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France 24
22-05-2025
- Health
- France 24
Trump admin sows doubt over vaccines in 'Make America Healthy Again' report
Kennedy has long warned of soaring childhood chronic illness, blaming ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, and sedentary lifestyles. Critics, however, say he downplays the danger of infectious disease -- while President Donald Trump's own policies often undercut Kennedy's stated goals. In a 68-page document released Thursday by the "Make America Healthy Again" commission, the administration expands on those concerns yet also assails the US childhood vaccine regime, even reviving a debunked link to chronic disease. "Despite the growth of the childhood vaccine schedule there has been limited scientific inquiry into the links between vaccines and chronic disease, the impacts of vaccine injury, and conflicts of interest in the development of the vaccine schedule," the report states. "These areas warrant future inquiry." Since taking office, Kennedy has ordered the National Institutes of Health to probe the causes of autism -- a condition he has long falsely tied to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The report's chronic disease references appear to nod to that same disproven theory, discredited by numerous studies since the idea first aired in a late 1990s paper based on falsified data. It also rails against the "over-medicalization" of children, citing surging prescriptions of psychiatric drugs and antibiotics, and blaming "corporate capture" for skewing scientific research. Statements at odds with actions Some of Kennedy's goals enjoy broad bipartisan appeal. Last month he urged industry to phase out synthetic food colorings -- though experts fault the administration for making the step voluntary. Ultra-processed foods are another area of common ground as US childhood obesity continues to climb, yet the Trump administration has slashed funding for diet-improvement research. The commission likewise brands "forever chemicals" found in cookware, textiles and firefighting foam a grave menace -- even though, just last week, the administration relaxed limits on those same pollutants in drinking water. "Even when the report has a good idea, like increasing consumption of whole, unprocessed foods, the remedies suggested are at odds with efforts of Kennedy, Trump, Musk, and Republicans in Congress to decimate federal workforce and government spending," said Peter Lurie of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "How is the American diet to improve when Republicans are hell-bent on cutting SNAP benefits (food stamps), slashing school meals, ripping millions of Americans from their health insurance coverage, withdrawing proposed rules that would reduce foodborne Salmonella, and laying off food inspectors?" Even before publication, the report split Republicans over agricultural pesticides, long targeted by Kennedy during his environmental law career. Pro- Big Agriculture lawmakers and lobbyists found themselves pitted against Kennedy's fervent base, which includes wellness influencers and so-called "MAHA Moms." A key flashpoint was glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller -- but ultimately, pesticides received limited space. A single subsection names glyphosate, listing possible health effects "ranging from reproductive and developmental disorders to cancers, liver inflammation, and metabolic disturbance," while stating that human studies are limited and further research is needed to confirm real-world harm. © 2025 AFP
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Health
- New York Post
USDA withdraws plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The Agriculture Department will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, halting a Biden Administration effort to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat. The department on Thursday said it was withdrawing a rule proposed in August after three years of development. Officials with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service cited feedback from more than 7,000 public comments and said they would 'evaluate whether it should update' current salmonella regulations. The rule would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness, including three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the levels exceeded the standard or any of those strains were found, the poultry couldn't be sold and would be subject to recall, the proposal had said. Advertisement 3 After three years of development, the Agriculture Department said it was withdrawing a rule proposed in August on limiting salmonella bacteria. manjurul – The plan aimed to reduce an estimated 125,000 salmonella infections from chicken and 43,000 from turkey each year, according to USDA. Overall, salmonella causes 1.35 million infections a year, most through food, and about 420 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The withdrawal drew praise from the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group, which said the proposed rule was legally unsound, misinterpreted science, would have increased costs and create more food waste, all 'with no meaningful impact on public health.' 'We remain committed to further reducing salmonella and fully support food safety regulations and policies that are based on sound science,' said Ashley Peterson, the group's senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs. Advertisement 3 The rule would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness, with some found in chicken and turkey. didesign – But the move drew swift criticism from food safety advocates, including Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who helped draft the plan. The withdrawal 'sends the clear message that the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry,' Eskin said in a statement. Advertisement The proposed rule had been regarded as a food safety victory similar to a 1994 decision to ban certain strains of dangerous E. coli bacteria from ground beef after deadly outbreaks, said Sarah Sorscher, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 3 'Make no mistake: Shipping more salmonella to restaurants and grocery stores is certain to make Americans sicker,' Sarah Sorscher, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said. AP 'Make no mistake: Shipping more salmonella to restaurants and grocery stores is certain to make Americans sicker,' Sorscher said. Advertisement Earlier this month, the USDA said it would delay by six months the enforcement of a final rule regulating salmonella levels in certain breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. Enforcement, which was set for May 1, now begins Nov. 3. That covers foods such as frozen chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kiev dishes that appear to be fully cooked but are only heat-treated to set the batter or coating. Such products have been linked to at least 14 salmonella outbreaks and at least 200 illnesses since 1998, according to the CDC.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts warn: Excessive soda intake poses multiple health risks
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Drinking too much soda daily is not good for the body due to it being linked to an increase of many health risks. Drinking an excess amount is not beneficial to the body. Soda is linked to weight gain, type two diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay and kidney problems. It can cause weight gain, type two diabetes and kidney issues because of the high sugar content in sodas. The sugar and acidity in sodas can erode tooth enamel which can lead to tooth decay and cavities. Dietitian Dr. Alicia Landry explained that some studies say soda can be linked to end-stage renal disease, diabetes and may be connected to osteoporosis. 'There are some studies that link end-stage renal disease, diabetes and osteoporosis to soda,' said Dr. Landry. 'Some of those are really small sample sizes.' According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 2013, the average American drank 38 gallons of soda a year. That amount is equivalent to eight 12-ounce cans a week. That is at least one soda per day. Sophomore Kayla Houston said she does not drink a lot of soda because she does not want to risk her health while she is young. 'It comes with a lot of health risks, I'm young, I am not going to be unhealthy at 18, and I'm risking everything while I'm old,' said Houston. 'Sugar in general, can cause tooth decay and obesity.' Soda can cause addiction when drinking too much of it. The large quantities of sugar can cause a 'rush' which can be addictive and can lead to craving more. According to they recommend to prime your brain by eliminating your favorite soda for one's fourth or fifth choice. Lowering the amount of soda, you drink and keeping a healthier alternative on hand just in case it is not enough to drink. Dr. Landry recommends that moderation and balance is key when it comes to drinking soda. 'I would say that moderation and balance is the key as with all things that you consume,' said Dr. Landy.' You wouldn't want to just consume only water because what if you are over-hydrated, and that's going to hurt you too.' Dr. Landry also recommends changing the amount of soda intake you drink. If someone drinks four sodas a day, she says to replace the fourth soda with water or a different alternative that is not a soda. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
24-04-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
It's not hard to see through RFK Jr.'s ‘radical transparency' pledge
Peter Lurie is executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Aaron Kesselheim is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Joshua Sharfstein served as principal deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the Obama administration. In his inaugural speech upon taking over as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that his plans include 'radical transparency.' He has subsequently repeated that phrase multiple times, but what it actually means — to Kennedy and for the rest of us — is far from clear. Government transparency efforts generally start with the premise that an open and engaged agency functions more effectively and inspires public trust. Transparency programs have involved more public explanation of government action, quicker release of documents and databases, more opportunities for public comment, and an aversion to sudden, unexplained major changes in direction. In its conventional form, transparency operates neutrally, without regard to specific political objectives. To date, Kennedy's 'radical transparency' looks nothing like this. After an initial pause on agency communications, HHS eliminated communications teams across the department. These teams include people who understand how to reach the public and clinicians to share information on drug and device recalls, outbreak investigations, and other health topics. Beyond the communications teams, there has been little effort to make knowledgeable people available for public engagement: HHS has not permitted experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, to brief the country on one of the worst measles outbreaks in decades. Also gone are most of the staffers who respond to requests for government documents under the Freedom of Information Act — one of the most important federal statutes related to open government — even though the department already faced formidable backlogs. (One exception appears to be the sparing of staff fulfilling requests for vaccine data filed by Kennedy's campaign lawyer, who is known for vaccine-related petitions and litigation.) Kennedy's team also appears to be undermining the integrity of and access to important health datasets. Before Kennedy's confirmation, HHS interpreted President Donald Trump's executive orders on gender and diversity as requiring certain national health datasets to be hidden, at least temporarily, from public view. After a judge required the department to make the information available again, its websites presenting these data now state — without further explanation — that they are 'being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders.' Meanwhile, HHS has dismissed entire teams supporting major national studies. These include the National Survey of Drug Use on Health, the nation's leading effort to understand addiction, and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a critical source of information on risk factors for preterm delivery and other adverse birth outcomes. Even completed scientific studies are being delayed, altered or quashed. After three-quarters of a century of uninterrupted publication, the department failed to publish the CDC's flagship Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for several weeks, delaying information on the spreading avian flu epidemic. Public Health Reports, a journal of the Surgeon General's Office, is now demanding revisions of accepted, peer-reviewed articles to conform with bans on certain terms. Public participation in department decision-making has also been restricted. The Food and Drug Administration and the CDC have canceled or postponed open advisory committee meetings on vaccines. And HHS rescinded a federal commitment made in 1971 allowing public comment on rules related to public property, loans, grants, benefits and contracts. Kennedy has yet to explain major changes at the department itself. HHS has dismissed approximately 10,000 employees (some erroneously) and is embarking on a major reorganization, with only a brief media statement explaining what appears to be the fundamental reshaping of multiple agencies. NIH has canceled hundreds of grants on the grounds of ill-defined 'gender ideology,' 'DEI,' or 'no longer effectuat[ing] agency priorities.' Also poorly explained: Why NIH has stopped multiple grants to South Africa that are critical to understanding how best to fight the global scourges of tuberculosis and AIDS. And Kennedy has yet to answer questions about why HHS pushed out an FDA leader in charge of reviewing vaccines, brought on a well-known anti-vaccine activist to reexamine vaccine safety data or prompted a leading food scientist at NIH to claim he was being censored. With so much obfuscation and opacity at HHS, it has become crystal clear that 'radical transparency' is not about openness and engagement. So what does the term actually mean? The HHS website on 'radical transparency' includes five items. One, inexplicably, is 'Ending Anti-Semitism on College Campuses.' A second is a press release stating that Kennedy has ordered the FDA to 'explore rulemaking' to stop food additives from entering the food supply without the agency being notified. A third is a list of terminated contracts that provides no explanations for the terminations. The two remaining points are aggregations of data already in the public domain. One brings together information on chemical contaminants from several existing datasets. The other includes details on conflicts of interest among members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a key focus of Kennedy's attention. In the past, he has claimed that 97 percent of the committee's members have conflicts of interest and has stated that 'almost all' have 'severe, severe conflicts of interest.' The new website, which aggregates information disclosed at the committee's public meetings, actually demonstrates that Kennedy is wrong. Many meetings involve no conflicts of interest, and at others, members regularly disclose conflicts and abstain from relevant votes. Meanwhile, Kennedy's signature Make America Healthy Again Commission held its first meeting behind closed doors. So far, the selective releases of 'radical transparency' seem to be little more than tactics in pursuit of the secretary's own agenda. With so much at stake for their health, Americans deserve to understand what HHS is up to and why. 'Radical transparency' needs a lot more transparency.
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
RFK Jr. Vows To Deliver America 'Real Food,' Without Synthetic Food Dyes
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would revoke authorization of 2 petroleum-based synthetic food dyes with plans to eliminate 6 other food dyes by the end of 2026. While this is not an outright ban, the Trump administration is continuing with its 'Make America Healthy Again' mission by urging the food industry to make the switch. President of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Dr. Peter Lurie, joins to discuss HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to phase out synthetic dyes and how this will impact public health. April is National Infertility Awareness Month, spotlighting an issue that affects millions of men and women and that carries a significant impact for American families. Actress Patricia Heaton and her husband, David Hunt, are tackling this topic in their dramedy film, 'Unexpected,' which closely follows a couple's journey through infertility. 'The Middle' & 'Everyone Loves Raymond' star Patricia Heaton and director David Hunt join to discuss the joys and challenges of producing this film, making the topic of infertility less socially taboo, and embracing the messiness of life as a couple. Plus, commentary from FOX News contributor and host of The Jason In The House podcast, Jason Chaffetz. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
