A recent article in USA Today describes how big business can have an impact on food safety. The agricultural industry is increasingly dominated by a handful of high-volume producers, which means no contamination incident is small in size or scope. Add to this the problem of an outdated food-surveillance system that can’t really police the nation’s entire food supply and often prioritizes risks poorly.

An article in the current issue of the medical journal Pediatrics claims that baby lotions, powders, and shampoo contain a chemical known as phthalates, which are absorbed by babies through their skin, leaving them at risk of disease and disabilities.

Legislators all over the country are rightfully concerned that more and more citizens are becoming obese, and they're not sitting still for it! New York City, for one, has demanded that chain restaurants post the calorie content of their foods on menu boards. But Mississippi legislators are going even further. They are rightfully concerned that residents of their state have about the highest proportion of obesity in the whole country. So, what do they want to do about it? Prevent the fatties from dining out, that's what.

A February piece by the Heartland Institute's Melissa Mercer on New York City's calorie-count mandate for restaurants notes the skepticism of ACSH's Dr. Ruth Kava:

If approved, the ordinance would affect only 10% of the city's 23,000 restaurants, according to a statement issued by the Department of Health.
"It [seems] unfair -- there are many other restaurants that won't be touched by this regulation," said Ruth Kava, director of nutrition at the Manhattan-based American Council on Science and Health...

January 7, 2008: A Long Way, Baby, Albeit While Coughing
- Quote to Note: "A man may take out a woman who smokes for a good time, but he won't marry her, and if he does, he won't stay married." --A 1914 Washington Post editorial.

This week's announcement by Philip Morris that it plans a "global blitz" to dramatically increase the number of cigarette smokers around the world represents the ultimate public health nightmare.

Today, I sent the following letter to Renée R. Jenkins, M.D., of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who led the effort to chastise ABC for its plan to air an episode of its new lawyer drama, Eli Stone, this Thursday, in which anti-vaccine zealots who think vaccines cause autism are valorized:
Dear Dr. Jenkins,
We are writing to congratulate you on your bold, science-based statement regarding the premiere episode of the new drama series Eli Stone on ABC.

There are no legitimate health concerns associated with eating the tuna available today -- in sushi or other forms. Enjoy it without worry.
The front-page story by Marian Burros in the New York Times on Wednesday, January 23rd lacked critical perspective. She confused a legal/regulatory issue with a health issue.

ACSH's Jeff Stier was quoted in the January 24, 2008 New York Sun piece by E.B. Solomont about fears of mercury in sushi (and commented on the story on Google as well):
"Assuming that the numbers reported are accurate, I don't see how anyone is put at any risk," the associate director of the American Council on Science and Health, Jeff Stier, wrote in an e-mail message.

This piece first appeared in the New York Post on January 23, 2008: