Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Don't Say Your Food Has Allergens In It When It Doesn't, FDA Warns
AP: FDA Warns Maker Of Sara Lee, Entenmann's Not To Claim Foods Contain Allergens When They Don't
Federal food safety regulators said Tuesday that they have warned a top U.S. bakery to stop using labels that say its products contain potentially dangerous allergens when they don’t. U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors found that Bimbo Bakeries USA — which includes brands such as Sara Lee, Oroweat, Thomas’, Entenmann’s and Ball Park buns and rolls — listed ingredients such as sesame or tree nuts on labels even when they weren’t in the foods. (Aleccia, 6/25)
The Washington Post: Hershey’s, Friendly’s Ice Cream Among Brands Recalled Over Listeria Risk
A few of your favorite ice cream products might no longer be in the freezer this summer after a prominent supplier to brands such as Hershey’s and Friendly’s issued a recall notice over a potential listeria contamination. Maryland-based Totally Cool recalled products from 13 brands distributed nationwide in retail locations and through direct delivery after sampling by the Food and Drug Administration discovered the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium that causes listeria infections, the agency said Monday. (Masih, 6/26)
Reuters: Lawsuits Claim Popular Baby Bottle Brands Leach Microplastics
Two makers of plastic baby bottles were hit with proposed class actions in California federal court on Tuesday over claims that they failed to warn parents that the bottles leached dangerous microplastics when heated. The lawsuits against Philips North America and Handi-Craft Company, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, say the companies knew their popular bottles would be heated as part of regular use. (Jones, 6/25)
The Washington Post: Turmeric Supplements May Harm The Liver In Some People
In recent years, turmeric has been implicated in a growing number of cases of acute liver injury, some of which have led to liver transplant or even death. (Kim, 6/25)
NPR: The Brain Makes Lots Of Waste. Now Scientists Think They Know Where It Goes
About 170 billion cells are in the brain, and as they go about their regular tasks, they produce waste — a lot of it. To stay healthy, the brain needs to wash away all that debris. But how exactly it does this has remained a mystery. Now, two teams of scientists have published three papers that offer a detailed description of the brain's waste-removal system. Their insights could help researchers better understand, treat and perhaps prevent a broad range of brain disorders. (Hamilton, 6/26)
Axios: Scientists Create Smiling Robot Face From Living Human Skin Cells
Scientists unveiled Tuesday a humanoid robot face they created from lab-grown, self-healing human skin. The researchers from the University of Tokyo, Japan, hope the breakthrough could one day prove "useful in the cosmetics industry and to help train plastic surgeons," per a statement announcing the breakthrough. (Falconer, 6/26)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (6/25)
In celebrity health news —
AP: Gena Rowlands Has Alzheimer's, Her Son Says
The celebrated actor and honorary Academy Award recipient Gena Rowlands is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, her son, the filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, has revealed. In the 2004 film “The Notebook,” Rowlands played a character who had dementia. (6/25)
