Beware & Protect Yourself 01 (May 08 - Dec 08)

[millionairemind]

Chemical in Soda Cans, Baby Bottles May Harm Kids (Update3)
By Tom Randall

Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Exposure to bisphenol A, a chemical used to make plastic for baby bottles and to line soda cans, may harm fetuses and children and needs further study before it is deemed safe, a U.S. government report found.

Tests in animals showed harmful effects from the chemical, known as BPA, the National Toxicology Program said today in a report that rated concern about the chemical's risks for children at the middle of a five-point scale. Parents may want to limit family exposure to the substance, said the study's authors, though they didn't recommend changing U.S. safety standards.

The study, the final version of a report issued in draft form in April, underscores differences within the government about the chemical's safety. The staff of the Food and Drug Administration said in a draft report last month that the agency ``has concluded that an adequate margin of safety exists'' for bisphenol A when used in products coming into contact with food.

``The possibility that BPA may affect human development cannot be dismissed,'' said John Bucher, associate director of the toxicology group, in a statement today. ``We see developmental changes occurring in some animal studies at BPA exposure levels similar to those experienced by humans.''

The National Toxicology Program, part of the Health and Human Services Department, was created in 1978 to provide scientific assessments of the health effects of chemical agents in the environment, according to the program's Web site.

The FDA's staff assessment also recommended more detailed testing, specifically in adult, pregnant and newborn monkeys, to look for effects on nervous system development and behavior. A subcommittee of the FDA's Science Board plans to review the agency's staff report at a Sept. 16 meeting in Rockville, Maryland.

Industry Response

``There is no direct evidence that exposure to bisphenol A adversely affects human reproduction or development,'' said the American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemical industry, in an e-mailed statement today. Evidence from animal studies was ``limited and inconclusive'' and ``additional research will be needed to determine if these concerns are relevant,'' the group said.

In April, Canada became the first country to label bisphenol A as ``toxic'' and is considering a ban on its use in baby bottles. U.S. lawmakers have considered similar proposals to prohibit use of the chemical.

``We should err on the side of caution and keep this chemical out of children's products,'' said Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, in an e-mailed statement today. ``Clearly more research is needed.''

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo

Bisphenol A is used to stiffen plastic used to make baby bottles and to seal canned food. Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. use it in cans to protect the drink from direct contact with the aluminum and to prevent spoilage, said Tracey Halliday, a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, a Washington- based trade group.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi, which referred questions about bisphenol A to the beverage association, don't use the chemical in soft drink and water bottles, Halliday said.

Several companies that produce plastic bottles, such as Energizer Holding Inc.'s Playtex Infant Care unit and Thermo Fisher Inc., the maker of Nalgene sports bottles, have stopped using the chemical in their new products because of the concerns.

Average infant exposures are about 2,000 times less than the FDA's safety level, and exposures among adults are 27,000 times lower, that agency's draft report said.

[winston]

Dear All,

As we are starting to have alot of threads in the Misc. section, I have decided to combine "Dangerous Food" and "Protect Yourself" into one thread.

I will be renaming this thread "Beware". If you have a better title, please do let me know.

Take care,
Winston

[winston]

Sony recalls 438,000 laptops on burn concern

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Corp has launched a voluntary recall of 438,000 Vaio portable computers, citing a potential hazard that could cause the machines to overheat or possibly burn a user.

It is one of the biggest computer recalls since 2006 when Dell Inc recalled 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they could overheat and catch fire.

Sony's recall affects 72,800 computers in the United States, a Sony spokesman said on Thursday.

Sony received 15 reports of overheating, including one of a consumer who suffered a minor burn, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission said.

The flaw, in Sony's VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200, VGN-TZ300 and VGN-TZ2000 series computers, is related to "irregularly positioned wires near the computer's hinge and/or dislodged screw inside the hinge" that can cause a short circuit and overheat, the agency said.

"This poses a burn hazard to consumers," the agency added. "Sony has initiated a voluntary program to perform a free inspection and, if necessary, a repair to ensure these units meet our high quality standards."

Sony has been dogged in recent years by recalls of laptop computer batteries amid concerns they would overheat and catch fire. In 2006, Dell, Apple Inc, Lenovo Group Ltd, Toshiba Corp and some other PC makers recalled more than 8 million Sony batteries.

Sony declined to comment on the potential cost it will incur to repair the computers.

[winston]

Number of new HFMD cases soars past epidemic levels
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia • Elias Kindergarten reopens after 10-day closure due to HFMD death

• Expert says dying from HFMD is remote

• Boy, 3, dies of suspected HFMD

SINGAPORE : The number of new hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Singapore has reached epidemic levels for the first time since June this year.

This comes at a time when kindergartens are gearing up for a spike in cases when the new school term begins on Monday.

But doctors said that often it is the lack of proper hygiene at home that helps spread the disease.

HFMD is a common childhood infection, which typically sees two peaks each year.

617 new cases were reported last week - breaking the epidemic threshold of 565 cases. But this is below the numbers seen in the previous seasonal epidemic between March and May, which saw 1,466 new cases a week at its height.

Experts differ on how much impact the September holidays will have on infection rates.

The Health Ministry said that the one-week break might provide some relief, but some doctors think the time away from school may be too short to have a large effect. Furthermore, childcare centres continue to operate as usual during this time.

But with classes due to reopen on Monday, the PAP Community Foundation kindergarten in Woodlands Avenue 6 is taking no chances. Aside from increasing the frequency of checks, it also teaches its kids to look out for ulcers and sores on the palms, soles and buttocks.

Veronica Tee, administrator, PCF Sembawang, said: "The children already know that when they do feel unwell during class time, they need to let the teacher know. And we have also put in an added measure recently - by doing another check mid-way during class."

During an outbreak, kindergartens and childcare centres will minimise outdoor excursions and intermingling between children of different age groups.

Cherie Hearts, which operates a chain of 30 childcare centres here, said that it will also rope in healthy adult volunteers to help take care of children should its centres have to shut down.

It said this would help ease the load of those working parents who have difficulty taking leave.

NTUC Childcare said it provides hand sanitisers for visitors throughout the year.

Hand hygiene is also stressed at all centres, but some doctors said that not enough is being done at home.

Dr Thoon Koh Cheng, Department of Paediatric Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, said: "Strict hand hygiene is probably still overlooked. People let down their guard when the child is well, and when the child becomes sick, people let down their guard again by allowing them to go back to childcare centres and kindergartens when they are just on the brink of recovery."

One factor that could account for the rise in cases is the weather. The theory goes that during rainy weather, people tend to stay indoors, and this makes it easier for viruses to spread. - CNA/ms

[winston]

Hong Kong tracing oysters after food poisoning hits Macau

HONG KONG (AFP) — Hong Kong said Tuesday it was hunting hundreds of boxes of tainted raw oysters after a food poisoning outbreak sickened at least 150 diners in the gambling haven of Macau.

Foreign tourists were among those hit by the outbreak caused by the Norwalk virus, which is passed on through food, vomit and excreta among human beings, officials said.

Some 1,560 boxes of oysters could be involved, including 420 boxes exported to Macau, 43 to Hong Kong and about 300 to other places, Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said, with another 500 boxes sealed for tests.

"The CFS is also following up with the supplier on the distribution of the remaining 300 boxes of oysters," the Hong Kong government said in a statement.

The victims had eaten oysters from Pearlwin Ltd., a Hong Kong supplier, at the Venetian Macau, Sands Hotel, Gold Dragon Hotel and Macau Tower, between late August and early September, according to officials.

One of the distributors who bought oysters from Pearlwin said they were not meant to be eaten raw, the local daily Mingpao reported Tuesday.

"The oysters were hard-frozen and must be cooked for consumption. I do not understand how people could sell it as fresh chilled oysters to Macau," a spokesman for the distributor was quoted as saying.

Macau has boomed in recent years, mainly thanks to Chinese visitors flooding into the city's gleaming casinos. Gaming revenues in 2007 topped 10 billion dollars for the first time, well ahead of the Las Vegas Strip.

[winston]

Baby milk powder suspected in new health scare

A Chinese hospital has received 14 kidney stone patients, all infants under 11 months who drank the same brand of milk formula, reviving memories of a milk-powder scandal that killed at least 13 babies.

The infants, from northwest Gansu province, were all admitted in the past two months, Xinhua news agency said.

"It is rare for babies to get kidney stones, let alone so many babies at the same time,'' Zhang Wei, a doctor at the Gansu-based No 1 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, was quoted as saying.

Parents told the hospital their babies had all been drinking the same milk powder, Xinhua added without mentioning the brand.

REUTERS

[winston]

Hidden Health Dangers in Your Sushi
By Kelley Herring

Sushi has some wonderful health benefits. But there are some common sushi ingredients with fishy side effects. Here are three of them to stay away from...

Sushi Health Danger #1: Escolar. Don't be lured by the innocuous sounding "butterfish" or "white tuna" on the menu. Escolar has been banned in Japan since 1977 and is also banned in Italy. Why? This delicious snake mackerel cannot metabolize the wax esters naturally found in its diet. While this poses no problem for the fish, it can cause very unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms in humans (called "keriorrhea") that rival the nasty effects of olestra.

Sushi Health Danger #2: Eel. Steer clear of the barbecued eel. I've warned you before about the dangers of consuming farmed fish. And eel is almost always farmed. What's more, it is primarily farmed in China. (Taiwan is the world's leading eel producer.) And in China, toxic nitrofuran - a powerful carcinogen - and many other drugs and pesticides are used to reduce the spread of disease in stagnating, overcrowded, murky pens. Not too appetizing, is it?

Sushi Health Danger #3: Soy Sauce. You may think soy sauce is safe, but some brands can trigger a painful reaction in people with gluten intolerance. To enjoy your soy without the gluten, look for tamari - soy sauce made only from soybeans. Also, because soybeans are one of the most genetically modified crops on the planet, always choose organic. San-J is an excellent brand of organic tamari.

[winston]

Sanlu Group admits contamination of baby milk powder products(Xinhua)

Sanlu Group, a leading Chinese dairy producer, said it had found in its self-check that some of its baby milk powder products were contaminated by tripolycyanamide.

Babies suffering from kidney stones receive medical treatment at the No.1 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Guansu Province, September 11, 2008. [Xinhua]

It has decided to recall all the baby milk powder it had produced before August 6 this year.

Recently, quite a number of infant kidney stone cases were reported in Gansu and other provinces. Investigations showed that most of the baby patients had drank the Sanlu formula before.

At least one baby in the northwest province had died as a result of kidney stones

[winston]

Tainted rice fed to Japanese patients

Tainted rice meant for industrial purposes was served in hospitals and homes for the elderly, the Japanese government said, prompting a criminal investigation into the food scandal.

Chief government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura said a criminal complaint had been filed against Mikasa Foods, which has apologized for selling the rice as higher-priced quality grain for food consumption when only industrial purposes such as its use in fertilisers or glue were allowed.

The Osaka-based company sold about 700 kilograms of Chinese rice contaminated with higher than permitted levels of organic pesticide methamidophos to catering company Nissin Healthcare Food Service, a Nissin spokesman said.

[winston]

Popular US soup cleared from supermarket shelves in Hong Kong

Hong Kong - Hundreds of thousands of tins of a popular imported soup were cleared from shop shelves in Hong Kong Friday after complaints of a bad smell.

About 350,000 tins of Campbell's mushroom soup made in Malaysia for the Hong Kong and Macau markets are being recalled after three customers complained of a bad odor.

The recall began Thursday and was continuing in stores across the city of 6.9 million as Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety warned people not to eat the soup.

A spokeswoman for Campbell Soup Asia told the South China Morning Post: "We have no evidence that these products present a health or safety risk and there has been no report of a consumer falling ill after eating the soup."

She added that the company was withdrawing the product "as part of our commitment to quality," the newspaper reported.

The Campbell Soup Co is based in the United States. It entered the Hong Kong market during British colonial times in the 1930s and set up an office in the city in 1984.