Food & Drug Law Prof Blog

Professor Peter Erlinder in prison in Rwanda

Forgive me -- I know this does not relate to food law, but I hope you'll agree it's worth the space here under the circumstances. 

William Mitchell College of Law Professor Peter Erlinder, my colleague, was arrested in Rwanda on Friday and is now in prision there.  Professor Erlinder is passionate about the rule of law, and had traveled to Rwanda as part of the defense team for Victoire Ingabire, who is running for president, and who is accused of genocide denial.

Professor Erlinder is being held on charges of genocide denial as well. He has written on and spoken about the international tribunal in Rwanda.  In particular, Peter Erlinder has accused current Rwandan leaders of crimes against humanity, citing documents that are publicly available but not well reported in the West.  Some of these are available at the Rwanda Documents Project website, along with some of Professor Erlinder's writings.

The National Lawyers Guild, of which Peter Erlinder is a past president, has demanded his release.  William Mitchell College of Law has posted a statement on its website. 

Here is a video interview with Professor Erlinder just before he traveled to Rwanda:

Alfalfa Sprouts linked to Salmonella -- FDA: Urgent Nationwide Recall

From the FDA:

• This recall affects raw alfalfa sprouts packaged and labeled as: Caldwell Fresh Foods alfalfa sprouts - 4-ounce plastic cups and one pound plastic bags and in 2-pound and 5-pound plastic bags in cardboard boxes with sticker affixed with the printed words “Caldwell Fresh Foods”; Nature’s Choice alfalfa sprouts - 4-ounce plastic cups; California Exotics brands alfalfa sprouts - 5-ounce plastic clamshell containers.  No other alfalfa sprouts are implicated in the outbreak.
• The recalled products have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections in consumers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
• The sprouts were distributed to a variety of restaurants, delicatessens and retailers, including Trader Joe's and Wal-Mart stores.
• Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
• Consumers and restaurant and delicatessen operators should not purchase, eat or use raw sprouts from Caldwell Fresh Foods. The sprouts should be returned to the place of purchase for a refund and disposal.

Click here for the full press release

Eloisa C. Rodriguez-Dod, It’s Not a Small World After All: Regulating Obesity Globally

The Mississippi Law Journal is pleased to announce the publication of Professor Eloisa C. Rodriguez-Dod's article on regulating adult obesity globally.  "It’s Not a Small World After All: Regulating Obesity Globally" is a study of domestic and international regulatory efforts to curb obesity in adults.  The survey ranges from California, New York, and Mississippi statutory analysis to Spanish and Japanese reforms.  Recently, Professor Rodriguez-Dod presented her research and findings at the University of Mississippi School of Law as part of the Mississippi Law Journal's Speakers Bureau.  The article is available on SSRN at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1483171

An Investigation into Bisphenol A in Canned Foods

Follow up to previous postings on Bisphenol A , this News release:

 "Senator Dianne Feinstein stood with environmental health advocates today on Capitol Hill to release a new report that demonstrates alarming levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in common canned foods. BPA is a synthetic sex hormone and exposure to low doses has been linked to abnormal behavior, diabetes and heart disease, infertility, developmental and reproductive harm, and obesity, which raises the risk of early puberty, a known risk factor for breast cancer. Senator Feinstein has introduced legislation that would ban BPA in cans, in addition to other food and beverage containers. The Senator is hopeful that the Food Safety Act will include language that protects consumers from BPA exposure.

“We found in our analysis that if someone is eating just one meal with at least one canned food product, their levels of BPA are as much as those that have been shown to cause health effects in laboratory animal studies,” says Bobbi Chase Wilding of Clean New York, co-author, of No Silver Lining, An Investigation Into Bisphenol A in Canned Foods, by The National Workgroup for Safe Markets, a coalition of U.S. public health- and environmental health-focused organizations. “Six states have taken crucial first steps this year to get this hormone mimicking chemical out of our children’s food, but this report shows that there is much more to be done. Senator Feinstein’s bill will protect much more of our food from this toxic contamination,” said U.S. Public Interest Research Group Public Health Advocate Elizabeth Hitchcock..."Eating common canned foods is exposing consumers to levels of bisphenol A (BPA) equal to levels shown to cause health problems in laboratory animals, according to a new study released today by The National Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups.

The study, No Silver Lining, tested food from 50 cans from 19 US states and one Canadian province for BPA contamination. Over 90% of the cans tested had detectable levels of BPA, some at higher levels than have been detected in previous studies. The canned foods tested were brand name fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, soups, tomato products, sodas, and milks, which together represent “real-life” meal options for a wide range of North American consumers. The cans were purchased from retail stores and were chosen from report participants’ pantry shelves, and sent to an independent laboratory for testing. One can of DelMonte green beans had the highest levels of BPA ever found in canned food, at 1,140 parts per billion."

Hat tip: Mary Ann Archer, William Mitchell College of Law