FDA News
Digest
August 15,
2005
__________________________________________________
IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE
-- Program Bolstered to Prevent Accutane Use During Pregnancy
-- FDA Newsletter for Educators, Students Now Available Online
-- Recalls/Safety Alerts
-- Recent Speeches
-- Public Meetings
-- Question of the
Week
___________________________________________________
Program Bolstered to Prevent Accutane Use During Pregnancy
FDA has announced a program called iPLEDGE aimed at preventing use of the acne drug Accutane and its generic equivalents during pregnancy. Because the drug carries a significant risk of birth defects if taken by women who are or might become pregnant, iPLEDGE requires doctors and patients to accept specific measures to prevent pregnancies before being authorized to prescribe or use the drug.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01218.html
FDA Newsletter for Educators, Students Now Available Online
FDA has posted the latest edition of "FDA and You," the agency's quarterly newsletter for health educators and students. The current issue is a special edition that explains "the truth about tanning" and suggests steps for protecting the skin when out in the sun. Also available is an archive containing issues of the newsletter going back to 2003.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/fdaandyou/issue07.html
To view an archive of past FDA news
releases, go to
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpnews.html.
To access the RSS feed of FDA news
releases, go to
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/rssPress.xml.
[What is an RSS feed?
See http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/newsfeeds.html.]
___________________________________________________
RECALLS/SAFETY ALERTS
Certain packages of Hostess oatmeal cookies; 24-oz. size
Reason for recall: undeclared milk and eggs
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/interstate08_05.html
All flavors of Lappert's Ice Cream; various sizes
Reason for recall: possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/lappert08_05.html
Esh Foods' seafood spreads; 5-lb. size
Reason for recall: undeclared crabmeat cocktail (surimi), shrimp and milk
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/esh08_05.html
For a list of recalls, market
withdrawals, and safety alerts involving FDA-regulated
products from the past 60 days, go
to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html.
To access the RSS feed of FDA
recalls information, go to
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/rssRecalls.xml.
[What is an RSS feed?
See http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/newsfeeds.html.]
__________________________________________________
RECENT SPEECHES
Aug. 10 -- FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, D.V.M., spoke before the Drug Discovery Technology and Development Conference.
Subject: FDA accomplishments and priorities
http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2005/ddtd0810.html
Aug. 8 -- FDA Commissioner
Lester M. Crawford, D.V.M., spoke before the 51st International Congress on Meat Science and
Technology.
Subject: the role of meat in a healthy diet and protecting the public health by ensuring the safety of meat
http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2005/international0808.html
To view an archive of past
speeches by FDA officials, go to
http://www.fda.gov/speeches/speechli.htm.
Aug. 19 -- Public meeting: Request for Comments on Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods
Location: College Park, Md.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr050719.html
Aug. 25-26 -- General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee
Under discussion: the classification of five devices that predate amendments to medical device law
Location: Gaithersburg, Md.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/advisory/accalendar/2005/cdrh12519dd08252605.html
For a list of FDA meetings,
seminars, and other public events, go to
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpmeetings.html.
__________________________________________________
QUESTION OF THE
WEEK
How can you determine if fish is fresh? Here are some tips:
-- The fish's eyes should be clear and bulge a little. Only a few fish, such as walleye, have naturally cloudy eyes.
-- Whole fish and fillets should have firm and shiny flesh. Dull flesh may mean the fish is old. Fresh whole fish also should have bright red gills free from slime.
-- If the flesh doesn't spring back when pressed, the fish isn't fresh.
-- There should be no darkening around the edges of the fish or brown or yellowish discoloration.
___________________________________________________
Thanks for subscribing to FDA News
Digest. Our next posting will be August 22.
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from
this list, go to
