By Fatima Mirza
- The Food and Drug Administration proposed banning trans fats in a proposal released on Thursday. The regulation would drop partially hydrogenated oils from the agency’s current list of ingredients “generally recognized as safe.”
- Experts are concerned that a recent polio outbreak in Syria that has paralyzed ten children could spread to neighboring regions. As refugees flee the conflict-torn country and settle in Europe, the virus may reemerge in parts of the world that have not seen the disease in decades.
- Johnson & Johnson will pay more than $2.2 billion to settle claims that their antipsychotic drug Risperdal and other medications were marketed for off-label uses. The Justice Department reported Monday that the company also paid kickbacks to a large pharmacy.
- A recent study analyzed the menu offerings of eighteen fast-food chains. From a total of 5,427 possible meals, experts found that only 33 were healthful. The researchers are proponents of removing sugary drinks from schools and imposing a tax on sodas, among other initiatives.
- With the increase in popularity of e-cigarettes, many companies are dealing with unchartered territory in regards to regulating “vaping”. A recent piece in Bloomberg found that, after 25 years of smoking bans, large corporations are now conflicted on how to proceed.
- In a recent interview with NBC news, President Obama conveyed that it is unfortunate that Americans are losing health insurance under the ACA. He indicated that the administration is working on closing the gaps in the current system.
- The USDA recently announced a final rule that will alter the Agency’s regulations on bovine products. The modernization is in effort to protect the United States from introduction of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
