Ohio State researchers raised the level of a protein effective against every influenza strain tested, blocking infection in mouse and human cells without the virus or interferon. The lab has started testing experimental drugs in mice; the team says human use is still many years away.
Food Consumer
Healthy Recipes from AICR
Healthy Recipes: Avocado Zucchini Soup
A chilled soup of zucchini and green onion simmered in vegetable broth, then blended with avocado, almond milk, lime and a little cumin, topped with cucumber salsa. Makes four one-cup servings at 108 calories each.
Sci-Tech
Editors' picks: Beautiful wordpress themes for publishers/bloggers
A recommendation of WordPress themes from magazine3, singling out ProBlog and TechSavvy at $59 per domain, on the argument that publishers need a clean, fast-loading, responsive theme before traffic can be built and sold to advertisers.
Food
Spicy food/peppers lower premature death risk
Following nearly 500,000 Chinese adults for an average 7.2 years, researchers recorded 20,244 deaths and found eating spicy food a couple of times a week tracked with 10 percent lower death risk, and 3 to 7 times a week with 14 percent. The study cannot show cause.
Politics
Regeneration Revolution - newsletter 080615 from Organic Consumers Association
An Organic Consumers Association newsletter carrying Ronnie Cummins' essay on “regeneration” as an alternative to sustainability or mitigation, alongside an action alert about a Senate bill taking shape over the congressional recess.
Chemical
Video of Denver Fluoridation Forum and Petition to FDA
The Fluoride Action Network posts video of the Denver fluoridation forum, where the water board heard experts on both sides before a scheduled August 26, 2015 policy vote, and backs a June 2015 petition asking FDA to regulate fluoridation additives as drugs.
Disease
Half of all cancers - news email 080515 from EWG
An EWG newsletter promoting its report “Rethinking Carcinogens,” which draws on Halifax Project research suggesting that combinations of chemicals — including some not carcinogenic on their own — may cause cancer by disrupting several cancer-related pathways at once.
Chemical
Zinc oxide is toxic
Researchers tested zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles at 50 to 500 ppm and found both cytotoxic to human red blood cells and genotoxic to lymphocytes, with damage rising by concentration. Zinc oxide proved more genotoxic at higher levels.
Law & Regulations
The DARK Act is a DISASTER - news email 080415 from Center for Food Safety
A Center for Food Safety campaign email. The U.S. House passed the DARK Act, which would overturn state labeling laws for genetically engineered food, bar the FDA from mandatory labeling and allow 'natural' claims for GE ingredients. The group asks readers to lobby senators.
Chemical
If I Was Made Sick by Cilantro - - I'd Matter - news email 080415 from CHEJ
CHEJ contrasts the swift federal ban on cilantro, tied to hundreds of illnesses, with the response to a girl found to have pollution-related chemicals in her blood, whose parents were told only to keep her indoors. The group asks readers to fund its work with affected communities.
Healthy Recipes from AICR
Healthy Recipes: Moroccan Kebabs with Vegetables and Turkey
Turkey chunks marinate in garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon, then go on skewers with three colors of bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and onion. The piece notes that marinating meats may also help prevent the formation of cancer-causing substances.
Vitamins
Vitamin D fights colorectal cancer
A meta-analysis found colorectal cancer patients in the highest quintile of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D were 37 percent less likely to die during follow-up than those in the lowest. The authors suggest restoring deficient patients to a 30-80 ng/ml range.
Alerts
The Kraft Heinz Company Voluntarily Recalls Select Varieties of Kraft Singles Products Due to Potential Choking Hazard
Kraft Heinz recalled 3-lb. and 4-lb. boxes of Kraft Singles American and White American slices with Best When Used By dates of 29 DEC 15 through 04 JAN 16 and manufacturing code S54 or S55, because a strip of wrapper film may stick to a slice and pose a choking hazard.
Alerts
Allergy Alert On Undeclared Milk In Nutrition Resource Services, Inc.'s Whey, Casein, And Colostrum Protein Products
Nutrition Resource Services of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is recalling whey, casein and colostrum products whose ingredient lists omitted milk. The firm calls it a labeling issue rather than a quality problem and reports no illnesses; affected lots date from October 2014 to July 2015.
Alerts
Kilwin's Quality Confections, Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Cashew in Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Caramels
Kilwin's Quality Confections recalled 5-ounce containers of Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Caramels, batch code 82461, sold in 12 states between March and July 2015, because the boxes may instead hold cashew-containing candy. A routine product review caught the mislabeling.
Alerts
Whole Foods Market Recalls Coconut Curry Cauliflower Salad in Twenty-one Stores Due to Undeclared Almonds
Whole Foods Market is recalling Coconut Curry Cauliflower Salad from 21 stores in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah and Idaho because almonds were not declared on the label. A routine product review caught the error and no reactions have been reported.
Biological
The Future of GMO Activism after H.R. 1599 - Jeffrey Smith video
A video commentary in which Jeffrey Smith lays out strategy for non-GMO activism after the House passed H.R. 1599, which the Institute for Responsible Technology calls the DARK Act, together with a donation appeal for the group.
Politics
Farm, Consumer and Competition Groups Oppose JBS-Cargill Pork Merger
Five farm, consumer and competition groups asked the Justice Department to investigate JBS's proposed $1.45 billion acquisition of Cargill's pork business, arguing it would create the second largest US pork processor, squeeze hog farmers and raise prices for consumers.
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