Safety
U.S. Probes Sanofi Over Blockbuster Drug Plavix
March 11, 2013 1:56 pm | News | CommentsSanofi says the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the drugmaker's disclosures to the Food and Drug Administration on its blockbuster blood thinner Plavix. In 2010, the FDA warned that certain patients with a genetic variation cannot metabolize Plavix, increasing their risk for heart attack and stroke. The drug is jointly marketed with Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Nuclear Chief: U.S. Plants Safer After Japan Crisis
March 11, 2013 11:39 am | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | News | CommentsAll but five of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors were performing at acceptable safety levels at the end of 2012, Macfarlane said, citing a recent NRC report. "You can't engage that many reactors and not have a few that are going to have difficulty," she said.
Old Sausage Found At Polish Meat Plant
March 11, 2013 11:19 am | News | CommentsLast week, TVN24 showed footage of green-colored sausages at the plant, while an anonymous worker was heard saying they would be cleaned, dried and added to new products. Another man said that tons of old meat were added to products instead of being destroyed.
China Pulls 2,800 Pigs From River Amid Pork Crackdown
March 11, 2013 8:20 am | by Louise Watt and Didi Tang, The Associated Press | News | CommentsA surge in the dumping of dead pigs upstream from Shanghai — with more than 2,800 carcasses floating into the financial hub through Monday — has followed a police campaign to curb the illicit trade in sick pig parts. The effort to keep infected pork off dinner tables may be fueling new health fears.
Feds Release Confidential Report On Cal Nuke Plant
March 11, 2013 8:01 am | by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsThe company that runs the troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant sparred with environmental activists Friday over the details of a once-confidential report that shows industry engineers were aware of problems with steam quality inside equipment that later malfunctioned.
IEPA Seeks Order Against Spray Paint Manufacturer
March 10, 2013 5:01 am | News | CommentsThe Illinois Environmental Protection Agency wants to stop a northern Illinois business from restarting operations following explosions and a fire that injured workers. IEPA Director John Kim has asked the Illinois Attorney General's Office to seek a court order preventing FVMS Inc. in Cary from reopening.
Feds Close Probe Into Ford SUVs Rolling Away
March 8, 2013 11:36 am | News | CommentsThe agency determined that failure rates on transmission and brake parts weren't high enough to take further action, such as a recall. The probe began in April 2009 and was closed on Feb. 12, the agency said. NHTSA found 36 complaints including 14 crashes and six injuries.
OSHA Proposes Fines After Death At Komatsu Plant
March 8, 2013 8:51 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has charged Komatsu America Corp. with safety violations at its plant in Peoria and proposed an $82,000 fine in the death of an employee. Stanley Musgrave Jr. of Norwood died Aug. 24, 2012, after he was injured two days earlier at the plant.
Boeing Battery Fire Was Difficult To Control
March 7, 2013 2:04 pm | by Joan Lowy and Joshua Freed, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn investigation of a battery fire aboard a Boeing 787 shows mechanics and firefighters made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to put out the blaze through smoke so thick they couldn't see the battery. The documents released by the NTSB paint a more dangerous picture of the Jan. 7 fire than previously portrayed.
Hospital: At Least 10 Hurt In Ill. Foundry Blast
March 7, 2013 1:37 pm | by Jim Salter and Jim Suhr, Associated Press | News | CommentsAt least 10 people were injured, three critically, in an explosion Thursday at a steel castings plant in southwestern Illinois, officials said. The blast happened shortly after 8 a.m. in the cleaning-and-finishing department at the American Steel Foundries plant in Granite City, just northeast of St. Louis.
Nestle: Bars In China Were Intended For Italy
March 7, 2013 11:37 am | News | CommentsIn a statement issued Thursday, the Swiss food and beverage company said the Fitness Chocolate Hazelnut cereal bars were intended for Italy, where the ingredient sorbitol is approved for use. Chinese authorizes had said earlier this week that it destroyed the bars because they had sorbitol.
Energy Drinks: Considering The Legal Risks (Part I)
March 7, 2013 11:21 am | by Michael Gruver and Glenn Pogust, Kaye Scholer LLP | Articles | CommentsIn November 2012, three senators requested that the Federal Trade Commission open an investigation into the marketing of energy drinks, and in January 2013 the same group of senators sent questionnaires to 14 energy drink makers inquiring about their marketing practices.
Heat Caused F-35 Engine Blade Crack
March 7, 2013 9:56 am | News | CommentsCroswell said an inspection found the 6/10-inch long crack in a turbine blade. The Pentagon grounded its F-35 fleet on Feb. 22 after discovering the crack on a jet at Edwards Air Force Base in California. "It was prudent to suspend flight operations while we inspected the blade," he said.
Subaru Recalls Cars That Can Start On Their Own
March 7, 2013 8:18 am | News | CommentsSubaru of America is recalling more than 47,000 cars and SUVs with remote starters because the engines can start on their own. The recall affects some Legacy and Outback cars from the 2010 to 2013 model years. Also covered are the Impreza from 2012 and 2013 and the XV Crosstrek from 2013.
Food Fraud: Are Your Ingredients At Risk?
March 6, 2013 2:17 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsThe USP defines food fraud as a “collective term that encompasses the deliberate substitution, addition, tampering or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients or food packaging, or false or misleading statements made about a product for economic gain.”
Volvo V40 Equipped With Pedestrian Air Bag
March 6, 2013 8:31 am | News | CommentsMany drivers buy Volvo for its safety record, but the Swedish carmaker is also trying to make the road safer for those who haven't bought the car. The hatchback V40 comes with a pedestrian air bag. If the car hits someone while traveling between 20 kph (12 mph) and 50 kph (30 mph), an air bag slips out from where the car hood meets the windshield.
Budget Cuts Threaten Work At Leaking Nuke Tanks
March 6, 2013 3:15 am | by Shannon Dininny, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn a letter to Inslee, the Department of Energy estimated it will have to eliminate $92 million for its Office of River Protection, which oversees efforts to empty the tanks and build a plant to treat the waste. The cuts will result in furloughs or layoffs impacting about 2,800 contract workers, the agency said.
Meat Inspector Furloughs Several Months Away
March 5, 2013 1:56 pm | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsVilsack detailed how the Agriculture Department will move forward on the furloughs at a House Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday. He said each meat inspector will likely be furloughed 11 or 12 days, instead of 15 days as the Obama administration earlier claimed.
Bombardier Sued Over Alleged Train Defects In Germany
March 4, 2013 2:02 pm | News | CommentsThe organization in charge of Berlin's commuter rail service is suing Bombardier Transport (TSE: BBD) for $460 million over allegedly defective trains. Deutsche Bahn is suing the German-based Bombardier subsidiary in regional court because of what it describes as serious errors.
Monster Hits Back At Lawsuit Over Teen's Death
March 4, 2013 12:32 pm | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsMonster Beverage is hitting back at a lawsuit alleging its energy drinks were responsible for the death of a 14-year-old Maryland girl, saying that no blood test was performed to confirm that the girl died of "caffeine toxicity." The disclosures come amid intensifying scrutiny of energy drinks and their caffeine levels.
Pratt & Whitney Discloses Fraudulent Engine Tests
March 4, 2013 12:27 pm | News | CommentsThe subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. said Monday that an investigation was initiated in June 2011 when an employee anonymously alleged that test data had been altered over 15 years at Carmel Forge, another United Technologies unit, in Israel. The Wall Street Journal first reported the disclosure.
ANA President Sees Boeing Progress On Batteries
March 1, 2013 7:46 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe president of All Nippon Airways said Friday that he believes the U.S. manufacturer has made progress in resolving problems with the aircraft's lithium-ion batteries. How soon Boeing can fix the problems, which have led to the 787s being grounded worldwide for over a month, depends partly on the approval process by the FAA.
FDA Commissioner: Budget Cuts Mean Less Safe Food
February 28, 2013 1:33 pm | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsFDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says the lack of a new 2013 budget from Congress and the upcoming across-the-board spending cuts will mean fewer food safety inspections and an increased risk to consumers. The cuts could delay a new food safety law that requires the agency to boost inspections and directs farms and food facilities to ensure their food is safe.
WHO: Small Cancer Risk After Fukushima Accident
February 28, 2013 8:20 am | by Maria Cheng, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsPeople exposed to the highest doses of radiation during Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011 may have a slightly higher risk of cancer but one so small it probably won't be detectable, the World Health Organization said in a report released Thursday.
Recommendation On Boeing 787s Expected Next Week
February 27, 2013 2:24 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsFAA Administrator Michael Huerta said agency officials are reviewing a Boeing proposal to revamp the 787's lithium ion batteries to prevent the batteries from catching fire, or to protect the plane should a fire occur. He declined to say when he might make a final decision on the plan, once he receives the recommendation.
