Dayton-Area Markets Recall Nebraska Beef KETV.com, NE - Jul 29, 2008 The company said two of the sickened people are associated with their beef. Dorothy Lane Market said the recall is linked to Nebraska Beef Limited of Omaha, ...
Dayton-area markets recall beef NTV, NE - Jul 28, 2008 The company says 2 of the sickened people are associated with their beef. Dorothy Lane Market says the recall is linked to Nebraska Beef Limited of Omaha, ...
Dayton-area markets recall beef WTTE, OH - Jul 28, 2008 The company says two of the sickened people are associated with their beef. Dorothy Lane Market says the recall is linked to the same processing facility in ...
Ghana: So What Can We Manage? AllAfrica.com, Washington - Factories for corned beef, tomato, jute and shoes came into existence. The Ghana Commercial Bank competed with the foreign Barclays Bank and the Bank for ...GHA:GCB
Stock Market Reaction to Food Recalls - V Salin, NH Hooker - Review of Agricultural Economics, 2001 - Blackwell Synergy ... Other recalls by publicly traded firms occurred, particularly among producers of
ground beef. Hudson Foods Company was one important recall incident and, given ...
[PDF]The potential for recall insurance to improve food safety - JR Skees, A Botts, KA Zeuli - Management Review, 2001 - ifama.org ... Colorado Boxed Beef: It also experienced dif?culty with a recall. This Florida
based company repackages ground beef for retail sales. ... -
[PDF]Food Safety in the Meat Industry: A Regulatory Quagmire - P Goldsmith, N Turan, H Gow - International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2003 - silvaculler.com.ar ... critical. An application might be an insurance bond posted by a meat company in
the ... (2001). Feedstuffs. ?USDA Announces Major BeefRecall.? Staff editor. ...
Complementary medicines industry in crisis after recall of 1546 products - B Burton - BMJ: British Medical Journal, 2003 - pubmedcentral.nih.gov ... with specifications, the substitution of beef cartilage for ... occasion a review of
the company's data had ... The administration's public recall notice took up five ...
[PDF]IMPACT OF SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ON ATTITUDES TOWARD FOOD IRRADIATION - RA Hinson, R Harrison, L Andrews - Journal of Food Distribution Research - ageconsearch.umn.edu ... 1997 Hudson Foods Companyrecall of E. Coli- susceptible to spoilage and safety
problems. These contaminated frozen ground beef patties (FSIS, ... -
[PDF]THE EFFECT OF E. COLI O157: H7 ON BEEF PRICES AM McKenzie, MR Thomsen - Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics - ageconsearch.umn.edu ... the effect of food recalls on company stock prices ...beef prices), we would expect
boneless beef prices to ... we provide some background on the recall process and a ... -
J Kudaka, R Asato, K Itokazu, M Nakamura, K Taira, … - Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2005 - cababstractsplus.org ... Service of the US Department of Agriculture announced a voluntary recall by the company of approximately 90 000 pounds of frozen ground beef and other ground ...
A new value-added strategy for the US beef industry - JP Katz, M Boland - British Food Journal, 2000 - emeraldinsight.com ... chain management, Value chain, Value analysis, Strategic management, Co-operatives,
Meat ... mad cow'' disease) and the recent Hudson Foods recall of beef on a ...
[CITATION]Beef Recall Largest in US History L In, T Month, P Months
Source: Google Scholar
U.S. Meat Company Recalls 129,000 Lbs. of Beef Products
Possible E. coli contamination has prompted the recall of 129,000 pounds of beef products in 15 states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday.
The USDA said the meat products were made by Davis Creek Meats and Seafood in Kalamazoo, Mich., for Gordon Food Service stores, the Associated Press reported.
The recalled beef products were made between March 1 and April 30 and sent to distribution centers and retailers in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Boxes -- labeled "Est. 1947A" -- of mechanically tenderized steaks and ground beef of different weights are included in the recall, the AP reported.
E. coli bacteria can cause symptoms such as stomach cramps and diarrhea. In severe cases, the infection can result in dangerous complications such as kidney failure.
In a related matter, NBTY Inc. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday a nationwide recall of three lots of Shark Cartilage Capsules that the company manufactured in 2004 and distributed through mail and Internet orders and retail stores throughout the United States. The reason for the recall: Possible contamination with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
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Fewer Japanese Men Smoking
The Japanese government's anti-smoking campaign appears to be succeeding, according to new figures showing that the rate of smoking among Japanese men is at its lowest level in at least 20 years, Bloomberg news reported.
In 2005, 39.3 percent of men smoked at least 100 cigarettes or smoked for more than six months. That's a four percent decline from the previous year and the lowest rate since the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare started recording such information in 1986.
Rates of smoking among women declined by 0.7 percent, to 11.3 percent, Bloomberg reported.
Japan intensified its anti-smoking efforts three years ago. Measures have included stronger health warnings on cigarette packages, designated smoking areas in buildings, and higher tobacco taxes.
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Large Decline in Use of Coronary Stents: Report
A major decline in the number of coronary stents implanted in the United States in April was likely due to a study that showed the devices offer little advantage over drug therapy in patients with chronic chest pain, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In April, doctors performed about 71,200 stent procedures, a drop of more than 10 percent from March, and a decline of more than 15 percent from April 2006, said the Millennium Research Group.
A study released in late March concluded that heart drugs reduce chest pain nearly as well on their own as when combined with stents, which did not prevent heart attacks or deaths.
Doctors say the findings seem to have made physicians and patients think twice about stenting, the newspaper reported.
"We've definitely seen a decline" in the use of coronary stents and it's likely that many more patients are going to be treated with drugs instead of stents, said Dr. William O'Neill, a cardiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
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Sarin Gas May Have Altered Gulf War Vets' Brains
Low-level exposure to sarin gas during the Persian Gulf war in 1991 may have caused lasting brain problems in the more than 100,000 American troops exposed to the gas, says a study by scientists working with the U.S. Defense Department.
The preliminary findings, to be published in the June issue of the journal NeuroToxicology, found that troops exposed to the sarin gas showed changes in the brain's connective tissue, or white matter, The New York Times reported.
These brain changes -- less white matter and slightly larger brain cavities -- were more pronounced in troops who had greater exposure to the gas.
The gas was released when U.S. soldiers exploded two large Iraqi army stockpiles of ammunition and missiles, some of which contained the nerve gases sarin and cyclosarin. Based on the size of the plume and wind patterns, U.S. officials estimated that more than 100,000 American troops may have been exposed to at least small amounts of the gases.
The new study may renew debate about why so many American troops who served in the Persian Gulf war have suffered unexplained health problems, the Times reported. Several U.S. lawmakers who've been briefed on the study say the findings mean the Department of Veterans Affairs is now obligated to provide increased neurological care to veterans who may have been exposed to sarin.
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FluMist Safe for Children 2 and Older: FDA Panel
FluMist vaccine is effective and safe in children ages 2 and older, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel concluded Wednesday.
While the vaccine is effective in children as young as 6 months old, the panel of medical experts expressed concerns about an increased risk of respiratory problems in children under age 2 who receive the nasal spray vaccine, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Currrently, FluMist is approved for use in people ages 5 to 49. MedImmune Inc., the company that makes FluMist, has applied to the FDA for approval to market the vaccine to children as young as 1 year old who have no history of asthma or wheezing.
The FDA isn't required to follow the advice of its advisory panels, but it does so in most cases.
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'Medicare Advantage' Harmed by Questionable Sales Tactics: Report
U.S. Senate investigators have found that insurance agents in at least 39 states used illegal or unethical methods to sell private Medicare Advantage plans, the Washington Post reported.
The underhanded tactics included enrolling dead or mentally incompetent people, using personal information stolen from federal records, and impersonating Medicare representatives.
The Senate Special Committee on Aging is scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday to look into the issue, the Post reported.
"There's a lamentable lack of oversight when it comes to the sales practices being used to sell Medicare Advantage plans to our seniors," said committee chairman Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.). "Our goal is that these plans must be represented in a transparent, honest and fair way."
The sales schemes have resulted in a number of civil and criminal legal cases and damaged the credibility of the Medicare Advantage program, the Post reported.
Medicare Advantage plans are health-plan options that are part of the Medicare program. If you join one of these plans, you generally get all your Medicare-covered health care through that plan. This coverage can include prescription drug coverage, according to the Medicare Web site.
Pollutants, food ingredients, solvents may all cause harm, researchers say.
By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- A detailed analysis of hundreds of completed breast cancer studies has linked disease development with environmental exposure to more than 200 chemical compounds.
The finding is part of an effort to build a free, online breast cancer database for researchers and the public.
Described as "the most comprehensive of its kind," the database will highlight growing concern about environmental carcinogens such as pollutants, food contaminants, and organic solvents. The scope of the project will also extend to work that explores risk-related lifestyle factors such as diet, levels of physical activity, smoking/drinking habits and body mass.
"This compilation is a great effort, because it summarizes all the evidence and gives us hints of what to look for next," explained researcher Leslie Bernstein, a professor of preventive medicine with the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
The results are outlined in a supplement to the May 14th online issue of Cancer. The database is already accessible at either www.silentspring.org/sciencereview or www.komen.org/environment.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), carcinogens are defined as agents that instigate abnormal cell division or harmful changes in the structure of a cell's DNA. They include chemicals, radiation, or infectious agents, among other things.
The ACS also notes that with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. This year, almost 179,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with the disease, and about 40,000 will die.
The International Agency of Research on Cancer has already classified 90 or so compounds as human carcinogens, according to the ACS. But Bernstein's team said that most of the chemicals to which people are routinely exposed have not undergone any testing for carcinogenic risk. An estimated 80,000 chemicals are registered in the United States for commercial use, according to the researchers.
For more than two years, Bernstein worked alongside colleagues from Harvard University, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and the Silent Spring Institute to amass and sort through approximately 900 national and international breast cancer studies focused on carcinogens.
The team honed in on 460 human breast cancer studies, of which more than 150 looked at specific environmental carcinogens among breast cancer patients. Most of those studies were conducted in the 1990s.
The remaining studies involved animal or laboratory research. The researchers pointed out that animal studies are valid references, because all known human carcinogens have also triggered tumors in animal subjects.
In the animal studies alone, evidence surfaced that linked 216 chemicals to the onset of breast tumors. These included 36 industrial chemicals, 6 chlorinated solvents, 18 products of combustion, 10 pesticides, 18 dyes, four type of radiation, 47 pharmaceuticals, and 17 hormones.
Of these compounds, the researchers isolated 73 that can be found in either human food or consumer products.
They noted, for example, the lingering hazards associated with polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs), which were typically used in the production of electrical equipment until federally banned in 1979. PCBs continue to pose a risk via contaminated rivers, fish, and pre-existing building construction, the researchers warned.
In addition, the authors categorized 35 compounds as carcinogenic air pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs), which are byproducts of combustion.
The team also drew attention to another group of 25 organic compounds, including dioxins, which are produced by waste incineration and manufacturing. These carcinogenic chemicals are present in many American workplaces and place more than 5,000 women at an increased risk for breast cancer, the researchers said. These include women working in machine shops, dry cleaners, hairdressers, glass manufacturers, and aircraft maintenance facilities, all of which use harmful organic solvents.
Furthermore, among the identified carcinogens, 29 are produced in large amounts -- upwards of one million pounds or more per year.
The database project did not set strict guidelines as to how to limit exposure to carcinogens. But the authors said they encouraged research and government oversight into the problem. They advised that people do try and limit their exposure to PCB-contaminated fish, gasoline-generated air pollution, chlorinated tap water, non-stick coated cookware, and detergents containing fluorescent whiteners.
Just how carcinogenic, in terms of breast cancer risk, are these and other compounds on the list? The jury is still out on that question, Bernstein said.
"Women are terribly concerned about environmental causes of breast cancer," she said. "But it's really very difficult to study. Often the only way we've been able to look at some of these things is during occupational exposures or accidents -- what we usually call disasters."
"So, this work is a very useful tool for those of us who want to try to understand what we've missed in breast cancer. Now, it's up to us to do something with all this information," Bernstein said.
Janet Gray, a professor of psychology and the director of the program in science, technology and society at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., called the new database "an enormous contribution."
"Its greatest value is just the sheer comprehensive nature of the work, which allows both the public and researchers to have access to huge amounts of information in one place," she said. "I think this effort will really move us forward."
Known and Probable Carcinogens
Including Industrial Processes, Occupational Exposures, Infectious Agents, Chemicals, and Radiation)
What Is a Carcinogen?
Cancer is caused by abnormalities in a cell’s DNA (its genetic "blueprint"). These may be inherited from parents, or they may be caused by outside exposures to the body such as chemicals, radiation, or even infectious agents.
Substances that can cause changes that can lead to cancer are called carcinogens. Some carcinogens do not act on DNA directly, but lead to cancer in other ways, such as causing cells to divide at a faster rate, which could increase the chances that DNA changes will occur.
Carcinogens do not cause cancer in every case, all the time. Substances classified as carcinogens may have different levels of cancer-causing potential. Some may cause cancer only after prolonged, high levels of exposure. And for any particular person, the risk of developing cancer depends on many factors, including the length and intensity of exposure to the carcinogen and the person’s genetic makeup.
How Do We Determine if Something Is a Carcinogen? Scientists get much of their data about whether something might cause cancer from laboratory (cell culture and animal) studies. Although it isn’t possible to predict with certainty which substances will cause cancer in humans based on animal studies alone, virtually all known human carcinogens that have been adequately tested produce cancer in lab animals. In many cases, carcinogens are first found to cause cancer in lab animals and are later found to cause cancer in people. Because there are far too many substances (natural and manmade) to test each one in lab animals, scientists use knowledge about chemical structure, other types of lab tests, and information about the extent of human exposure to select chemicals for testing.
Most studies of potential carcinogens expose the lab animals to doses that are higher than common human exposures. This is so that cancer risk can be detected in relatively small groups of animals. For most carcinogens, it is assumed that those that cause cancer at larger doses in animals will also cause cancer in people. Although it isn’t always possible to know the relationship between exposure dose and risk, it is reasonable for public health purposes to assume that lowering human exposure will reduce risk.
Another important way to identify carcinogens is through epidemiologic studies, which look at human populations to determine which factors might be linked to cancer. While these studies also provide useful information, they also have their limitations. Humans do not live in a controlled environment. People are exposed to numerous substances at any one time, including those they encounter at work, school, or home; in the food they eat; and the air they breathe. And it is usually many years (often decades) between exposure to a carcinogen and the development of cancer. Therefore, it can be very hard to single out any particular exposure as having a definite link to cancer.
By combining data from both types of studies, scientists are able to make an educated assessment of a substance’s cancer-causing ability. When the available evidence is compelling but not felt to be conclusive, the substance may be considered to be a probable carcinogen.
How Are Carcinogens Classified?
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
The most widely used system for classifying carcinogens comes from the IARC, which is part if the World Health Organization (WHO). In the past 30 years, the IARC has evaluated the cancer-causing potential of about 900 likely candidates, placing them into one of the following groups:
Group 1: Carcinogenic to humans
Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans
Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans
Group 3: Unclassifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans
Group 4: Probably not carcinogenic to humans
Perhaps not surprisingly, most of the agents are of probable, possible, or unknown risk. Only about 90 are classified as "carcinogenic to humans."
National Toxicology Program (NTP)
In the United States, the NTP releases the Report on Carcinogens about every 2 years. The NTP is formed from parts of several different government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Report on Carcinogens (RoC) identifies 2 groups of agents:
"Known to be human carcinogens"
"Reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens"
Unlike the IARC’s list, the RoC does not list substances that have been studied and found not to be carcinogens. Below are the lists of known and probable human carcinogens from both groups.
Known Human Carcinogens
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) "Carcinogenic to Humans" (Group 1)
Agents and Groups of Agents
Aflatoxins (naturally occurring mixtures of)
4-Aminobiphenyl
Arsenic and arsenic compounds (Note: This evaluation applies to the group of compounds as a whole and not necessarily to all individual compounds within the group)
Estrogens, nonsteroidal (Note: This evaluation applies to the group of compounds as a whole and not necessarily to all individual compounds within the group)
Estrogens, steroidal (Note: This evaluation applies to the group of compounds as a whole and not necessarily to all individual compounds within the group)
Ethylene oxide
Etoposide in combination with cisplatin and bleomycin
Formaldehyde
Gallium arsenide
Gamma radiation
Helicobacter pylori (infection with)
Hepatitis B virus (chronic infection with)
Hepatitis C virus (chronic infection with)
Herbal remedies containing plant species of the genus Aristolochia
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (infection with)
Human papillomavirus type 16
Human papillomavirus type 18
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I
Melphalan
8-Methoxypsoralen (Methoxsalen) plus ultraviolet A radiation
MOPP and other combined chemotherapy including alkylating agents
Mustard gas (Sulfur mustard)
2-Naphthylamine
Neutrons
Nickel compounds
Opisthorchis viverrini (infection with)
Oral contraceptives, combined (Note: There is also conclusive evidence that these agents have a protective effect against cancers of the ovary and endometrium)
Oral contraceptives, sequential
Phosphorus-32, as phosphate
Plutonium-239 and its decay products (may contain plutonium-240 and other isotopes), as aerosols
Radioiodines, short-lived isotopes, including iodine-131, from atomic reactor accidents and nuclear weapons detonation (exposure during childhood)
Radionuclides, alpha-particle-emitting, internally deposited (Note: Specific radionuclides for which there is sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity to humans are also listed individually as Group 1 agents)
Radionuclides, beta-particle-emitting, internally deposited (Note: Specific radionuclides for which there is sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity to humans are also listed individually as Group 1 agents)
Radium-224 and its decay products
Radium-226 and its decay products
Radium-228 and its decay products
Radon-222 and its decay products
Schistosoma haematobium (infection with)
Silica, crystalline (inhaled in the form of quartz or cristobalite from occupational sources)
Solar radiation
Talc containing asbestiform fibers
Tamoxifen (Note: There is also conclusive evidence that this agent (tamoxifen) reduces the risk of contralateral breast cancer)
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin
Thiotepa
Thorium-232 and its decay products, administered intravenously as a colloidal dispersion of thorium-232 dioxide
Treosulfan
Vinyl chloride
X- and Gamma radiation
Mixtures
Alcoholic beverages
Analgesic mixtures containing phenacetin
Areca nut
Betel quid with tobacco
Betel quid without tobacco
Coal-tar pitches
Coal-tars
Mineral oils, untreated and mildly treated
Salted fish (Chinese-style)
Shale-oils
Soots
Tobacco products, oral tobacco products
Wood dust
Exposure Circumstances
Aluminum production
Arsenic in drinking water
Auramine, manufacture of
Boot and shoe manufacture and repair
Coal gasification
Coke production
Furniture and cabinet making
Hematite mining (underground) with exposure to radon
