Consumer | Page 20 of 28 | SpiritIndia.com

E Coli :: Taco Bell E coli outbreak linked to California lettuce

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has moved closer to identifying the source of illness for the Taco Bell E. coli outbreak. FDA and the state of California, working in conjunction with state health officials in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, have DNA-matched the strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria associated with the outbreak with two environmental samples gathered from dairy farms near a lettuce growing area in California’s Central Valley.

Medicare :: Projected Medicare Part D Costs Drop By 30 Percent

Independent estimates for the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit for the FY 2008 budget cycle show that net Medicare costs are 30 percent less — $189 billion lower — than were originally predicted when the benefit was created in 2003, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced today. In addition, based on strong, competitive bids by health care plans for 2007, average monthly premiums will be approximately $22 for beneficiaries, down from $23 in 2006, if enrollees remain in their current plans. The initial estimate for 2006 premiums was $37.

Diet :: Do you know where the food on your plate comes from?

David Miliband joined Tony Blair and celebrity chef Lesley Waters (Ready Steady Cook) at 10 Downing St for the launch of a campaign to encourage people to ask where their food comes from when they’re out for a meal.

Child safety seat :: Most car seats for babies fail crash tests

A child safety seat, “car seat”, or a “child restraint system”, is a restraint which is secured to the seat of an automobile equipped with safety harnesses to hold a child in the event of a crash. Most car seats for babies fail disastrously when subjected to side-impact crash tests, according to a study of seats available in the United States by a consumer magazine.

Repetitive motion speeds nanoparticle uptake

Newly published research by Rice University chemists and North Carolina State University toxicologists finds that repetitive movement can speed the uptake of nanoparticles through the skin. The research is based on in vitro experiments involving animal skin that was exposed to buckyball-containing amino acids. It appears in the January 10 issue of the American Chemical Society’s journal Nano Letters.

Nanotech safety needs specific government risk research strategy and funding

“Prioritizing nanotechnology risk research isn’t rocket science,” said Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies chief scientist Andrew Maynard. Dr. Maynard’s remark is in his testimony today before the federal government’s first public meeting focused exclusively on research needs and priorities for the environmental, health and safety risks of engineered nanoscale materials.

Brain :: Brain scans to predict when people will buy products

For the first time, researchers have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine what parts of the brain are active when people consider whether to purchase a product and to predict whether or not they ultimately choose to buy the product. The study appears in the journal Neuron and was co-authored by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Nanotechnology :: Safety experts ill-equipped to handle nanotechnology in workplace

In a new article, “Nanotechnology and Safety,” published by Cleanroom Technology, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Chief Science Advisor Andrew Maynard urges the need for a strategic plan and more resources for risk research to ensure safe nano-workplaces today and in the future.

Trans Fat :: Trans fat ban – Watch saturated fats and calories too

The New York City trans fat ban is a step in the right direction, but the regulation that requires some restaurants to display calories as prominently as price is just as important. Also missing in the discussion? Replacing trans fat will saturated fat would be problematic.

Cough :: ‘Monitoring the Future’ findings on cough medicine abuse

The following is a statement by Linda A. Suydam, D.P.A., president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), regarding today’s release of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)’s Monitoring the Future survey, which includes data on the non-medical use of medicines containing dextromethorphan among 8th, 10th and 12th grade students.