The recall of about 8 million The Laundress laundry and household cleaning products is the largest recall announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission last week. Testing has identified bacteria in some of the recalled products, including those produced between January 2021 and September 2022. The recalled products can contain bacteria. Read more →

I’m fortunate that my first college degree included classes in nutrition. I learned the value of eating fruits and vegetables for health and avoiding junk food. However, the recent debate on low-carb or a vegetarian diet, and dozens of spinoffs, has added confusion for the American public, and even me. Read more →

Pesticides were found at detectable levels in dozens of fruit leather strips and dried fruit samples, according to new EWG testing. These two fruit treats are among the most popular kids' snacks. The tests were conducted by an independent laboratory on 37 samples of organic and conventional fruit leather from 10 well-known brands. Read more →

Recently, I received a package with a sheet of plastic in it that said “Micro-Pak Enhanced PE Sheets.” Wondering what it was, I saved it. Micro-Pak Enhanced PE Sheets are intended to control, inhibit, and mitigate odor causing bacteria, mold, and mildew on products enclosed in packaging intended for shipment. Read more →

The EPA said Friday it will designate the two most commonly detected toxic “forever chemicals” – chemicals found in cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, water-repellant clothing, and cosmetics that have been linked to cancer and other health problems – as hazardous substances. Read more →

Coca-Cola and Pepsi promote their products through exclusive marketing agreements called “pouring rights” contracts from 124 or 87 percent of the 143 public universities in the United States with at least 20,000 students. A new study looked at 38 contracts that had enough information to assess their overall value to the universities. Read more →

Strawberries, spinach, and leafy greens are again the top offenders on the Dirty Dozen list developed by the Environmental Working Group or EWG. The EWG analyzes data on pesticide-contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables, based on the latest tests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. Pesticide... Read more →

There’s no doubt about it. Everyone – governments, organizations, and the public – needs to do more to slow down climate change. I remember well the first Earth Day in 1970. A river in Cleveland bursting into flames when oil-soaked debris in the water ignited. Read more →

Dollar Tree is recalling about 1,025,000 Crafter’s Square glue guns in the United States and 21,900 in Canada. The glue gun can malfunction when plugged in, posing fire and burn risks. Dollar Tree has received seven reports of electrical malfunctions when using the glue guns. Read more →

A scorecard ranking PFAS policy commitments from leading retail and apparel brands shows that Levi Strauss & Co. earned the highest mark for already eliminating PFAS from its supply chain. However, brands such as Macy’s Inc., Nordstrom, Costco, and others received low or failing marks. Read more →