Dental care key to health reform – National Consumers League

/in /by

Providing preventative health care is one of the most important strategies for lowering our nation’s health costs. We hear a lot about the 46 million Americans without health insurance, but rarely do we hear that more than twice that lack dental insurance.

The case for dental coverage is the same as for health care. People without health care coverage often get sick with illnesses that could be treated at far less cost if caught early. When it comes to dental care, kids with minor tooth problems may end up with dental disease for the rest of their lives. This can hurt their ability to stay in school or get a job. Adults with missing teeth find it hard to get jobs as well.

But poor dental health can also kill you. The Washington Post ran a story about Deamonte Driver, a 12-year old who died of complications stemming from a toothache that could have been cured by an $80 tooth extraction. Deamonte’s family had lost its Medicaid coverage, and few dentists would even take Medicaid patients anyway. Bacteria from the tooth spread to Demonte’s brain, leading to hospitalization and two operations. The total cost of the hospital care was about $250,000, and the hospital was still unable to keep him alive.

The National Consumers League, with our long history of work on health care, has joined with several other groups including the American Dental Education Association, the Dental Health Foundation, and Oral Health America, in a campaign to underscore the importance of including dental care in health care reform. The groups have sent an open letter to Congress asking for recognition of these facts:

  • Dental conditions become more serious and are more costly to treat without intervention.
  • Untreated dental disease can have fatal and costly consequences.
  • Access to dental insurance is extremely difficult for the nation’s poorest. Half of all states’ Medicaid plans provide no or extremely limited dental coverage.
  • 130 million Americans, including 16 million children and 80 percent of seniors, lack dental insurance coverage. This is more than twice the total number lacking basic health insurance.
  • Poor oral health can complicate diabetes; heart disease; pneumonia; and further study is needed to determine the documented link between gum disease and preterm low birth weight babies.

Having dental insurance can be the difference between simple tooth decay and losing your teeth, or the difference between a toothache and a serious operation. Dental care is preventive care; it saves our hospitals and taxpayers the high cost of treating life-threatening complications and helps poor and middle class people get and keep jobs.

 

Denied health claim? Appeal it! – National Consumers League

/in , /by

Have you run into problems with your health plan? You’re not alone! Half of all consumers experience problems with them, but fewer than 1 in every 10,000 tries to fight, or appeal, when a claim has been denied. But appealing a denied claim works—maybe more often than you’d think!

Forty percent of people who file appeals with their health plan are successful. Ten percent of claims denied by a health plan turn out to be a simple mistake, and those are usually resolved quickly. When you find out that a medical service you’ve received (like a visit to the emergency room, a visit to an out-of-plan provider, or a test your doctor asked you to take) has been denied by your health plan, it is important to know your rights. The first denial by your health plan is not the final word, and there are processes in place to appeal these decisions.

NCL’s new brochure can help you be your own best advocate! By doing a little legwork, and following some basic procedures, you may be able to successfully appeal the decision and get the coverage you need for your claim. Download our brochure to learn a few basic steps to guide you in the process.

Consumer groups concerned about mechanically tenderized meat products – National Consumers League

/in /by

Following a December 24, 2009 recall of 248,000 pounds of mechanically tenderized steaks that sickened 21 consumers in 16 states, nine of whom were hospitalized, consumer groups are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to require labeling identifying all mechanically tenderized meat products; to include these products in its sampling program; and to inform the public and restaurants about the need for adequate cooking of these products.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has linked the illnesses to mechanically tenderized steaks produced by National Steak and Poultry and distributed to restaurant chains.

Often used on less expensive cuts of meat to increase tenderness, mechanical tenderization is a process that inserts small needles or blades into a meat product, such as a steak or roast. These needles or blades can transfer any pathogens located on the surface of the product to the interior, increasing the risk to consumers if the product is not cooked to a high enough temperature to kill the pathogens.  FSIS estimates that over 50 million pounds of mechanically tenderized products are produced each month. Currently this product is unidentifiable to consumers or institutions.

Assuring adequate cooking temperatures for mechanically tenderized products is particularly important. USDA currently recommends that consumers cook beef steaks and roasts to 145°F while it recommends that consumers cook ground beef products to 160°F in order to kill any pathogens that may have been distributed throughout the product. The higher cooking temperature for ground beef products is warranted, given that ground products may have pathogens distributed throughout the product, not just on the surface.

Mechanically tenderized steaks and roasts present a similar risk to consumers because pathogens may not be just on the surface of the product. These products require higher cooking temperatures to ensure that all internal pathogens have been killed. This is especially important since many consumers prefer steaks cooked to rare or medium, which means the products are cooked to a temperature lower than 160°F.  Since mechanically tenderized products are not labeled, food preparers may be cooking these products to unsafe temperatures and putting themselves, their families and customers at risk of deadly foodborne illness.

In a June 2009 letter to USDA, consumer groups outlined concerns that mechanically tenderized products presented an unnecessary risk to consumers. The letter, signed by numerous consumer groups, urged USDA to issue labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized products and to develop educational materials for the restaurant industry and the public. To date, USDA has not responded to those requests.

These groups, along with NCL, Consumers Union, and S.T.O.P., Safe Tables Our Priority, recently urged USDA to take steps immediately to address this risk to the public. The groups specifically ask USDA to:

  • Require labeling that will allow all meat purchasersto clearly identify mechanically tenderized, non-intact meat products;
  • Develop an educational outreach campaign to inform the public and retail meat purchasers about the proper cooking and handling procedures necessary to reduce the risk of foodborne illness from mechanically tenderized meat products; and
  • Develop and implement a sampling program for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in mechanically tenderized meat products.

Don’t waste your money-or your health-on counterfeit drugs – National Consumers League

/in , /by

When shopping around for prescription medications, watch out for fakes! You could throw your money away on drugs that don’t work, or — even worse — get sick by taking counterfeits that aren’t what they pretend to be.

  • Counterfeit drugs may not have the same active ingredients as the real thing. They may also be produced in unsanitary conditions. Counterfeits could actually make you MORE ill.
  • Only buy prescription drugs from safe, reputable sources. Check unfamiliar sellers with your state board of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Go to www.nabp.net, click on “Who We Are,” then “Boards of Pharmacy” for a list, or call 847- 391-4406. When buying online, look for Web sites displaying the NABP’s VIPPS seal, indicating that the pharmacy meets state and federal requirements.
  • Don’t be fooled by the packaging. Know the size, shape, color, taste, and side effects of the drugs you take, and examine new packages to make sure everything is right. If you notice anything different about the packaging or the actual medicine, alert the pharmacist and your doctor immediately.
  • Also report your suspicions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If you bought the drug by mail, telephone, or in person, contact the FDA Medwatch program, 800-332-1088. To report counterfeit drugs purchased on the Internet, use the form at www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/buyonlineform.htm or call the Medwatch number.
  • For more information from the National Consumers League about counterfeit drugs, visit fraud.org.

A consumer guide to dietary supplements – National Consumers League

/in , /by

Dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, and amino acids, are used by a growing number of people in the United States. They’re available at drug stores, specialty stores, even gas stations! Some of these products have a long history as traditional remedies, especially many herbal and botanical products, but others, such as amino acids and enzymes are fairly new to the marketplace.

Dietary supplements have gained mainstream popularity and are sold in major grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and specialty shops, as well as through direct sales representatives, catalogs, and on the Internet.

NCL’s brochure, A Consumer Guide to Dietary Supplements, is intended to give you a better understanding of what dietary supplements are, the claims manufacturers can make about the products, and the information listed on the product labels. It also includes a glossary of commonly used terms, a list of questions to ask yourself and your health professional, and a resource section for additional information.

Foodborne illness making millions of Americans sick – National Consumers League

/in /by

Foodborne illness causes 76 million Americans to fall sick, 325,000 Americans to be hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans to die each year. Recent foodborne illness outbreaks linked to contaminated foods highlight the inadequacies of our current food safety system. Learn what groups like NCL are doing to help improve the safety of our foods.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne illness causes 76 million Americans to fall sick, 325,000 Americans to be hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans to die each year. Recent foodborne illness outbreaks linked to contaminated peanuts, cookie dough, and spinach – along with news coverage of illness and death from contaminated ground beef – highlight the inadequacies of our current food safety system.

Outdated laws, insufficient authorities, and inadequate resources prevent the Food and Drug Administration from ensuring the safety of the food supply. For these reasons, the National Consumers League supports food safety reform and is doing its part as a member of the Make Our Food Safe Coalition (www.makeourfoodsafe.org) to convince Congress to enact improved food safety legislation this year.

Don’t waste your money – or risk your health – on counterfeit drugs – National Consumers League

/in , , /by

When shopping around for prescription medications, watch out for fakes! You could throw your money away on drugs that don’t work, or — even worse — get sick by taking counterfeits that aren’t what they pretend to be.

  • Counterfeit drugs may not have the same active ingredients as the real thing. They may also be produced in unsanitary conditions. Counterfeits could actually make you MORE ill.
  • Only buy prescription drugs from safe, reputable sources. Check unfamiliar sellers with your state board of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Go to www.nabp.net, click on “Who We Are,” then “Boards of Pharmacy” for a list, or call 847- 391-4406. When buying online, look for Web sites displaying the NABP’s VIPPS seal, indicating that the pharmacy meets state and federal requirements.
  • Don’t be fooled by the packaging. Know the size, shape, color, taste, and side effects of the drugs you take, and examine new packages to make sure everything is right. If you notice anything different about the packaging or the actual medicine, alert the pharmacist and your doctor immediately.
  • Also report your suspicions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If you bought the drug by mail, telephone, or in person, contact the FDA Medwatch program, 800-332-1088. To report counterfeit drugs purchased on the Internet, use the form at www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/buyonlineform.htm or call the Medwatch number.
  • For more information from the National Consumers League about counterfeit drugs, visit Fraud.org.

Canned tomato products not so ‘fresh’ after all – National Consumers League

/in /by

The National Consumers League has again called on the Food and Drug Administration to renew its efforts to prevent consumers from being misled by deceptive labeling of processed fruit and vegetable products – this time in the canned tomato products industry.

Nineteen years ago, NCL persuaded the FDA to take a firm stand on prohibiting the use of the term “fresh” on any fruit or vegetable product that is reconstituted or remanufactured from concentrate. At that time, NCL asked that the use of the term “made from concentrate” or “reconstituted” be placed prominently on the front label of these products. FDA issued policy guidance designed to prevent the continued labeling misrepresentation of these products and took action against Ragu “Fresh Italian” Pasta Sauce and Citrus Hill “Fresh Choice” Orange Juice.

Since that time, according to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL, “the marketplace has become littered once again with false and misleading labels for products, for example, tomato products that are reconstituted from industrial tomato concentrate, pretending to be ‘made from fresh tomatoes,’ ‘packed in season,’ or ‘packed from vine ripened tomatoes’.”

In a 2009 letter to FDA, NCL asked that it issue a new guidance to industry setting forth the FDA’s enforcement policy regarding appropriate use of labeling claims that express or imply that a tomato product was packed or made from fresh tomatoes, and to enforce that policy rigorously. NCL also asked that all fruit and vegetable products reconstituted or remanufactured from concentrate be required to disclose this prominently on the label’s front panel. Greenberg stated, “Such a declaration would provide information that consumers need and want to make informed purchase decisions and would close out the clever word play.”

In a new letter to the FDA this April, NCL urged the agency to warn the food industry that claims implying that products are made from fresh ingredients when they are actually made from concentrate are deceptive under federal law. NCL also reiterated its 2009 request that FDA require that all fruit and vegetable products remanufactured from concentrate state “From Concentrate” on the fronts of food packages.

Since NCL’s previous complaint to the FDA, the largest producer of tomato sauces, ConAgra Foods, has taken some corrective steps. The company’s Hunt’s brand removed the claim “Packed full of premium vine-ripened tomatoes” from its tomato sauce label, and the words “packed in season” were removed from the company’s Angela Mia Pizza Sauce label. Other misleading claims, however, remain. NCL has written ConAgra saying the company has “taken a step in the right direction” and urged further corrective actions.

Advocates are concerned that consumers are paying premium prices for products that imply they are made from fresh ingredients, but are really remanufactured from concentrate.

Products that NCL believes are still deceptively labeled include:

• Del Monte Seafood Cocktail Sauce that claims “Made from California Vine-ripened Tomatoes” on the front of the package when, in fact, it is made from concentrate (tomato paste and added water). An image of a vine-ripened tomato appears directly below the claim.

• Classico Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce that states on the label “In colorful Naples, pasta sauces are pure and simple, with ripe, red tomatoes…” when the product is actually made from concentrate. The claim has been deleted from new “value size” 44 oz jars of the sauce, but still appears on the label of the smaller, 24-oz. product.

• Contadina Pizza Sauce and Contadina Puree that state “Contadina picks the Freshest Tomatoes,” and “Our vine-ripened Roma style tomatoes are grown to a rich red color before picking…” (a picture on the front label depicts vine-ripened tomatoes and a tomato field and the term “ROMA STYLE TOMATOES” appears on the front of the package below the Contadina brand name). The products, in fact, are made from concentrate.

Other products with misleading labels identified by NCL are Francesco Rinaldi Original Traditional Pasta Sauce and Gia Russa Tomato Puree.

“Companies making misleading claims should note that ConAgra, the industry leader, has changed some of its labels to ensure that their claims are honest and fair. We hope this sends a signal to other companies that taking corrective action is the smart thing to do given recent increases in regulatory scrutiny by federal and state authorities,” said Greenberg.

 

Think you’re eating fruit? Think again – National Consumers League

/in /by

NCL is calling on the feds to investigate a new food ingredient that’s being sold to food manufacturers as a “sweetened dried cranberry” but actually contains more sugar than fruit and is made from cranberry skins – not whole cranberries.

NCL has alerted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to misleading labeling on a new food product, Ocean Spray’s “Choice.” Because this product is being sold as a “sweetened dried cranberry” for use in breakfast cereals, cereal bars, baked goods, and trail mixes, it has the potential to result in the mislabeling of many other food products on the market.  

“Sweetened dried cranberries” (SDCs) have become the common or usual name for a popular ingredient in a variety of foods, capitalizing on the healthy image of cranberries and cranberry juice. According to our information, SDCs are the fastest-growing segment of the cranberry market. SDCs traditionally consist of dried cranberries infused with sugar and coated with a small amount of sunflower oil. Facing growing demand for SDCs and a limited supply of fruit, Ocean Spray Cranberries Ingredient Technology Group recently introduced the “Choice” product as a less expensive alternative to SDCs. Ocean Spray represents “Choice” as an SDC that merely adds citric acid for flavor and elderberry juice concentrate for color. Marketing materials tout “Choice” as a low-cost SDC with the same taste, texture, appearance, and health benefits as other SDCs. For example, one Ocean Spray press release states that “Choice contains the health benefits associated with cranberry, with high levels of bacteria-repelling proanthocyanidins and antioxidants, as well as the anti-inflammatory flavonoid quercetin.”  

Laboratory analyses by Krueger Food Laboratories, commissioned by NCL, on November 4, 2009, found that “Choice” is really little more than cranberry skin infused with sugar syrup. The lab report, a copy of which is attached to this letter, describes analytical results for two separate production lots of “Choice” and one lot of Ocean Spray “Craisins,” the latter being Ocean Spray’s standard SDC product. The test results indicate that “Choice” consists mainly of sugar. The analysis found that the soluble solids in “Choice” “consist primarily of inverted beet sugar and citric acid” and are “less than those consistent with the use of whole cranberries.” The organic acids content (except for citric acid), potassium content, and anthocyanin content are significantly lower than those for SDCs. The cranberry content is so small that Ocean Spray must add color in the form of elderberry juice concentrate and acidity in the form of citric acid to simulate the color and acidity of cranberries. These findings are consistent with Ocean Spray claims that they use 50 percent fewer cranberries to make “Choice” than they do for their regular SDC product (See Ocean Spray press release entitled “ITG Provides Customers With Choice,” dated October 8, 2008.)

NCL believes that Ocean Spray’s “Choice” product is misbranded. First, given the small cranberry content and different nutrient profile of “Choice,” we do not believe that “sweetened dried cranberries” is an appropriate common or usual name for this product. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require that the common or usual name of a food “shall accurately identify or describe, in as simple and direct terms as possible, the basic nature of the food or its characterizing properties or ingredients… and may not be confusingly similar to the name of any other food that is not reasonably encompassed within the same name.” 21 C.F.R. § 102.5(a). A common or usual name may be established by common usage. 21 C.F.R. § 102.5(d). NCL believes that the term “sweetened dried cranberry” has become established by common usage as the name for a food product consisting mainly of cranberries infused with sugar and dried to a specific moisture content. Ocean Spray’s “Choice” product, because of its minimal cranberry content and use of other ingredients to simulate the flavor and color of cranberries, should not be named “sweetened dried cranberries.” 

We question whether the word “cranberries” should be allowed at all in the name of this product. When an ingredient is highlighted as a characterizing ingredient in a product name, FDA generally requires that the product contain a sufficient amount of that ingredient to characterize the food. For example, “honey bread” and “honey buns” must contain at least 8 percent honey. FDA, Compliance Policy Guides § 505.350. See also FDA Warning Letter CHI- 24-95 (“made with real fruit” claim is false and misleading “for a product made primarily with corn syrup and sucrose… and containing natural and artificial colors”). If the word “cranberries” is allowed to appear in the product name, NCL recommends that “Choice” be required to use a common or usual name that accurately describes the product and makes clear that the product does not contain whole berries (e.g., “sweetened dried cranberry skins with other flavors and colors” or “flavored cranberry skins”).   

Second, we understand that “Choice” labels include an ingredients declaration that lists cranberries as the predominant ingredient. According to our lab analyses, this is false and should be corrected to list sugar as the predominant ingredient. All food labels are required to list ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight. 21 C.F.R. 101.4(a)(1).  

Third, we question the validity of Ocean Spray labeling and advertising claims that “Choice” delivers the same health benefits as “sweetened dried cranberries” and other cranberry products, given the fact that most, if not all, of the cranberry content has been removed from “Choice.” Aside from lower levels of anthocyanins and potassium, our tests found that “Choice” contains only about one-fifth the amount of quinic acid as Ocean Spray’s Craisins. NCL requests that FDA investigate whether the claims of health benefits for “Choice” are false or misleading.  

NCL is also concerned about the many food products that are currently made with “Choice” or will be in the future. Muffins, cereals, and trail mixes should not be able to pass off flavored cranberry skins as if they were sweetened dried cranberries. To avoid misleading consumers, these products should be required to list “Choice” by its appropriate common or usual name in their ingredients declarations, and to declare the component ingredients in “Choice” in their order of predominance. FDA regulations require nothing less.   

NCL urges FDA to make clear to the food industry that it will not accept ersatz foods and ingredients being passed off to consumers as the real thing, especially where the food in question is marketed for its health benefits. We therefore request that FDA investigate Ocean Spray “Choice” and take appropriate enforcement action.

Cholesterol 101 factsheet – National Consumers League

/in /by

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver and supplied in our diet through animal products such as meats, poultry, fish and dairy. Cholesterol is needed (in the body) to insulate nerves, make cell membranes and produce certain hormones. However, too much cholesterol can be unhealthy. How do you know if you are at risk?

Why should you care?

Elevated cholesterol levels can significantly increase the risk of coronary events, such as heart attack and stroke.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver and also supplied in the diet through animal products such as meats, poultry, fish and dairy products. Cholesterol is needed (in the body) to insulate nerves, make cell membranes and produce certain hormones. However, the body makes enough cholesterol, so any dietary cholesterol isn’t needed.

Why should you care?

Elevated cholesterol levels can significantly increase the risk of coronary events, such as heart attack and stroke. Excess cholesterol in the bloodstream can form plaque (a thick, hard deposit) in artery walls. The cholesterol or plaque build-up causes arteries to become thicker, harder and less flexible, slowing down and sometimes blocking blood flow to the heart. When blood flow is restricted, angina (chest pain) can result. When blood flow to the heart is severely impaired and a clot stops blood flow completely, a heart attack results.

Are you at risk?

An estimated 104.7 million American adults have high cholesterol (total blood cholesterol values of 200 mg/dL and higher) and about 37 million of these are consideredhigh risk, having levels of 240 or above.

A family history of high blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. Other factors can contribute to a person’s risk of heart disease; these are called risk factors. Some risk factors such as age, family heredity, and gender (male), cannot be controlled. But others — such as smoking tobacco, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, and being overweight — can be controlled. Changes to these controllable risk factors are called “lifestyle modifications.”

Curbing cholesterol

For some, lifestyle modifications are enough to lower cholesterol to safer levels. For others with a hereditary pre-disposition, or who have a hard time making lifestyle adjustments, medical therapy is necessary.

Millions of people trying to control their cholesterol have turned to a class of drugs called statins, which have been used in the United States for more than 18 years to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. They have been shown to reduce risk for heart attack and stroke by up to a third, and generally have few immediate short-term side effects.

An OTC statin?

Two companies are working to bring statin therapies — in doses identical to lower strengths currently available by prescription — over-the-counter (OTC). These low-dose options would be recommended only for individuals with borderline-high cholesterol. These companies believe that an OTC statin will both increase public awareness about high cholesterol and encourage people with moderately-elevated cholesterol levels (who don’t often seek treatment) to do something about it.

NCL’s response

Recognizing that an OTC statin would have a large impact on consumers, in July 2004, NCL convened a small roundtable of consumer and patient advocates to discuss the issue, explore whether there is existing research on the subject, and discuss the possibility of further research by NCL. Following that meeting, NCL began working with Harris Interactive, an international survey research and polling firm, to conduct a study to explore consumers’ attitudes toward the possibility of an OTC statinoption. NCL commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a survey with an unrestricted educational grant from Johnson & Johnson Merck. NCL will continue its collaboration with other interested groups to provide relevant information to consumers about statin therapy options. For the results of the study and more information about this issue, visit www.nclnet.org.

What’s next?

A number of stakeholders are awaiting FDA evaluation of the OTC statin options. We anticipate that the FDA will consider the following issues with great scrutiny:

  • Would patients be interested in using an OTC statin if one were to be made available in the US?
  • Would patients have enough information about the OTC product, written in clear language on the package, to determine whether it would be appropriate for them?
  • Would patients have enough information about the OTC product, written in clear language on the package, to determine how to use it safely?
  • Would patients be likely/willing to undergo the regular cholesterol testing required to determine whether, and to what extent, the medication is working?
  • Would patients still talk with their doctors before and during treatment with an OTC statin?