Long Before Symptoms Start - Vitamin E & Selenium Increase Chances of Prostate Cancer - Iron Deficiency Raise Stroke Risk

Blood Sample Might Predict MS Long Before Symptoms Start

An antibody linked with multiple sclerosis (MS) might be detectable in the blood of people with the disease before symptoms appear, a new study indicates. The findings could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of the central nervous system disorder, the researchers said. "If our results can be replicated in larger populations, our findings may help to detect MS earlier in a subgroup of patients," said study author Dr. Viola Biberacher, with Technical University in Munich, Germany. "Finding the disease before symptoms appear means we can better prepare to treat and possibly even prevent those symptoms." .Continue Reading

Vitamin E, Selenium Supplements Might Double Chances of Prostate Cancer

Men taking selenium or vitamin E supplements might double their risk of prostate cancer, depending on the levels of selenium already in their bodies, a new study suggests. Men who already have high concentrations of selenium in their bodies nearly double their risk of aggressive prostate cancer if they take selenium supplements, said lead author Dr. Alan Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The new study,also found that vitamin E supplements can more than double a man's prostate cancer risk. Continue Reading

Iron Deficiency May Raise Stroke Risk

Low iron levels can raise your risk of stroke by making your blood more sticky, a new study indicates. Investigators looked at data from nearly 500 people with a rare hereditary disease that causes them to have enlarged blood vessels in the lungs. Typically, blood vessels in the lungs don't allow clots to enter the arteries. But in these patients, clots can escape the lungs, travel to the brain and cause a stroke. Those who had an iron deficiency had stickier platelets -- which are small blood cells that trigger clotting when they stick together -- and were more likely to suffer a stroke, according to the researchers at Imperial College London in the U.K. Even those with moderately low iron levels were about twice as likely to suffer a stroke as those with iron levels in the middle of the normal range. Continue Reading

3/3/14 Health News: LARGEST OUTBREAK IN GERMAN HISTORY- Blood Pressure Drugs Tied to Risk of Falls - Cooking Meat 'May Be Dementia Risk'

REPORT: LARGEST OUTBREAK IN GERMAN HISTORY CAUSED BY IMPORTED STRAWBERRIES

The largest recorded foodborne illness outbreak in German history was caused by frozen strawberries imported from China, according to a study published in the February issue of Eurosurveillance. At least 11,000 cases of norovirus were reported by 390 institutions – mostly schools and childcare facilities – between Sept. 19 and Oct. 7, 2012. Epidemiologists were... Continue Reading

Blood Pressure Drugs Tied to Risk of Falls

Older adults who take blood pressure drugs have a greater risk of serious falls, a new study reports. Researchers looked at nearly 5,000 Americans over age 70 during a three-year period. They found that those who were taking antihypertensive medications had a 30 to 40 percent greater likelihood of experiencing severe fall-related injuries like hip fractures and head trauma. A majority of older adults have high blood pressure, and antihypertensive medications are among the most commonly used drugs nationwide. Though the drugs help lower the risk of strokes and heart attacks, the size of the reduction in risk is comparable to the increase in risk of serious injuries from falls, said Dr. Mary E. Tinetti, chief of geriatrics at Yale-New Haven Hospital “The question is, are we trading off the benefit in terms of stroke prevention for the increased risk in serious fall injuries?” she said.Continue Reading

Cooking Meat 'May Be Dementia Risk'

Browning meat in the oven, grill or frying pan produces chemicals which may increase the risk of developing dementia, U,S. researchers suggest. Advanced glycation end (AGE) products have been linked to diseases such as type-2 diabetes. Mice fed a high-AGEs diet had a build-up of dangerous proteins in the brain and impaired cognitive function. Experts said the results were "compelling" but did not provide "definitive answers". AGEs are formed when proteins or fats react with sugar. This can happen naturally and during the cooking process. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York, tested the effect of AGEs on mice and people. The animal experiments showed that a diet rich in AGEs affects the chemistry of the brain. It leads to a build-up of defective beta amyloid protein - a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The mice eating a low-AGEs diet were able to prevent the production of damaged amyloid. The mice performed less well in physical and thinking tasks after their AGEs-rich diet. A short-term analysis of people over 60 suggested a link between high levels of AGEs in the blood and cognitive decline. .Continue Reading

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice Recalled

Mars Food North America is voluntarily recalling one specific production lot of UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® Original Long Grain White Rice product, representing less than 3,500 cases. This product does not meet our quality standards due to punctures in the pouch packaging.

This action relates only to UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® Original Long Grain White Rice product with a Best By date of “12/14 MADE IN CANADA,” and with Lot Code 351GBBFPXX printed on the package, where “351GBBFP” is the lot code, and “XX” represents the packaging equipment, and could be any of 1L, 1R, 2L, 2R, 3L, or 3R. No other Lot Codes, or any other UNCLE BEN’S® Brand products, are involved in this action. No Mars Foodservices products are involved in this action.

Only this one specific lot code of the following product is impacted. This product should not be served or eaten. It should be returned to where it was purchased.

PRODUCT	LOT CODE	ITEM  NO.
UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® Original Long Grain White Rice (pouch)	351GBBFP[1L, 2L, 3L, 1R, 2R, 3R]	U0317600

Mars Food North America is conducting this voluntary recall as a result of punctures to the pouch packaging in this one production lot. Mars Food North America has not received any reports of illness associated with this product, but is voluntarily recalling the product out of an abundance of caution. No other UNCLE BEN’S® Brand products, including Mars Foodservices products, are involved in this action.

For more information or assistance, please contact us toll free at 1-800-548-6253. (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST) or via our website at www.mars.com  .