Time magazine has a rather alarmist article about labels on consumer chemicals:

But where were the ingredients? There were scary words on the labels–WARNING and DANGER! KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN–and some nasty things I recognized (bleach, ammonia, the generic word disinfectant). With cereal boxes detailing everything from trans fats to soluble fiber, I thought there would be exhaustive lists of everything in those bottles and sprays. But there weren’t. If I didn’t rinse the bathtub thoroughly, what kind of residue would my daughter’s bottom be resting on?

Surely, Mr. Clean could tell me more. I logged on to Procter & Gamble’s website, where I found tips about how to use the products but still no list of ingredients. It turns out that companies aren’t required to tell us what makes their products work; there is no government agency that regulates what’s in soap-scum spray and other useful items. Digging deep into the site, I did find Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSes) for many P&G products, which are posted by law in factories where they’re made, listing information about a cleaner’s chemical components and known health effects. The government also has a website–householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov–with a database of household-cleaner MSDSes from a range of manufacturers.

See the full article at: Time.com.

The Chicago Tribune discusses Prop 65 regulations in California and how some manufacturers are being pressured to change their formulations:

Nail products company OPI has long charmed women with whimsical shade names such as “O’Hare and Nails Look Great!” and “That’s an EL of a color.” It even launched a line of nail “pawlish” for pets.

But warm and fuzzy OPI is now under attack. In an effort to raise awareness about the unregulated chemicals in personal-care products, a coalition of health and environmental advocacy groups is pressing the Los Angeles-based company to sell what it calls “safer” brands of nail polish.

Over the last few weeks, women in cities around the world, including Chicago, have delivered letters of concern to nail salons that carry OPI nail products. The letters, available through the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (safecosmetics.org), urge the company to remove toxic chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems.

See the full article: Chicago Tribune.

Natural Life Magazine discusses the labeling of cosmetics products:

The American Academy of Dermatology says that more than 5,000 different fragrances are used in perfumes and skin products, in hundreds of chemical combinations. But because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren’t required to list their ingredients. Twenty years ago, the National Academy of Sciences targeted fragrances as one of the six categories of chemicals that should be given high priority for neurotoxicity testing. Their report states that 95 percent of chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. They include benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and many other known toxics and sensitizers. Propylene glycol is a common ingredient in fragrances and is considered an immunotoxic chemical. Others include cyclohexanol, which has a depressive action on the central nervous system; linalool, which has been shown to provoke ataxic gait, depression and respiratory disturbances; methyl ethyl ketone, which can induce unconsciousness, emphysema, congestion of the liver and kidneys, eye, nose and throat irritation, and numbness of the extremities; and formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen with many other damaging traits.

Although the U.S. FDA does not require safety testing on cosmetics, they do require companies to post a warning label on personal care products that have not been safety tested. After pressure from the EWG, the EPA warned companies to comply with the law or face persecution. Should companies comply, EWG estimates that over 99 percent of cosmetic products would have to be labeled.

See the full article here: Natural Life.

The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reports that:

3M agreed Tuesday to pay a $1.5 million penalty to the Environmental Protection Agency for 244 violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act, for using unsafe chemicals in its products, according to media reports.

The EPA, which did not specify when and where the violations happened, accused 3M of failing to notify the agency about new chemicals and of late reporting of “substantial risk information.”

The fine is large by EPA standards, although it is considered small for a large corporate company like 3M.

See the full article: Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal.

I don’t believe any of our clients sell their food products in the Federated States of Micronesia, but if they do, they’ll want to know about the following change in food labeling laws there:

Another measure that was signed from the Kosrae session is Public Law 14-59, which amends Title 41 of the FSM Code by adding a new section to the National Food Safety Act.

Under the new Section 1006 A, on Food Labeling, the new law requires that all imported food items sold in the FSM, must be labeled in English.

The law further notes that the new requirement should not “prevent the importation of fresh fruits and vegetables.”

In today’s globalized society, it’s important to stay up to date on regulations from all over the world. That’s why Nexreg is constantly on the lookout for changes to government laws – even in Micronesia!

Source: PacificIslands.cc.

This in from the website SeniorJournal.com

Numerous studies have shown senior citizens can save tremendous amounts of money by using generic drugs, even in the Medicare prescription drug program. The Food and Drug Administration today announced approvals for two generics that will be of interest to many older people. The first, Pravastatin, is a generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Pravachol. The second, Cilostazol, is a generic for Pletal, which is prescribed for those who get pain in the legs when walking.

The FDA said Pravastatin Sodium Tablets is the first generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Pravachol and described the action as “important step in the agency’s effort to increase the availability of lower-cost generic medications.”

Pravastatin is for the treatment of individuals with high cholesterol levels (hyperlipidemia) or who are at increased risk for atherosclerosis-related cardiac and cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke in which high cholesterol levels are a factor.

In 2005, Pravachol was the 22nd highest-selling brand-name drug in the United States, with sales totaling $1.3 billion.

See the full article: SeniorJournal.com.