USDA encourages food safety this summer

Summer is a time for family vacations, backyard barbeques and plenty of outdoor activities with food as the centerpiece. But before those steaks and burgers go on the grill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service wants to remind consumers to keep their family and themselves safe from foodborne illness by using a food thermometer to ensure meat and poultry is cooked to the correct internal temperature.

Complicated Landscape Awaits New FDA Commissioner

Dr. Scott Gottlieb's confirmation as Commissioner of Food and Drugs marks an opportunity for Congress and the public to determine whether he will be able to break the status quo at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or merely uphold it. Several near-term issues will affect FDA operations, staffing and other resources, potentially putting the agency chief in the position of having to educate and sometimes buck the White House if he is to pursue an agenda of change.

Senate confirms Scott Gottlieb as FDA commissioner

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Scott Gottlieb as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration despite Democratic questions about his financial ties to medical companies the agency regulates. Gottlieb is a physician-turned-health consultant who has criticized many FDA regulations as unnecessary and has faced criticism from Democrats over his financial entanglements.

Senate confirms Gottlieb as FDA commissioner

In this April 5, 2017 file photo, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner-designate Dr. Scott Gottlieb testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The Senate is on track to confirm Gottlieb as the head of the Food and Drug Administration.

Study: Side effects emerge after approval for many US drugs

Almost one-third of new drugs approved by FDA from 2001-2010, including Humira, ended up years later with warnings about unexpected, ... State-funded adoption agencies backing Texas legislation that would sanction the rejection of prospective parents on religious grounds already routinely deny non-Christian, gay, and unmarried applicants. Almost one-third of new U.S. prescription drugs later get safety warnings about unexpected and sometimes serious side effects.

FDA Delays Rules That Would Cripple E-Cigarette Industry

Absent meaningful change to the deeming regulations, many believe that thousands of vapor products will be effectively banned, shuttering tens of thousands of small businesses. On May 1, 2017, the Center for Tobacco Products of the Food and U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the FDA would defer enforcement, by three months, of all future compliance deadlines under the rules published in May 2016 affecting e-cigarettes and cigars.

The future of vaping under the Trump administration

The departure of the former surgeon general has proponents of electronic cigarettes cheering. What is the future of vaping under the Trump administration, and how could it affect our children's health? Proponents of electronic cigarettes applauded the recent dismissal of former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and hope his replacement will be more accepting of the tobacco-alternative practice called vaping.

Diners may have to wait longer for restaurant calorie counts.

New government rules to help people find out how many calories are in their restaurant meals are set to go into effect next week after years of delays. But they could be pushed back again if grocery stores, convenience stores and pizza delivery chains get their way.

Diners may have to wait longer for restaurant calorie counts

New government rules to help people find out how many calories are in their restaurant meals are set to go into effect next week after years of delays. But they could be pushed back again if grocery stores, convenience stores and pizza delivery chains get their way.

Hash Browns Recalled Over ‘Extraneous Golf Ball Materials’

On 21 April 2017, McCain Foods, USA announced they were recalling some of their hash browns due to "extraneous golf ball materials" found in some packages. The company has issued a press release detailing the scope of the recall, which affects hash browns manufactured on 19 January 2017 that apparently harvested and packaged fragments of golf balls along with potatoes.

Trump’s choice for FDA has ties to Wall Street, drug makers

In this June 11, 2009 file photo, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, left, is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. A White House official says President Donald Trump is choosing Gottlieb, a conservative doctor-turned-pundit with deep ties to Wall Street and the pharmaceutical industry to lead the powerful Food and Drug Administration .

Marathon Pharmaceuticals is in the spotlight for drug pricing – again

Jeffrey Aronin, CEO of Northbrook-based Marathon Pharmaceuticals, is photographed in 2015. After the price of his company's Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug came under fire, Aronin said Feb. 13, 2017, that Marathon would pause the commercial launch of the drug.

Dairy industry monopolists pushing to criminalize “milk” label for all nut milks

Big Dairy is making another effort to suppress non-dairy alternatives, with a new bill before Congress that would order the FDA to punish companies that use terms such as "milk," "cheese," or "yogurt" on products not made with cow's milk. The new bill is just the latest salvo in a fight that the dairy industry has been waging for years, ever since sales of dairy started to fall in favor of alternative products.

White House Announces Release of Final Update to the Coordinated…

On January 4, 2016, the White House announced the release of the 2017 Update to the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology . The Update to the Coordinated Framework provides a comprehensive summary of the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with respect to regulating biotechnology products.

Irish based Medtronic must face revived US lawsuit over Infuse

A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived a lawsuit accusing Medtronic Plc of defrauding shareholders by covering up negative side effects from its Infuse bone growth product for nearly a decade. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minnesota said a lower court judge erred in finding that the plaintiff shareholders sued too late, by waiting more than two years after learning information that could suggest an intent to defraud.

25 congressional members question plant-based “milk” label

Got milk? Twenty-five bipartisan members of Congress said if it's from soybeans, almond or rice, it should not be labeled as milk. Democratic Vermont Rep. Peter Welch and Republican Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, leading the charge against "fake milk," signed a letter along with other Congressional members, asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate and take action against manufacturers of "milk" that doesn't come from cows.

Congressman Wants FDA to Take Action Against “Fake Milk”

Got milk? Vermont's sole congressman says if it's from soybeans, almond or rice, it should not be labeled as milk. Democratic Rep. Peter Welch, Republican Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson and 23 other members of Congress have signed a letter asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate and take action against manufacturers of what they say is "fake milk."

If it comes from plants, is it milk?

Got milk? Twenty-five bipartisan members of Congress say if it's from soybeans, almond or rice, it should not be labeled as milk. Democratic Vermont Rep. Peter Welch and Republican Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, leading the charge against "fake milk," signed a letter along with other Congressional members, asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate and take action against manufacturers of "milk" that doesn't come from cows.