Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Groundwater, Food Tainted With Rocket Fuel Chemical, Study Finds
Perchlorate, a chemical found in rocket fuel, has contaminated water and food and is more likely to be found in food given to babies and children, a study from Consumer Reports found. The chemical is naturally occurring and man-made, but it is being found more often in groundwater, according to the Department of Toxic Substances Control. This is an issue, according to James Rogers, Ph.D., the Director of Food Safety Research and Testing聽at Consumer Reports. (Gomez, 8/15)
A new study has found that Americans have the lowest life expectancy of similar English-speaking countries. The researchers from Penn State University who conducted the study compared mortality rates from 1990 to 2019 from six English-speaking nations and found that people in Canada, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand all on average live longer than their American counterparts. (Matthews, 8/15)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday laid out fresh goals to cut sodium levels in packaged and processed foods by about 20%, after its prior efforts to address a growing epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases showed early signs of success. The FDA in October 2021 had set guidelines to trim sodium levels in foods ranging from potato chips to hamburgers in a bid to prevent excessive intake of salt that can trigger high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The agency is now seeking voluntary curbs from packaged-food makers such as PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz and Campbell Soup. (8/15)
PepsiCo can be sued for marketing its Gatorade protein bars as good for you though they have more sugar than protein and more sugar than typical candy bars, a federal judge ruled. In a decision on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts in San Jose, California said three self-described fitness enthusiasts leading a proposed class action plausibly alleged that PepsiCo's marketing and labeling was deceptive. (Stempel, 8/15)
Colleen Ryan, a surgeon at Shriners Children鈥檚 Boston, said Wednesday that she had seen two patients in two weeks who had suffered burns while participating in the trend. 鈥淲ord of mouth鈥 among colleagues in the United States and around the world indicates that many doctors are seeing an uptick in related deep-scald burns, she said in a statement released by the hospital this week. The hospital warned parents to be wary of their children鈥檚 attempts to make tanghulu鈥檚 dipping syrup, in which sugar is melted in the microwave or in a pan. (Heil, 8/15)