Study: Rice Contains ‘Worrisome’ Levels of Arsenic

Tracy Bloom / Truthdig Sep 20, 2012 The next time you want to enjoy a meal that includes rice -- a steaming bowl of it perhaps, or some rice pasta or rice drink -- think about this: A study by Consumer Reports says that eating rice once a day can increase the arsenic levels in your body by at least 44 percent. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Court Blocks Graphic Cigarette Warnings

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Aug 25, 2012 In a rare victory for the tobacco industry, a U.S. appeals court has ruled against the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that cigarette manufacturers adorn their products with pictures of dead and diseased smokers, saying the mandate constituted a violation of free speech. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

How the FDA Monitored Whistle-Blowing Scientists

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jul 17, 2012 Revelations that the FDA monitored its own scientists in the acts of disclosing alleged wrongdoing marks “the first time [that] we … have a glimpse into what domestic surveillance of whistle-blowers looks like in this country with the modern technological developments,” says attorney Stephen Kohn. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The FDA Surveils Its Employees

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jul 15, 2012 In an effort to protect its public image, the Food and Drug Administration secretly intercepted thousands of emails sent from disgruntled scientists working at the agency to members of Congress, journalists, labor officials and the White House. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Livestock Antibiotics and FDA Inaction: A Look Back

Staff / Truthdig Apr 5, 2012 We learned back in the mid-1970s that livestock antibiotics increase the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in farmworkers. Since then, meat and poultry production has nearly tripled while business, government and public advocates have battled over industry regulation. ProPublica charts that battle's history. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

FDA Says No to BPA Ban

Staff / Truthdig Mar 31, 2012 Public concern about the dangers of BPA, or bisphenol A, hasn't translated into regulatory measures on the part of the Food and Drug Administration, as the agency isn't yet cracking down on the chemical, which turns up in a few commonly used products and even in receipts. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

FDA Finds Lead in 400 Lipsticks

Staff / Truthdig Feb 15, 2012 Here's a startling, but perhaps not surprising, bit of news for those inclined to put colors on their kissers: The Food and Drug Administration ran some tests on hundreds of lipsticks and found that many made by popular brands such as L'Oreal, Cover Girl and Nars contained a very unsexy ingredient: lead. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Red Cross Fine Highlights Its Troubled History of Blood Services

By Lena Groeger, ProPublica Feb 2, 2012 A few weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration hit the American Red Cross with a nearly $10 million fine for safety violations, lax oversight and faulty testing of its blood services. The fine is just the latest of more than a dozen the Red Cross has racked up in the last decade. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Birth Control Recall: Pfizer Warns of Unintended Pregnancies

Staff / Truthdig Feb 2, 2012 The pharmaceutical manufacturer says the million packets of mis-packaged birth control pills it is recalling won't harm women's health, but it acknowledges that they could fail to prevent users from becoming pregnant. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

U.S. Gov’t May Blend FDA, USDA

Staff / Truthdig Jan 20, 2012 Here's a fun story involving the USDA, the FDA, the GAO -- i.e., the United States Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Government Accountability Office -- with the Office of Management and Budget thrown in for good measure. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

FDA Tells Volunteer Sperm Donor to Zip It

Staff / Truthdig Dec 20, 2011 As of late last year, a Fremont, Calif., man had donated his sperm 328 times to would-be parents who found him on the Internet. The Food and Drug Administration has told the donor, whose self-described "service to help the community" has produced 14 children, to stop. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Big Tobacco Sues Over Graphic Labels

Staff / Truthdig Aug 17, 2011 Tobacco giants, wary of the effect new government-mandated warnings may have on cigarette smokers, filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, claiming that the labels are unconstitutional. (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )