Consumer group urges quick FDA action on deadly cantaloupe outbreak – National Consumers League

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September 30, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC- The National Consumers League is calling on the FDA to act swiftly to warn consumers about deadly cantaloupes and speed the release of guidelines and regulations regarding the safe production of produce.  A recent deadly outbreak of listeria – a foodborne pathogen – has been linked to the “Rocky Ford” brand coming from Jensen Farms in Colorado. The root cause of the contamination has not yet been determined.

“This is a deadly outbreak that has already killed 13 and sickened 72 people. The FDA must act immediately to alert consumers and get these cantaloupes out of our food supply,” said Teresa Green, NCL’s food safety expert. “We have no time to waste.”

The cantaloupes are contaminated with the pathogen Listeria monocytogene, a serious and sometimes lethal foodborne illness. The elderly, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women and their babies are especially vulnerable to infection.  Listeria monocytogene has a mortality rate of 16 percent.

Jensen Farm cantaloupes were recalled on September 14, 2011 and FDA is working with state and local partners to ensure that all contaminated melons are removed from commerce. Nevertheless, due to listeria’s long incubation period, which ranges from two weeks to two months, new cases may continue to arise.

“NCL urges consumers to check with their supermarkets to learn whether their cantaloupes are from Jensen Farms. We also urge restaurants and stores with salad bars or otherwise selling cantaloupes to ensure that they are not serving the melons from Jensen Farms,” said Green.

“Consumers, restaurants or anyone else serving cantaloupe must check to see where the fruit came from. If they discover they have Jensen Farms’ melons, dispose of them immediately.”

NCL also urges consumers to thoroughly clean and sanitize any kitchen and refrigerator surfaces that might have come into contact with infected melon.  Any other food that may have come into contact with a contaminated cantaloupe should also be disposed of.  Consumers should be aware that the cold temperatures of a refrigerator do not kill listeria.

In light of this outbreak and the devastating toll it has taken, the National Consumers League urges FDA to speed up the release of guidelines and regulations for the safe production of cantaloupe and other produce.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Consumer groups spotlight airline greed and hidden fees – National Consumers League

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September 14, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the CEO of the Air Transport Association, a coalition of consumer interest groups today condemned airline executives for two major anti-consumer moves over the last few months — pocketing tax monies that should have gone to consumers and continuing to obscure their proliferating airline fees.

First, many airlines chose to pocket nearly $500 million during the temporary shutdown of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rather than refund the discontinued excise tax charges and other government fees. The Consumer Travel Alliance, Consumers Union, National Consumers League, Consumer Action, US PIRG, AirlinePassengers.org, Association of Airline Passenger Rights and Consumer Federation of America noted in the letter that the majority of airlines actually raised their airfares rather than pass this money onto consumers as savings.

The FAA’s taxing authority expired on July 23 when Congress failed to extend the reauthorization of the agency. At the same time, the Air Transport Association was delivering newspaper advertisements to Senate and House offices, calling for tax reductions in order to provide consumers more bang for their dollar.

The airlines that increased their airfares were able to collect nearly $70 million a day, almost $500 million in total, before the FAA’s taxing authority was reinstated on Aug. 8th.

“This could have been a profound teaching moment,” the consumer interest groups wrote, “regarding the benefits of lower aviation taxes and fees. Instead, we are chagrined that some airlines chose to pocket the substantial windfall created by the expiration of taxing authority. Rather than doing right by their customers, most airline CEOs decided to line their corporate pockets.”

The letter also urged the ATA to insist the airlines adopt greater transparency with respect to airline fees that can add substantial amounts to ticket prices. When the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) latest rules came into effect requiring airlines to inform consumers of the variety of optional fees related to the cost of an airline ticket, many of ATA airline members chose to present the information in ways that do not meet the test for a “prominent” link on the home page. This is despite the DOT’s clear intent to provide transparency for consumers with respect to airline fees that can add substantial amounts to ticket prices.

“Actions speak louder than words,” the groups wrote. “Airlines, like all businesses, should be driven by customer service, price transparency and honest disclosures. Suffice it to say, we are disappointed in most of the airline industry’s response to the new DOT rules.”

The consumer groups are calling for a meeting with ATA and making sure that the Secretary of Transportation and the appropriate congressional committee chairmen and ranking members are aware of these anti-consumer airline actions.

To learn more about these consumer interest groups visit their websites:

AirlinePassengers.org, www.airlinepassengers.org

Association of Airline Passenger Rights, www.flyfriendlyskies.com

Consumer Action, www.consumer-action.org

Consumer Federation of America, www.consumerfed.org

Consumer Travel Alliance, www.consumertravelalliance.org

Consumers Union, www.consumer.org

National Consumer League, www.nclnet.org

U.S. PIRG, Website: www.uspirg.org

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on USDA’s announcement to regulate six additional strains of E. coli – National Consumers League

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September 13, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington—The National Consumers League has issued the following statement regarding today’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement:

“The National Consumers League applauds USDA’s announcement that the agency will add six strains of non-0157 shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), known as “the Big Six” to its list of adulterants.

Foodborne illness impacts 1 in 6 Americans annually, leading to over 120,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), E. coli is a major source of illness and non-0157 STECs account for nearly two-thirds of E. coli infections.

USDA’s announcement means that American consumers will now be protected from “the Big Six” for the first time. These measures will ensure that the U.S. food supply is even safer in coming years. The National Consumers League, which has worked in concert with other consumer groups in support of this measure, commends the USDA on its decision to regulate these dangerous strains of E. coli.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks – National Consumers League

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September 11, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League posted this statement on the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States.

“The National Consumers League pays tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks on the United States. On this solemn 10 year anniversary of the unspeakable series of terrorist attacks on the United States, the NCL joins with our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of so many innocent men, women and children.

The forces of evil who orchestrated this despicable attack were motivated by a contempt for the democracy we hold so dear in the United States, and for a way of life that respects and protects the rights of all people. We also acknowledge the many first responders – police officers, fire fighters and emergency medical teams – many of whom were public employees – who lost their lives rushing into burning buildings trying to save the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

We join with President Obama – who spoke at Washington’s Kennedy Center tribute this evening- in redoubling our commitment to democratic ideals, and in paying tribute to the thousands of Americans, and their surviving families, who died 10 years ago in the terrorist attacks on the United States. “

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

LifeSmarts launches 2011-2012 program year at lifesmarts.org – National Consumers League

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September 12, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The 2011-2012 LifeSmarts season is officially underway this week, with a new competition year going live at the program’s online home, www.lifesmarts.org, along with a variety of new resources for adult and youth participants. LifeSmarts is an educational competition run by the National Consumers League that tests middle school and high school students nationwide on real-life consumer issues through online quizzes and live contests. It culminates in the annual national LifeSmarts championship, where winning teams and individuals are awarded academic scholarships and prizes.

“We’re thrilled to be launching the 18th year of LifeSmarts,” said Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “LifeSmarts delivers real-world knowledge to students and allows them to shine in competitions where they demonstrate all that they have learned,” said Hertzberg. “It also provides thousands of teachers across the country access to much-needed consumer curriculum, which they unfortunately often aren’t getting elsewhere.”

Over the years, LifeSmarts has steadily grown in numbers of student and adult participants, state partnerships, and corporate sponsorships. In the most recent season, an estimated 100,000 students and teachers across the country answered more than 3.5 million LifeSmarts questions.

“As the consumer marketplace has become more challenging to navigate, LifeSmarts content is keeping up, preparing our teens and tweens to become the next generation of smart consumers and workers,” Hertzberg said.

LifeSmarts provides participants with practical advice and information on consumer issues ranging from personal finance and health and safety to the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. Starting online each fall, the competition progresses to live state play-offs, and then builds to a high-spirited National Championship, which will be held in 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At last year’s national competition held in Hollywood, California, students on teams from 32 states competed over the course of four days. In the final match, the state champion team from Nickerson High School, Kansas, was crowned the 2011 national champs, beating out the team from New Hampshire.

NCL partners with coordinators in more than 30 states, including Better Business Bureaus, credit unions, state attorneys general and consumer protection agencies, State FCCLA organizations, Jump$tart Coalitions, and others, to staff and promote the program. Interested students and adults can visit the LifeSmarts Web site to connect with the program in their state.

“The National Consumers League’s mission is to inspire confidence and safety in the marketplace,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “The LifeSmarts program, our consumer education initiative for youth, fosters students’ understanding of consumer issues and provides them with real-world knowledge they will need to take charge of their lives.”

New this fall at www.lifesmarts.org are dozens of up-to-the-minute teaching resources for coaches, including innovative lessons housed within the LifeSmarts U virtual campus, daily practice quizzes, question-of-the-day calendars, and more, all utilizing thousands of new competition questions.

Major LifeSmarts contributors include Visa, Experian, Toyota Financial Services, Western Union, American Express, American Century Investments Foundation, Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, TracFone Wireless, Inc., and others. To see a full list of current LifeSmarts contributors, visit www.lifesmarts.org.

To test your LifeSmarts, take a sample quiz at https://start.lifesmarts.org/. From there, click on “Daily Quiz” to get started.

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About the National Consumers League and LifeSmarts

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org, email  lifesmarts@nclnet.org , or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323.

Tweens and cell phones: What parents need to know during back-to-school season – National Consumers League

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September 8, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — With school back in session across the country and the flurry of purchases that often entails, many parents may be in the market for a cell phone for their teenager. However, the age that children are getting their first cell phones is trending earlier in recent years, with many pre-teens entering the cell phone market even before high school. Helping parents navigate the complex world of a tween’s first cell phone is the goal of a new consumer guide released today by the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer organization.

The guide is available online at www.nclnet.org/technology.  It provides a range of tips to help parents choose between contract-based and prepaid services, manage data and texting costs, and set “rules of the road” for safe and smart tween phone use.

“Figuring out how to manage a child’s use of one of these high-tech gadgets can often require the skills of a seasoned diplomat, the steely nerve of a tightrope walker and the tech savvy of a Silicon Valley computer geek,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “Giving parents clear advice on how to handle a tween’s first phone is why we put this guide together.”

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, only 5 percent of 16-year-olds say that they received their first cell phone at age 11 or before. Conversely, 57 percent of 12-year-olds report getting their first phone that young. According to a 2007 study by C&R Research, 46 percent of children ages 9-11 and 65 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds own a cell phone.

“Kids used to get their first phone as they were making the transition from middle school to high school,” said Greenberg. “But the market for first-time cell phones is trending younger, and we want to help parents understand and manage the unique challenges of providing their younger children with a cell phone strategy that makes sense for their family.”

NCL’s new guide is focused on helping tweens’ parents with easy-to-use tips that help them pre-plan for the shopping experience, set expectations with a tween before a phone is purchased, narrow down their cell phone choices, and manage their tweens’ usage once the phone is purchased.

Key tips include:

  • Texting is one of the biggest cost tweens’ parents should account for.  Consider a larger bucket of texts (or unlimited texts) to avoid costly pay-as-you-go texting rates.
  • However, consider limiting the tween’s allotment of text messages if you are concerned about inappropriate texting.  Recent research suggests that limiting texts messages relates to lower levels of inappropriate or dangerous texting behavior.
  • Take your tween with you when shopping so they can test different phones, but consider buying online to take advantage of online-only deals.
  • Make sure to set a monthly cell phone budget, and discuss acceptable use of the phone so that your tween knows who they can and can’t call or text.

NCL’s tween cell phone consumer guide was made possible thanks to an unrestricted educational grant from TracFone Wireless.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League is America’s pioneering consumer organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of workers and consumers in American and abroad. To learn more, please visit www.nclnet.org.

Comments of Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of National Consumers League, before the Food and Drug Administration panel on post-approval long-term breast implant studies – National Consumers League

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August 31, 2011

 

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Good Morning. My name is Sally Greenberg and I am Executive Director of the National Consumers League, an organization founded in 1899 dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL has throughout its history been concerned about the welfare of women and their health.

I am here today because of our commitment to patient safety and our concern that the FDA sometimes relies on post-market studies to ensure safety and effectiveness of new medical products, but then does not make sure those post-market studies are completed appropriately.

I am not an expert on breast implants, but as a consumer advocate, I know that comprehensive and well-conducted scientific research is essential to ensure the safety of all implanted medical devices. If a researcher loses track of half of the patients, those findings are not useful for determining safety.

The Mentor large study lost track of 79 percent of their patients within just 3 years. In addition, Allergan lost track of almost half their augmentation patients after only two years. The Adjunct studies were even worse, with less than one-quarter of their patients still in the studies after 5 years. In their Core study, Mentor followed only 58 percent of their patients for 8 years.

None of those studies met the very reasonable standards that the FDA has set for competent research.  I understand that yesterday, several panel members asked if the FDA has ever threatened to rescind approval if a company does not complete post-market study requirements.  I think that is a good question, because if these companies have a track record of poor research, study after study, what incentive do they have to improve their procedures and processes  the next time a study is commissioned?

We want consumers to have safe choices, and that means that well designed and well-conducted studies are needed to provide bona fide informed consent for patients.  Patients cannot make safe choices on a long-term implanted device if there are no studies of long-term risks.

I was also amazed to learn that the patients in the breast implant studies apparently paid full price for their implants and all their medical care.  One of the major incentives for keeping patients in studies is to provide free medical exams.  They should have provided free MRIs so that FDA would have good data on breast implant breakage and leakage.

American patients should expect better from those who are commissioned to conduct studies. The FDA should expect better.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League is America’s pioneering consumer organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of workers and consumers in American and abroad. To learn more, please visit www.nclnet.org

National Consumers League Statement on the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial – National Consumers League

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August 24, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League released the following statement from Executive Director Sally Greenberg and Chair Jane King on the dedication of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial:

The National Consumers League staff and board of directors welcome the long-awaited, permanent tribute to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that now stands alongside other memorials honoring our nation’s greatest leaders, who have stood for liberty and justice for all Americans through the generations. The King National Memorial honors a man of great courage, conviction and strength, a visionary who maintained his commitment to nonviolence as he demanded human dignity and opportunity for all. Florence Kelley, who was NCL’s first leader from the time of its founding in 1899 until 1932, served on the founding board of the NAACP. Kelley set the tone for the League’s work: to defend the rights of workers and consumers of all races and creeds to be treated with dignity and respect. She would have surely celebrated the memorial to a great a leader like Dr. King.

This new memorial on the national mall will create a richer experience for every person who walks there, and provide an opportunity to draw deeper meaning from the American experience and Dr. King’s role in advancing our country’s progression as  a nation that judges its citizens by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

For NCL, the memorial will serve as an important source of inspiration, right here in our midst, to carry on with our work in securing the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream of justice under the law, greater opportunity for all and an America that truly lives up to its historic promise.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League is America’s pioneering consumer organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of workers and consumers in American and abroad. To learn more, please visit www.nclnet.org

Advice for parents: Manage children’s after-school use of technology – National Consumers League

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August 24, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—As millions of children across the country kick off a new school year this month, family schedules will return once again to classes, homework, and busy after-school routines. Many working parents may be concerned with how their kids will be using the TV, the Internet, or one of the many wireless devices at kids’ disposal. Costs, appropriate content, and privacy protections are just a few issues on parents’ minds when it comes to these devices and services. The National Consumers League (NCL) has developed new tools to help parents understand the resources at their disposal for monitoring and – where desired – restricting their children’s activities, even when they can’t be there in person.

American teens and tweens are using technology independently from their parents more than ever before, with some 75 percent of 12-17 year-olds now owning cell phones, and 93 percent of American teens using the Internet, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics, founds that kids between the ages of 3 and 5 are exposed to an average of 73 minutes of TV, video games, or DVD-watching every day. The AAP report also found that young children exposed to violent content are more likely to experience sleeping problems, and those with TVs in their rooms are even more at risk.

Too much screen-time and exposure to inappropriate content aren’t the only issues for parents. According to OTX and the Intelligence Group, 58 percent of teens make purchases online and the average teen spends $46 per month on such purchases. Given recession-strapped household budgets, it’s more important than ever for parents to help manage their children’s online shopping habits.

“Many parents are aware that there is plenty of adult content out there that they don’t want their children to get their hands on. What they may not know is that there are many tools available to monitor and restrict kids’ access to that content,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “NCL has surveyed what is available for parents looking to put in place reasonable restrictions, and posted the information on our Web site in an easy-to-use format for parents to better understand their options – many of which are free.”

NCL’s new tools are available at www.nclnet.org, and focus on the places children are most likely to access objectionable content—television, cable and satellite, wireless communications, and the Internet—and include tips both on how to access existing parental controls features and how to talk to children about appropriate limits.

NCL acknowledges Verizon for an unrestricted educational grant that made the consumer content possible.

“Raising consumer awareness about the availability and utility of parental control technologies is essential given the ubiquity of communications technologies,” said Kathy Brown, Verizon’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility. “Empowering consumers to take control of their families’ technology use is an important goal in today’s always-on, interconnected world.”

NCL’s advice for parents includes tips ranging from how to talk to children about what is acceptable to where the best place is to set up a family computer. Parents are encouraged to find out where they’re spending their time online, have open and honest dialogue, and to not let concerns about invading their children’s privacy stop them from doing your job as a parent.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL continues to denounce the Corn Refiners Association’s petition to mask High Fructose Corn Syrup using “Corn Sugar” – National Consumers League

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August 3, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC– In a letter sent to the FDA today, the National Consumers League (NCL) continues to urge the FDA to oppose the Corn Refiners Associations’ (CRA) petition to change the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), under the grounds that the name change would be contrary to public policy, inconsistent with emerging scientific evidence, and not in accordance with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic act.

There are a number of legitimate reasons why many consumers wish to avoid foods made with HFCS. The scientific community is actively researching the health effects of HFCS.  Preliminary studies have shown that HFCS consumption may be linked with a number of adverse and interrelated diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease and certain forms of cancer. Leading medical authorities have noted the nature of the emerging research in the area.

The FDA has a statutory responsibility to honor to ensure that consumers have the opportunity to exercise free choice in the marketplace without being misled by confusing name changes designed to hide the identify of ingredients contained in a food product.

Consumers rely on FDA to ensure honesty and fair dealing in the marketplace without interference by commercial interests that claim to speak for the public.   Emerging scientific and nutritional studies are suggesting differences between high fructose corn syrup and sugar.  If it should turn out that HFCS contributes to health problems, a regulatory decision allowing manufacturers to hide this ingredient from consumers would be a great disservice to the public and inconsistent with FDA’s statutory mandate.

To read the full letter, please click here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.