Latest news with #andCosmeticAct
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
JM Smucker becomes latest food manufacturer to remove artificial colors from popular brands
The J.M. Smucker Co. joined a growing list of food giants that are pledging to eliminate FD&C artificial dyes from its products within the next two years, aligning with the Trump administration's goals of removing artificial colors from the nation's food supply. Smucker's said this commitment, announced Friday, will affect its sugar-free fruit spreads and ice cream toppings as well as certain products from its Hostess brand portfolio. The company also said it's working with its distribution partners to no longer sell products with FD&C colors to K-12 schools by the 2026 – 2027 school year. Smucker's, whose family of brands includes Folgers, Dunkin', Café Bustelo, Jif, Uncrustables, Smucker's and Hostess, said most of its consumer foods are already free of FD&C colors, including a majority of its products currently available to K-12 schools. The company has previously removed high-fructose corn syrup from its Uncrustables sandwiches and introduced fruit spreads featuring ingredients from all natural sources as well as reduced sugar options. 'Our commitment to remove FD&C colors from our sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, and sweet baked goods products represents the latest example of our desire to evolve and our ability to continue to innovate to deliver on the expectations of our consumers,' J.M. Smucker CEO Mark Smucker said. The artifical dyes are known as FD&C colors and labeled as such on packages because the color additive is approved by the FDA for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics. 3 The J.M. Smucker Co. is the latest food giant to remove artificial dyes from its products. Bloomberg News They are subject to a strict system of approval under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Last week, General Mills and Kraft Heinz issued their own commitments to remove all artificial dyes from their respective U.S. portfolios by the end of 2027. PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said during an April 24 conference call that the company will reduce artificial ingredients and has already begun doing so, while McCormick, which manufactures and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavoring products, told analysts during its earnings call in March that it has been working with restaurants and foodmakers to reformulate products to remove certain ingredients like food dyes. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to launch a stronger review process for food chemicals already on the market to ensure the nation's food supply is more transparent and ensure the safety of chemicals in food. 3 Sugar-free fruit spreads and ice cream toppings will be affected, though certain dyes in other products will still be in use, approved by the FDA. AP Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously said that 'some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent' for too long. He also claimed that these 'poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children's health and development.' Kennedy and the FDA announced in April a series of new measures to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation's food supply. 3 The company plans to remove the dyes from its products within the next two years. Getty Images Kennedy noted that this effort would need voluntary support from food manufacturers, but that the 'industry has voluntarily agreed' to do so. The FDA has approved seven certified color additives for use in food, six of which were approved by 1931. Now, it's working with the industry to eliminate FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1 and FD&C Blue No. 2 from the food supply by 2027. The FDA in January revoked the authorization for the use of Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, in food and ingested drugs over concerns that it has been shown to cause cancer in animals.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
PA bills will expand access to opioid overdose reversal agents
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Two bills will soon be introduced to help provide more resources to first responders and law enforcement to fight opioid overdoses. Representatives Chris Pielli and Brian Munroe, in a memo to lawmakers, wrote that the current practice in Pennsylvania is 'outdated.' Noting that the Department of Health only allows the use of naloxone despite other options being available. The CDC reported that deaths involving opioids were estimated to be over 54,000. However, from December 2023 to December 2024, drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania dropped by 29.94%. Two states, Nevada and South Dakota, were the only ones with increases. Both saw increases of over 4%. Pennsylvania lawmakers advance bill expanding no-cost breast cancer diagnostics Naloxone is used by law enforcement and other first responders to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone works by attaching itself to opioid receptors and then reversing and blocking the effects of opioids. In the CDC's most recent report, they also listed synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, as being the cause of the largest number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the representatives. They argue that fentanyl is so strong that it can outlast the effects of naloxone and cause people to 're-overdose.' That's why they feel that first responders should have access to things like nalmefene, which is a longer-lasting opioid antagonist. Currently, nalmefene is only available by prescription. 'While naloxone is a crucial tool for first responders and law enforcement, it cannot be our only option,' The representatives said. The two bills that they will be introducing would do the following: Amend the Controlled Substance Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act to allow nalmefene as an approved opioid antagonist for use over the counter. Direct the Pennsylvania Department of Health to change their current standing order to include nalmefene as an approved opioid reversal agent for over the counter use. 'We cannot continue to discount the ability of other opioid antagonists to save lives. While our policy continues to stagnate, the illicit drug market evolves, adapts, and finds new ways to draw Pennsylvanians into the throes of addiction or, in an unfortunate number of cases, death,' the representatives added. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Doctor's illegal butt enhancements in FL left patients feeling burning, feds say
A doctor promised that silicone injections he used for butt enhancements were 'safe' — but many of his patients had bad reactions, including some who went to other doctors to have the silicone removed, according to federal court filings. Now, Nhan Pham, 54, of Orlando, is facing up to three years in prison, according to a May 8 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Pham misled patients when he assured the silicone oil he ordered online and injected into their bodies during gluteal and butt enhancement procedures was ''natural,' and would dissolve over time,' federal prosecutors said. Some patients felt 'severe pain' as well as burning, discoloration, itchiness, soreness and hardness at their injection sites after receiving injections from Pham at his office in Kissimmee and his Orlando home between 2015 and 2019, according to prosecutors. Silicone injections for body enhancements are not only dangerous, but they're illegal, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pham, who's accused of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge: receipt in interstate commerce and proffered delivery of an adulterated device, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. His defense attorney, Fritz J. Scheller, told McClatchy News on May 8 that while Pham 'has accepted responsibility for his actions, they should not be the sole measure of the man.' Pham served in the U.S. military and 'has provided exemplary service to this country' and 'to a countless number of his patients,' Scheller said. He added that several patients have expressed support for Pham. For butt enhancement procedures, Pham had patients pay him in cash, according to court documents. He was paid $20,400 in total by six people who received silicone oil injections, prosecutors said. Injections offered to undercover agent The gallons of unapproved silicone Pham ordered online was linked to a U.S. subsidiary of a company located in Japan, according to prosecutors, who said the oil wasn't 'medical grade.' Pham got the silicone oil from an online shop, which 'sourced' the oil from another company, which sourced the silicone from the Japan-based company, prosecutors wrote in filings. Pham was implicated in the criminal case after prosecutors said he offered injections to an undercover agent in September 2019. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In the four years that Pham performed the illegal butt enhancement procedures, according to prosecutors, the FDA warned the public about injectable silicone. In a 2017 alert, the agency said unregulated silicone products used for butt, breast and other body enhancements could result in 'serious injuries and disfigurement.' In the U.S., silicone injections are only allowed to be used during eye surgeries, specifically retinal detachment procedures, according to ScienceDirect.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Orlando physician pleads guilty to using illegal silicone in cosmetic surgeries
A doctor in Orlando has pleaded guilty to federal charges over using illegal materials for cosmetic procedures. The Justice Department says Nhan Pham,54, pleaded guilty to receipt in interstate commerce and proffered delivery of an adulterated device. This violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A sentencing hearing is set for Aug. 14. Pham faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. Pham is a physician who performed various cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures. According to the plea agreement, between 2015 and 2019, he ordered silicone oil online and injected that silicone into his patients for gluteal and buttock enhancement procedures at his office and home. The Justice Department states that the 'U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of injectable silicone for body contouring or enhancement and has issued warnings to the public advising them of the illegality of and health risks associated with silicone injections.' Prosecutors say Pham inaccurately represented the substance he was injecting into patient's bodies was 'safe,' 'natural' and would dissolve over time. After receiving the silicone oil injections, prosecutors say patients experienced complications that included sharp and severe pain, discomfort, discoloration, itchiness, burning, inflammation, soreness and hardness in the injection areas. On Sept. 24, 2019, Pham offered to perform silicone oil injections on an undercover law enforcement agent. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Epoch Times
25-04-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
What to Know About the Two Banned Food Dyes
It's unlikely that you'd ingest either of the two synthetic food dyes—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on April 22 it will ban in the coming months. You'd only be at risk of the two dyes if you were to eat the peel of Florida oranges, which are often injected with Citrus Red No. 2 to make them more visually appealing to consumers, or if Orange B were currently produced—which it hasn't been for decades. 'Because it was no longer produced, there was no need to actively ban it,' Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and food industry consultant, told The Epoch Times in an email. 'The banning of these two dyes is fairly inconsequential.' The FDA announced it would initiate the process of revoking authorization of Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B as part of its plan to eliminate all remaining synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026. The agency intends to work with the food industry to get all food dyes out of circulation. Orange B The FDA approved Orange B in 1966, with a limitation that it not exceed 150 parts per million in finished food. It was a colorant limited to hot dog and sausage casings and wasn't permitted in cosmetics or medications. Studies showed Orange B, an azo dye, was damaging to the spleens, livers, and kidneys in rats. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) asked the FDA to officially ban it in its 2010 food dye Related Stories 4/22/2025 4/23/2025 'In 1978 the FDA proposed banning Orange B (Fed Reg. October 3, 1978), but, because companies stopped using it, the FDA never bothered to finalize the ban; it should do so now,' wrote authors Sarah Kobylewski and Michael F. Jacobson. Rupa Health notes that exposure to Orange B could include mild effects like skin reactions, hyperactivity, irritability, headaches, difficulty breathing, and gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Citrus Red No. 2 Citrus Red No. 2 is also an azo dye, only approved at a level of no more than two parts per million for adding color to the skins of unprocessed Florida oranges. About 1,500 pounds—enough dye to color two billion oranges—are certified annually by the FDA. 'Citrus Red No. 2 is classified as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans,' which is why it is only allowed for orange peels that will not be eaten, and not for oranges that will be processed, which would release the dye into the edible portions, such as juice. Animal studies found that it can cause bladder tumors,' Quoc Le said. A Other studies have raised concerns about cancer, according to the CSPI report. Because the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that governs toxicology levels for human health forbids any link to cancer in human or animal studies, the CSPI has long argued that Citrus Red No. 2 shouldn't be used in food. Some recipes call for cooking with grated orange peels, and the CSPI report noted experts' concern about eating peels this way. The CSPI report quoted an internal FDA memo written by FDA veterinarian Kent J. Davis saying, 'Citrus Red 2 then becomes an intolerable human health hazard if only from the amounts consumed from fingers after peeling oranges treated with this dye. (Some additional dye may be ingested with peel or orange.)' Plans for Bans As early as the 1930s, azo-derived dyes were All food colorants—including natural ones, like those derived from beets, carrots, and turmeric—must be approved by the FDA. The nine synthetic dyes—Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Citrus Red 2, Orange B, and Red No. 3—currently used must also be certified when a new batch is made, a process that ensures accurate measurements. The FDA banned Red No. 3 in early 2025 with a grace period that expires Jan. 15, 2027, for food and Jan. 18, 2028, for medication. As part of the April 22 announcement, the FDA is asking companies to voluntarily remove Red No. 3 prior to the deadlines. Future plans will include a timeline for phasing out synthetic dyes, the FDA said. It also But there are questions about how exactly RFK Jr.'s ban on food dyes will play out. Susan Mayne, former head of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition during the Obama, Trump, and first two years of the Biden administration, says the ban is not really a ban. It cannot be enforced because it did not follow standard procedure. She said this week's FDA announcement amounts to a call for voluntary action on the part of food makers. 'People were left very unclear in terms of what they are going to be doing,' she said. 'At the same time, there are state actions that are moving to ban products from coming into the state food supply or into school lunch programs.' Mayne said it is unclear how this federal approach will relate to the policies already being enacted at the state level. Why Dye? Florida resorted to dying their naturally pale oranges in the 1930s. By the 1950s, Florida opted to sell a large part of their harvested oranges to food manufacturers for use in concentrate—and those oranges cannot be tainted with dye. That's why the FDA regulation on Citrus Red No. 2 is specific about its use for unprocessed oranges. As a percentage of the total pounds of synthetic food dyes that the FDA certifies in batch tests every year, neither Orange B nor Citrus Red No. 2 register as a fraction of a percent. Quoc Le said banning them is a sensible way to phase out all synthetic dyes. 'With few uses for these dyes, it's much easier to remove them from the food system, as only a handful of applications exist and substitutions can be done quickly. These dyes are fairly low-hanging fruit.'
