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Consumer Health Digest #06-40
Your Weekly Update of News and Reviews
October 3, 2006
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by
Stephen Barrett, M.D., and cosponsored by NCAHF and Quackwatch. It
summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement
actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and
nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer
protection and consumer decision-making.
###
Serious disease outbreak traced to "organic" food marketer.The FDA has announced that all spinach implicated in the current
outbreak of E coli diarrhea has been traced back to Natural Selection
Foods LLC of San Juan Bautista, California. This determination is
based on epidemiological and laboratory evidence obtained by multiple
states and coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). E. coli O157:H7 can cause diarrhea, often with
bloody stools. Although most healthy adults recover completely within
a week, some people develop a form of kidney failure called hemolytic
uremic syndrome (HUS), which can be fatal. To date the CDC has
received reports of 187 cases of illness due to E. coli O157:H7
infection, including 29 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), 97
hospitalizations and one death. Natural Selection Foods has issued a
recall of all implicated products, and four other companies have
issued secondary recalls because they received the recalled product
from Natural Selection. Spinach processed by other manufacturers has
not been implicated in the outbreak. The FDA Web site contains
additional information that includes product names. [FDA announces
findings from investigation of foodborne E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in
spinach. FDA press release, Sept 29, 2006]
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01474.html Natural
Selection Foods has described itself as North America's largest
supplier of specialty salads and organic produce. Its organic
products are marketed under the Earthbound Farm brand. [Fact sheet.
Natural Selection Web site, archived June 30, 2004]
http://web.archive.org/web/20040603020050/www.nsfoods.com/about_facts.html Natural Selection Foods is offering to reimburse out-of-pocket
medical expenses of people with officially confirmed E coli
infections linked to use of its products
http://www.nsfoods.com/###
Dr. Phil suit class-action suit settled.An agreement has been reached to settle a lawsuit against
psychologist Phil McGraw and a company through which he marketed
dietary supplements and meal-replacement products under the "Shape
Up!" brand name. The suit, filed in Los Angeles in 2004, alleged that
McGraw falsely claimed that the products would cause weight loss by
promoting fat metabolism and reducing carbohydrate cravings and
appetite swings. The products, which cost about $120 for a month's
supply, were supposedly tailored for the person's "body type," a
concept that has no scientific support. The settlement agreement
calls for the establishment of a recover fund will be established
consisting of $6.0 million of
Nutrilite Daily Multivitamin
Multimineral, 6-month supply, and $4.5 million in cash, out of which
all costs and attorneys fees will be paid. McGraw will have no
personal obligation to contribute to the Fund. The agreement provides
benefits to people who can establish that they bought Shape Up!
products on or before July 1, 2006. It also provides benefits to
certain charitable organizations to be selected by the parties and
approved by the court. The suit
http://www.casewatch.org/civil/drphil/classactioncomplaint.shtml and
settlement agreement
http://www.casewatch.org/civil/drphil/settlement.pdf are posted on
Casewatch. Instructions for claimants have been posted to a Shape-Up!
settlement site.
http://www.shapeupsettlement.com###
Products seized from MLM company.At the FDA's request, U.S. Marshals have seized about $55,000 worth
of Ellagimax capsules, Coral Max capsules, Coral Max without Iron
capsules, and Advanced Arthritis Support capsules distributed by
Advantage Nutraceuticals L.L.C. of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Although these products were labeled as "dietary supplements," they
were promoted with claims typically associated with drug products,
including claims of effectiveness against cancer, arthritis,
fibromyalgia, and seizures. The claims persisted even though the FDA
had warned the company to stop. [FDA asks U.S. marshals to seize
dietary supplements: Products being promoted with drug claims. FDA
news release, Sept 6, 2006]
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01446.html###
Xango warned about illegal claims.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned XanGo International
of Lehi, Utah, to stop the distribution of brochures which claim that
its Mangosteen Juice drink has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial,
anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, and anti-allergic effects and a
long list of other potential health benefits. [Collins BB. Warning
letter to Gary Hollister, Sept 20, 2006]
http://www.casewatch.org/fdawarning/prod/2006/xango.shtmlXanGo International is a multilevel marketing company that sells products
through independent distributors who are encouraged to recruit other
distributors. The FDA obtained the brochures through contact
information given at a recruitment seminar. A company attorney has
stated that XanGo should not be held responsible for the claims
because the brochures were distributed by an independent publisher
that shows up uninvited to its workshops. [Fantin L, Gehrke R. XanGo
and the FDA. The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept 29, 2006]
http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_4421792 The Natural Medicines
Comprehensive Database states that there is insufficient information
to conclude that mangosteen if effective.
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/hm.html###
Other issues of the Digest are accessible through
http://www.ncahf.org/digest06/index.html. For information about the
National Council Against Health Fraud, see
http://www.ncahf.org/about/mission.html. If you enjoy the newsletter,
please recommend it to your friends.
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Board Chairman, Quackwatch, Inc.
NCAHF Vice President and Director of Internet Operations
P.O. Box 1747, Allentown, PA 18105
Telephone: (610) 437-1795
http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
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Editor, Consumer Health Digest
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/chd.htmlDonations to help support Quackwatch can be made conveniently through
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