Media outlets are breaking with news that a recent study has found that many prenatal vitamins intended for pregnant and lactating women lack iodine, despite label descriptions.

The Examiner reported that although iodine is an important mineral needed for appropriate fetal growth, the study—conducted by the Boston University Iodine Research Laboratory—found an astounding 60 brands of prenatal vitamins contained less iodine than what product labels stated.  The Examiner noted that the New England Journal of Medicine also published a letter concerning the study. (more…)

Dried Chechon fish have just been recalled by San Link Incorporated because the vacuum-packed fish was found to be uneviscerated, a serious health violation because of the likelihood of Clostidium botulinum spores—botulism—making its way into the product.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that San Link, of 1763 Bath Avenue in Brooklyn New York has recalled its vacuum packaged Dried Chechon, which was distributed in New York state in random weight plastic bags.  The packages averaged 0.66 pounds and were coded with the following date code:  21.12.2008.  The recalled San Link vacuum packaged Dried Chechon is a product of Russia. (more…)

Accused Florida Ponzi schemer Arthur Nadel will be allowed out of jail on $5 million bond, so long as he meets certain conditions.  But according to a report on Reuters.com, Nadel’s lawyer has indicated that he will likely not be able to meet those conditions.

Nadel, whose Sarasota, Florida-based Scoop Management ran six hedge funds, is accused of cheating his investors out of as much as $350 million.  Nadel was arrested last month after he had been missing for two weeks.  He disappeared on January 14, just a day before he was supposed to deliver a payout of $50 million to his investors. (more…)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), including the drugs Premarin and Prempro,  has long been linked to female cancers and fatal blood clots.  Now a new study has concluded that women on HRT for the treatment of menopausal symptoms might be doubling their skin cancer risks, reports the Daily Mail,

The study, published in the journal Annals of Oncology, found that women on HRT for over six months at a time are twice as likely to develop a malignant melanoma and, if taking the pill for six months, experienced a 28 percent greater chance of developing a cancerous mole, said the Daily Mail.  The researchers looked at about 800 Dutch women who had been diagnosed with a melanoma between 1991 and 2004 and compared this group to a group of 4,000 women who were cancer-free. (more…)

Even though Lexapro and Celexa were both proven to promote suicidal thoughts in children, Forest Laboratories chose to market its antidepressants to pediatric patients anyway, prosecutors at the U.S. Justice Department have charged.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ),  the same prosecutors have charged that Forest Labs also violated anti-kickback laws by paying doctors to prescribe Lexapro and Celexa to vulnerable, pediatric patients.  A lawsuit filed by the department now  accuses the drug maker  of violating the False Claims Act  when it marketed the drug, The  civil complaint  also accuses Forest of covering up a medical study that concluded that Lexapro and Celexa were not effective medications for children, said WSJ.  The complaint was unsealed in Boston federal court yesterday. (more…)

The company that distributed tainted pre-filled syringes linked to five deaths received a warning letter in August 2005 from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding atrocious conditions at its North Carolina manufacturing facility.  According to an Associated Press report, that FDA warning letter discussed nine serious violations found at the AM2PAT plant in Raleigh.

Federal prosecutors have charged that AM2PAT knowingly shipped untested syringes that sickened hundreds and killed five people.  Many of those using the syringes were undergoing chemotherapy treatments which would have compromised their immune systems. In December 2007 and January 2008, Sierra Pre-filled and B. Braun syringes were recalled by AM2PAT because of the contamination issues. (more…)

A  forum held in Ft. Meyers to discuss Florida’s Chinese drywall problem apparently raised more questions than it answered.  According to News-Press.com, the lead toxicologist from the Florida Health Department told attendees that more investigation is needed before it can be determined if fumes emitted from the Chinese drywall pose a health issue.

As we’ve been reporting for the past several months, owners of newer homes in South Florida have been complaining of drywall that smells like rotten eggs. In many cases, residents have had to leave their home because the smell was so bad.  In addition to the putrid smell, many South Florida homeowners have reported problems with air conditioning and other systems that are likely related to the defective Chinese drywall.  Some spent hundreds – even thousands of dollars – to have air conditioning, pipes and wiring repaired. (more…)

The salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanut products made by now-bankrupt Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) could last for years.  An official for the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently told the Atlanta Constitution Journal that because of the extremely high number of products that were made with PCA ingredients,  many tainted foods could stay in circulation for years, putting people at risk of illness into the foreseeable future.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), tainted PCA products have sickened 666 people across the country.  Cases of salmonella poisoning – including 9 deaths – related to the outbreak strain have been reported in 45 states and Canada.  The illnesses have been linked to PCA facilities in Georgia and Texas, where in addition to salmonella, inspectors found mold, rodent droppings and bird feathers.  Both plants were shut down, and earlier this month, PCA filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. (more…)

A recent study has concluded that birth control pill use is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer, said Reuters, citing a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Prior to this new report, the breast cancer-oral contraceptive link was, according to Dr. Lynn Rosenberg, from Boston University, and colleagues, based “largely on … studies conducted before 1990,” reported Reuters.  The Denver Wellness Examiner pointed out that critics of these prior studies have long argued that the data is based on older medication and that there have been significant changes in dosing strength since the 1990s.  Clearly, it noted, the critics have been proven wrong. (more…)

It has been two months since the catastrophic Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) fly ash spilled dumped 5.4 million cubic yards of sludge into East Tennessee and its Emory River and residents continue to remain confused and unsure as to what is taking place to make their homes and neighborhoods whole again.  The spill has devastated water and wildlife and damaged a variety of homes, some beyond repair.

Just last week, Tom Kilgore, TVA head, admitted that the fly ash spill was much worse than TVA first admitted.  Just prior, and of significant concern, researchers discovered that the massive fly ash spill is exposing area residents and the environment to some serious and dangerous health and environmental problems, such as radium and arsenic exposure.  Radium—a Group-A carcinogenic material according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—exposure can lead to cancer.  Also, arsenic, a toxic metal, can increase the risk of some cancers, skin damage, and circulatory problems. (more…)