Health Highlights: Jan. 12, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,
compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Fungicide in OJ Spotted First by Coca-Cola,
Company Says

Coca-Cola Co. says it discovered the fungicide carbendazim in some
orange juice products and alerted the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.

The company tested its own and competitors’ products but did not say
which ones contained the fungicide, which is not approved for use in the
U.S. Coca-Cola’s orange juice products include Minute Maid and Simply
Orange, while Pepsico Inc. has the Tropicana brand, the Associated
Press
reported.

The fungicide is used in Brazil, the biggest producer of oranges in the
world. Most orange juice products contain a blend of juice from different
sources, including Brazil.

The low levels of carbendazim found in the orange juice products aren’t
a safety risk, according to the FDA. But the agency said it will increase
testing to make sure the contamination isn’t a problem, the AP
reported.

—–

Red Wine Researcher Accused of Scientific
Fraud

An American researcher whose work reported on health benefits
associated with red wine has been accused of scientific fraud involving 26
articles published in 11 journals.

The University of Connecticut’s charge against one of its researchers,
Dipak K. Das, comes after an investigation that began in January 2009,
The New York Times reported.

A special review board was formed after the university received an
anonymous allegation about research irregularities in Das’s lab. The board
produced a 60,000-page report that says Das’s published research articles
contained 145 instances of fabrication and falsification of data.

The review board’s report has been sent to the federal Office of
Research Integrity, which investigates fraud by researchers who receive
government grants, The Times reported.

—–

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Chicken Livers
Is Over: CDC

A multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections
linked to kosher broiled chicken livers from Schreiber Processing
Corporation of Maspeth, N.Y. appears to be over, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A total of 190 illnesses were reported in six states — 109 in New
York, 62 in New Jersey, 10 in Pennsylvania, 6 in Maryland, 2 in Ohio and 1
in Minnesota.

The chicken livers were recalled from grocery stores but people may
still have them in their homes, the CDC said.

The agency advised consumers to check their homes for the recalled
chicken livers. No one should eat them and restaurant and food service
operators should not serve them.

——

JJ Unit Warned Over Faulty Insulin Pump:
FDA

A unit of Johnson Johnson could face fines and other penalties
for selling faulty insulin pumps and failing or delaying to disclose
serious injuries suffered by patients who used the devices, the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration says.

An FDA warning letter sent to JJ’s Animas Corp. and posted on the
agency’s website says the West Chester Pa. company never reported one case
of serious patient injury caused by a defective insulin pump and delayed
reporting two other cases, the Associated Press reported.

All three patients were hospitalized with dangerously high blood sugar,
respiratory failure and coma, and a potentially deadly complication called
diabetic ketoacidosis, which occurs when there’s a lack of insulin to
break down sugar.

The FDA ordered Animas to immediately provide a plan to correct its
failure to report within the required 30 days cases where a device may
have caused or contributed to serious injury or death, the AP
reported.

If the company does not immediately correct the violations, it could
face fines, injunction, seizure, and lose contract awards from federal
agencies, the FDA said.

Animas’ spokeswoman told the AP that the company is “dedicated
to quickly resolving the FDA’s outstanding concerns.”

—–

Americans’ Stress Levels Take a Dip:
Survey

Stress among Americans appears to be down for the first time in five
years and at its lowest point since 2007, according to a survey by the
American Psychological Association.

The poll of 1,226 adults 18 and older found that the nation’s average
self-reported stress level in 2011 was 5.2 on a 10-point scale, compared
with 6.2 in 2007, USA Today reported.

The percentage of people reporting extreme stress dropped from 32
percent in 2007 to 22 percent in 2011, and 27 percent of those who took
part in the new survey said their stress had decreased in the past five
years.

However, 39 percent of respondents said their stress rose in 2011, 44
percent said it stayed the same, and only 17 percent said it dropped.
About 75 percent said money is a concern, two-thirds said they have work
issues, and more than half have relationship or health problems.

Experts say the decline in reported stress is likely due to the fact
that stress has become a normal part of life for Americans and they’ve
adapted to it, USA Today reported.

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