Ohio State chemists are developing paper strips costing about 50 cents that detect disease from a drop of blood mailed to a lab. The tests stayed accurate a month after sampling, and the team reports the method can be tailored to any disease that prompts antibodies.
Food Consumer
Politics
As Historic Vermont Legislation Goes into Effect, Congress May Pull GMO Labels Off of Grocery Shelves
Food & Water Watch's Wenonah Hauter marks Vermont's GMO labeling law taking effect and warns that a federal bill up for a Senate vote would nullify it. She calls the measure effectively voluntary, with no penalties for non-compliance and a GMO definition that leaves many products uncovered.
Politics
This basic right tossed out? Without a single hearing in the Senate?
The Organic Consumers Association calls Sen. Stabenow's claim of a mandatory national GMO label a lie, arguing the Roberts-Stabenow bill offers barcodes and phone numbers with no enforcement or penalties, and would nullify Vermont's labeling law and its 12-year-old GMO seed law.
Politics
GMO Labeling Bill So Bad Even the FDA Doesn't Like It
The FDA told Congress the Roberts-Stabenow GMO labeling bill would exempt common ingredients such as soybean oil and sugar beets and sets a high bar for even its QR-code disclosures. The Organic Consumers Association notes the Senate still advanced the bill 68-29.
Politics
Commentary: Don't Be Fooled by the Senate's GMO Fake Labeling Bill
Compass Natural argues the Senate's National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard would overturn Vermont's GMO labeling law and bar states from passing their own, letting manufacturers use QR codes or toll-free numbers instead of plain English.
Chemical
More than 18 million Americans drink lead-tainted water
A Natural Resources Defense Council report says more than 18 million Americans were served in 2015 by water systems that violated the Lead and Copper Rule, and that over 90 percent of violations brought no corrective action or penalty. The piece suggests a tap filter to remove heavy metals.
Biological
Scientists, Groups Urge National Academy to Reverse Decades of One-Sided GMO Science
A letter from 39 public-interest groups and academics urges the National Academy of Sciences to correct the imbalance in its taxpayer-funded study of genetically engineered crops, noting at least six of 13 committee members have financial conflicts with industry, four of them undisclosed.
Food
Kingdom Fresh Farms Refreshes Packaging
Kingdom Fresh Farms redesigned its packaging and website around the tagline “Cultivating Connections,” putting employees on the packs and pointing shoppers to the site. The new look covers vine ripe rounds, romas and grape tomatoes and rolls out in June and July.
Environment
Toyota recalls millions of vehicles due to air bag problems, fuel emission controls
Toyota is recalling 1.43 million vehicles over air bag inflators that can crack and partially inflate, and 2.87 million more over emission control parts that can crack and leak fuel. Toyota says the defects caused no injuries or deaths; the emissions models skipped North America.
Vitamins
Supplemental folic acid taken in early pregnancy linked to gestational diabetes mellitus
An editor's note on a Diabetes Care report that folic acid supplements taken in early pregnancy raise the risk of gestational diabetes. It adds that synthetic folic acid has also been tied to breast cancer risk, while folate occurring naturally in vegetables shows no such link.
Lifestyle
Fasting helps prevent breast cancer recurrence, death
Among 2,413 women with breast cancer, those who fasted more than 13 hours overnight were 36 percent less likely to have a recurrence and 21 percent less likely to die, though the mortality difference was not statistically significant. JAMA Oncology published the study.
Supplements
Hops may help prevent breast cancer
In lab tests, an enriched hops extract and its compound 6-prenylnaringenin pushed estrogen metabolism in breast cells toward a detoxification pathway tied to lower cancer risk. The authors caution that a related hops compound, 8-prenylnaringenin, acts as a strong estrogen on breast cancer cells.
Healthy Recipes from AICR
Healthy Recipes: Summer Grilled Balsamic Veggies
Bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower and baby bella mushrooms tossed with olive oil and grilled about 15 minutes, then drizzled with a homemade balsamic reduction and fresh basil. Eight servings at 78 calories each; without a grill, roast at 400F for 20 minutes.
Politics
Does Monsanto have the votes?
The Organic Consumers Association says Senators Debbie Stabenow and Amy Klobuchar now back the bill to kill Vermont's GMO labeling law, moving it closer to the 60 votes needed, and asks readers to call the Senate and press their senators to vote no.
Politics
Really Important You Call Immediately
An action alert urging readers to call their senators at 866-772-3843 and ask them to vote no on the compromise version of Senate Bill 2609, which would preempt state GMO labeling laws before Vermont's takes effect July 1.
Lifestyle
Unproven claims run rampant in e-cigarette business
Ohio State researchers found e-cigarette makers and sellers advertising health claims that are unlikely to survive the FDA review now required under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, and they urge the agency to stop inaccurate claims.
Politics
Appeals Court Urged to Strike Down Law That Hides Ag Operations from View, Harms Public Health
Food & Water Watch and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking the 9th Circuit to uphold a ruling striking down Idaho's ag-gag law, arguing that criminalizing undercover documentation hides food safety and animal welfare violations.
Food
Emmy’s Organics Receives USDA Organic Certification
Emmy's Organics received 100-percent USDA Organic certification in May, after making certified organic almond flour and chocolate chips a sourcing priority, and gained distribution in Whole Foods Midwest and CVS. The company makes macaroons and sprouted super cereals.
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