Contamination problems in canned foods and in pharmaceutical drugs...

New Scientist Short Sharp Science Blog: Total Recall - New Scientist

Extracts:

"If we can send people to the Moon, why can't we make canned chilli that's safe to eat? That's the question that's on my mind today as I read about the recall of various types of canned chilli, beef stew and other meat products from the Castleberry Food Co. company, which is based in Augusta, Georgia, US. Inspection officials reportedly said on Thursday that the dangerous botulism toxin found in cans of the chilli sauce might have resulted from an equipment malfunction.

Great. So now, on top of spinach, peanut butter, olives and tomatoes, here's another food I'll eat with trepidation, at least in the short term. It certainly doesn't help that the US Food and Drug Administration is overwhelmed and has recently scaled back the number of food inspectors it employs."

"Roche Pharmaceuticals announced this past June that some batches of an AIDS drug called Viracept produced at its Swiss plant contained a dangerous chemical. The company reportedly says that the recall affects 45,000 patients worldwide. The New York Times describes how poor people in developing countries face a horrible dilemma: "The recall has left those patients with the painful choice of discontinuing a lifesaving medicine, or using a drug that might contain a dangerous contaminant.""

With regard to the dilemma caused by possibly contaminated pharmaceutical drugs. the best course surely is to transfer our trust from Big Pharma to good nutrition.

Reducing salt in food to an absolute minimum, and eliminating unnatural chemicals that would never normally be present in food and drink, would be a boost to good health and the body immune system.

IMO, Big Pharma's products do far more harm than good and are really of benefit only to the shareholders.

Contaminated Aids drug, Viracept, recalled.

Contaminated Aids drug is recalled throughout Europe - Guardian

Extracts:

"An unprecedented emergency recall of all stocks of an Aids drug in the UK and the rest of Europe was ordered last night because the tablets contain a dangerously high level of a cancer-causing chemical.

All those taking the drug Viracept are being asked to see their doctor immediately so that they can be prescribed an alternative medicine.

Investigators are trying to find out what happened at the plant in Switzerland where Viracept is manufactured. It is understood that the contamination could have occurred in March and affected supplies of the drug for three months. That would mean large quantities of contaminated drugs have already been consumed."

"Roche, the Swiss manufacturers, said last night that some 550 people were on Viracept in the UK. It is one of the earlier antiretroviral drugs and most people who were on it will now have been switched to something newer. But there will still be many thousands on Viracept across Europe, particularly in less wealthy countries.

It is also widely used in Africa since campaigners fought a long battle in 2002 to persuade Roche to drop the price there. They succeeded in the following year."

"Roger Pebody, treatment adviser of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said that anybody taking the drug should not miss a dose, because it can lower the effectiveness of the virus suppression, but should contact their doctor immediately.

"It is essential that people who are taking it go to their doctor immediately in the next day and work out with their doctor the best way to proceed," he said. "That is putting people under a lot of pressure but you would not want to leave off one or two doses.""


Boost your body's natural defences against infection by cutting down on salt and salty food!

Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
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