POM Wonderful's new ad campaign hits back at FTC
POM Wonderful
(CBS News) POM wonderful has hit back at the Federal Trade Commission with a new advertising campaign, telling consumers when it comes to "FTC v. POM - You be the judge."
POM Wonderful deceptively advertised health claims in juice ads, judge rules
The ad references a Monday ruling by Chief Administrative Law Judge Michael Chappell, that ruled POM Wonderful deceptively advertised its pomegranate products when it cited research saying the juices could treat, prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.
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Listeria found in lettuce spurs nationwide recall
A label from one of the recalled bags of lettuce grown by River Ranch Fresh Foods.
/ FDA/flickr(CBS/AP) California lettuce grower, River Ranch Fresh Foods, has expanded its voluntary recall of some bagged salads to the entire country, after routine sampling detected contamination with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported, the company said.
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The voluntary recall by the Salinas, Calif.-based grower initially included lettuce shipped to California and Colorado. The bagged salads are sold under the names River Ranch, Farm Stand, Hy-Vee, Marketside, Shurfresh, The Farmer's Market, Cross Valley, Fresh n Easy, Promark and Sysco.
Continue » Judge: POM Wonderful health claims misleading
POM Wonderful
(CBS/AP) A federal administrative judge ruled Monday that POM Wonderful deceptively advertised its pomegranate products when the company said the juices could treat, prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.
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Chief Administrative Law Judge Michael Chappell upheld an earlier complaint from the Federal Trade Commission that was filed in September 2010 against POM and its parent company, Los-Angeles-based Roll International Corp. The company's health claims, such as "The Antioxidant Superpower", are a hallmark of its advertising and are seen as working to convince consumers that they are worth a premium price.
Continue »Study: Drinking coffee reduces overall death risk
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(CBS/AP) How good is coffee for your health? For years, research has gone both ways, with some studies finding it boosts risk for heart disease, while other studies find it could be protective against breast and skin cancers.
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A large-scale study of 400,000 people offers good news for coffee-drinkers: you might just live longer.
The study is the largest ever done on the issue, and the results should reassure any coffee lovers who think it's a guilty pleasure that may do harm. And whether it's regular or decaf doesn't even matter.
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Scotland sets minimum prices for alcohol
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(CBS News) Alcohol in Scotland is about to get more expensive. The Scottish Government announced today that it will set a minimum price of 50 pence per unit (10 milliliters) of alcohol - or about $0.81 for every 0.34 fluid ounces of booze.
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In U.S. dollars, that means a 750ml bottle of wine that costs $5.14 will shoot up in price to $7.56, or a bottle of cheap whiskey will go from $16.07 to $22.56 - about a 40 percent increase.
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"Pink slime" outcry closes 3 plants, company says
Craig Letch, director of food quality and assurance for Beef Products Inc. (BPI), left, introduces the beef product known as "pink slime" or lean finely textured beef, and the cuts from which it is made to, from left: Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, South Dakota Lt. Gov. Matt Michels and Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy, during a tour Thursday, March 29, 2012, of the Beef Products Inc.'s plant in South Sioux City, Neb., where the beef product is made.
/ AP Photo/Nati Harnik(CBS/AP) Beef Products Inc. (BPI), the embattled company behind the meat product colorfully dubbed "pink slime" will shutter processing plants in three states this month because of the controversy surrounding it, a company official said Monday.
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About 650 jobs will be lost when the plants close on May 25 in Amarillo, Texas; Garden City, Kansas; and Waterloo Iowa, company spokesman Rich Jochum said. A plant in South Sioux City, Neb., will remain open but run at reduced capacity.
The South Dakota-based company blamed the closures on what it said were unfounded attacks over its lean, finely textured beef. The product is a low-cost ingredient in ground beef made from fatty left over meat trimmings from other cuts. The bits are heated to about 100 F and spun to remove most of the fat, compressed into blocks for use in ground meat, and then exposed to "a puff of ammonium hydroxide gas" to kill bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.
Continue »Probiotics may prevent diarrhea in antibiotic-users
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(CBS News) It's no secret to people who take antibiotics that the drugs can wreak havoc on a person's stomach. A new study says taking probiotics, which can be found in supplements or in certain brands of yogurt, may provide an effective way to prevent diarrhea during an antibiotic regimen.
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For the study, published in the May 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at the nonprofit RAND Corporation analyzed 63 previously published studies involving antibiotic-associated diarrhea and probiotics including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus.
Salmonella dog food scare causes recall
Diamond Pet Foods
(CBS News) The Diamond Pet Foods voluntary recall on some of their pet food brands has been expanded after a salmonella outbreak in one of their plants left 14 people sick in nine states.
The dog food in question was was manufactured in Gaston, S.C. plant. At least five people were hospitalized from handling the food, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the Associated Press.
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Domino's introduces new gluten-free pizza crust
Domino's gluten-free crust
/ Domino'sMiley Cyrus touts gluten-free diet: What do doctors say?
Gluten-free diets not always necessary, study suggests
Starting today, the pizza chain will offer a small, 10-inch gluten-free crust at all U.S. stores.
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Doctors slam McDonald's sponsorship of Olympics
This undated computer generated image taken from McDonald's website shows the exterior of the London 2012 Olympics McDonald's Central Restaurant in London.
/ APThe fast food giant will soon open its largest franchise in the world - a two-story cathedral-like restaurant that seats 1,500 customers - at London's Olympic Park. McDonald's will be the only restaurateur allowed to sell brand-name food at the games and there will also be a separate McDonald's restaurants within the athletes' village - in addition to three others at the Olympic Park.
Continue »Genetics may explain why some people hate meat
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(CBS News) Love meat? Hate meat? The reason for your answer may come down to genes. In a new study, scientists investigated whether people with a stronger sensitivity to the smell of pork are more likely to be meat-eaters.
Flavor is a combination of factors including taste and smell. According to the study, some people have receptors that detect a steroid called androstenone, which is found in high concentrations in male pigs - and in turn pork. Most commercially raised animals in the U.S. are actually castrated to get rid of the smell, but previous research has found that people who have two copies of the gene that helps sense androstenone still smell the odor - and might have a mixed reaction to pork.
Continue »Study examines red wine's anti-aging ingredient
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(CBS News) Red wine has long been touted for its health benefits, including its anti-aging properties. But the question is how does it work? A new study provides insight into how the anti-aging ingredient in red wine, resveratrol, functions in the body.
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The study, published in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, tested the effects of resveratrol on mice. According to Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, resveratrol works by acting on the SIRT1 gene, a gene that is believed to control the function and longevity of cells. Deleting the SIRT1 gene from mice causes developmental defects, but for the latest study, Sinclair and colleagues were able to produce mice without the SIRT1 gene that were healthy enough to be studied.
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U.S. obesity costs soar as nation packs on pounds
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(CBS News) Obesity is rising in America, that's no secret - but are people aware of the rising economic costs of those extra pounds? According to a new study from the Campaign to End Obesity, spending due to obesity is actually twice the amount previously estimated - and exceeds the costs of even smoking, Reuters reports.
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What's more, those medical costs affect everyone, not just those who are obese. Higher health insurance premiums lead everyone to cover those extra medical costs. The U.S. spends an excess of $190 billion a year, the study found.
Gross grub: 18 ingredients hiding in your food
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That's not to say it isn't safe to eat. The Food and Drug Administration and other agencies spend lots of time and energy to make sure you're not eating stuff that will kill you. But the idea that something seems "just plain wrong" often isn't part of the calculation.
From Health.com, here's a list of food ingredients that rate high in the yuck factor. Read at your own risk!
Debate rages over 2,4-D-resistant corn
(CBS News) A debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is raging across the country from farms to the federal government. A company called Dow Chemical is on the verge of getting approval for a new genetically engineered corn that's supposed to be immune to the chemical weedkiller "2,4-D" - a primary component of Agent Orange, the New York Times reported.
Environmental advocates call the chemical a carcinogen that's also linked to birth defects, dubbing the product "Agent Orange Corn" and saying it has no place near food grown in the U.S.
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