Synthetic softening agents called phthalates are in tens of thousands of products people use every day, and they are helpful, but there is one thing that they should not be in: food. Yet a new study finds that phthalates, which have been linked with serious health problems, are not only in our food but that they are difficult to avoid.
Phthalates are a type of industrial chemical used in the manufacture of plastics. The synthetics industry uses about five million tons of phthalates every year. They are found in products ranging …

The loss from continuing operations of £0.889m represents an improvement from the comparable figure of £1.159m
Real Good Food Company plc, the sugars, ingredients and bakery company, has reported that Total Group sales from continuing operations decreased 2.2% to £101.7m from £104.0m compared to the same period previous year, reflecting the price and volume pressures in the sugar division as a result of regime change.
The company has said that sales improvements at Bakery Ingredients and Bakery divisions improved their operating performance year-on-year, driven by increased margins and lower overheads. This was …

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration told Congress Tuesday that it has limited abilities to keep dietary supplements with steroids from hitting market shelves.
“FDA generally cannot identify violative products before they enter the marketplace,” said Michael Levy, director of the FDA’s division of new drugs and labeling compliance, at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary crime and drugs subcommittee. “After products enter the market, we must undertake a painstaking investigative and analytical process” to show the products violate the law.
Levy said that dietary supplement makers need not prove a …

CLAREMONT, Calif., Sept. 29, 2009 — The Dr. Chao Herbal Drink Line is premiering two all-natural, vegan beverages to enhance sexual health, combat premenstrual symptoms and more. The new “Adult” and “Lady” drinks have no sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives, glutens, carbs and caffeine, do not require costly prescriptions and have health benefits derived from the recipes of a 19th-century Chinese herbalist.
According to Ted Chao, president of the Claremont, California-based U.S. People Foods & Beverages Company, “The ‘Adult Drink’ is similar to popular sex enhancement products on the market, but …

by Christian Goodman
A friend of mine would always make the statement I eat like a bird, yet I still gain weight! I can affirm to the fact that she was inclined to eat very little when we would go out for a meal but Ill admit that I assumed she went home and ate all the food in her refrigerator later.
Of course later when she was diagnosed with a pituitary disorder, I no longer assumed she wasnt being honest.
When my friend asked her doctor what could have caused this, she …