Health & Wellness : Public policy

The sustainable agriculture coalition is urging people to oppose the USDA’s proposed “naturally raised” label, saying it would mislead consumers, undermining the markets created by sustainable livestock producers.

The EPA has just announced a proposed rule change that would exempt large livestock operators from the need to report releases of hazardous substances to the air when they come from animal waste. Under the proposed rules, they would no longer need to disclose hazards like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide to local, state and federal agencies.

The Calgary region is to force a major reduction in the use of trans fats in foods old in restaurants and by similar businesses. Trans fats are thought to contribute to the deaths of up to 5,000 Canadians a year through heart disease.

Recently, the Nagoya District Court in Japan, accepted Hiroko Uchino's claim that her husband, Kenichi, a third-generation Toyota employee, was a victim of karoshi when he died in 2002 at the age of 30. He collapsed at 4am at work, having put in more than 80 hours of overtime each month for six months before his death.

The Food and Drug Administration will receive a 12% increase in its budget for the coming year. The agency, which regulates 80% of the country’s food, had a drop of food supply inspections of 78% over the past 35 years

Congress is gearing up to challenge President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

This legislation is expected to give federal drug regulators significantly more money and power to ensure the safety of the nation’s drug supply.