Consumers Union is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.
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The fight over regulations, and why it’s important to you
by Ami Gadhia and Jean Halloran You may have heard a lot recently about Washington D.C. and its ‘regulations’ – probably not much of it good. Politicians and others have been talking about doing away with federal regulations, and the Senate is set to consider several bills that will make it a lot tougher for Continue Reading
Were your holiday gifts naughty or nice? Report any unsafe products.
The decorations are down and the tree is long gone, but how are your holiday gifts and toys holding up? If you received any products that turned out to pose safety hazards, report them to www.SaferProducts.gov. Thousands of people have logged complaints of unsafe products on this website launched last year by the U.S. Consumer Continue Reading
Will California label GE fish?
With the FDA poised to approve genetically engineered (GE) salmon, California legislators are taking preemptive action to protect consumers from being blindsided when it hits the market. The FDA has indicated that if the new GE salmon is approved, they do not plan to require labeling. A bill currently making its way through the California Continue Reading
FDA announces new restrictions on antibiotics for animals
The FDA revealed new restrictions this week on the use of one type of antibiotics, cephalosporins, in food animals in order to help reduce the risk of resistance to these drugs in humans. Cephalosporins are used to treat human illnesses such as pneumonia and several kinds of infections. In food animals, such as cattle, swine, Continue Reading
Like sprinkling antibiotics on Cheerios
Fourteen illnesses, half of which required hospitalization, have now been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella-tainted beef sold at Hannaford’s, a New England supermarket chain. The company issued a recall last week of all ground beef with a sell by date of December 17 or earlier. The strain, Salmonella typhimurium, tested resistant to several classes of Continue Reading
Is your holiday Made in the USA?
Are you part of the 1-in-3 people who haven’t started their holiday shopping yet? Or maybe you still have a few more gifts to cross off your list? Then it’s not too late for you to pick up a few presents made right here in the U.S. of A. Consider the impact, says ABC News, Continue Reading
FDA: expect decision on BPA by the end of March
In response to a lawsuit by the National Resources Defense Council, the FDA has now stated that the agency will make a decision on the safety of bisphenol A in food packaging by March 31, 2012. The NRDC filed a petition with the FDA in 2008 requesting a ban on BPA in any packaging or Continue Reading
Consumer Reports finds arsenic, lead in apple and grape juice
Apple juice, one of the mainstays of kids’ fare in the US, has come under fire lately due to testing that found high levels of arsenic. Amidst these allegations, Consumer Reports conducted our own investigation and found problematic levels of arsenic – as well as lead – in many of the juices tested. No federal standards Continue Reading
Sleuthy consumer uncovers sneaky fish marketing
Customers at the fish counter are on high alert since the latest issue of Consumer Reports hit the shelves featuring the article ‘Mystery Fish’ in which our lab tests show that about 22% of the time we’re not getting the fish we’re paying for. After reading the piece, one gentleman took it upon himself to alert Continue Reading
Eat Their Words: Podcast and Video
As part of the celebrations for Consumer Reports’ 75th anniversary, we hosted a panel discussion at Grand Central Station with three fantastic food safety experts. The event, “Eat Their Words: The Role of the Media in Keeping our Food Safe,” was held on October 28th and featured three well-known faces in the food safety sphere: Continue Reading
