Comments on: Inexcusable! FDA betrays public trust http://funny-about-money.com/2008/12/01/inexcusable-fda-betrays-public-trust/ Simple Living = Frugality = Peace of Mind: Personal Finance and Stress Control Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:47:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steward http://funny-about-money.com/2008/12/01/inexcusable-fda-betrays-public-trust/comment-page-1/#comment-2322 Steward Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:00:26 +0000 http://funnyaboutmoney.wordpress.com/?p=2568#comment-2322 This is just another reason to work at breast feeding as much as possible. It already appears to be better for the cognitive development of the baby and lowers the risk of various diseases. An I certainly hope breast milk has less melamine than baby formula! How much melamine would a mother have to consume to have enough stored in her breast tissue to surpass 1 part million? My guess is that it would be enough to make the mother really, really sick - but I am no scientist. This is just another reason to work at breast feeding as much as possible. It already appears to be better for the cognitive development of the baby and lowers the risk of various diseases.

An I certainly hope breast milk has less melamine than baby formula! How much melamine would a mother have to consume to have enough stored in her breast tissue to surpass 1 part million? My guess is that it would be enough to make the mother really, really sick – but I am no scientist.

]]> By: copyeditorsdesk http://funny-about-money.com/2008/12/01/inexcusable-fda-betrays-public-trust/comment-page-1/#comment-2320 copyeditorsdesk Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:29:38 +0000 http://funnyaboutmoney.wordpress.com/?p=2568#comment-2320 Yesh, there's a real problem, too, with mother's milk itself! Studies have shown that most Americans harbor amazing levels of various toxic & carcinogenic substances, especially fire retardants and stain repellents, which have been sprayed on upholstery and drapery fabrics for decades. Urk! Ya can't win for losin', eh? On the other hand, did you read the recent report that for the first time since the memory of Person runneth not to the contrary, rates of new cancer cases have actually dropped? That's hopeful, anyway. It would be interesting to know what such a comparison--between formula and mother's milk--would turn up. It also would be useful to include soy-based formula in the study, since some babies are allergic to cow's milk. Yesh, there’s a real problem, too, with mother’s milk itself! Studies have shown that most Americans harbor amazing levels of various toxic & carcinogenic substances, especially fire retardants and stain repellents, which have been sprayed on upholstery and drapery fabrics for decades. Urk! Ya can’t win for losin’, eh?

On the other hand, did you read the recent report that for the first time since the memory of Person runneth not to the contrary, rates of new cancer cases have actually dropped? That’s hopeful, anyway.

It would be interesting to know what such a comparison–between formula and mother’s milk–would turn up. It also would be useful to include soy-based formula in the study, since some babies are allergic to cow’s milk.

]]> By: !wanda http://funny-about-money.com/2008/12/01/inexcusable-fda-betrays-public-trust/comment-page-1/#comment-2321 !wanda Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:10:19 +0000 http://funnyaboutmoney.wordpress.com/?p=2568#comment-2321 It's true that the current administration seeks to emasculate the standards-setting agencies. However, it's just true that minuscule amounts of chemicals may leach out from packaging and that minuscule amounts of anything are not necessarily dangerous. Formaldehyde, for instance, is bad, bad stuff, but is formed naturally in organisms (as a metabolic intermediate) in very small quantities. There is no sense in setting standards for formaldehyde that are lower than those occurring naturally in the body. Specifically for baby formula, I wonder what the levels of various harmful chemicals are in formula versus that in breast milk. A lot of otherwise toxic substances are hydrophobic and are absorbed into fatty tissues, and the breast milk may contain these substances. Of course breast milk has a lot of antibodies and such that can't be replicated in formula, and breastfeeding has a lot of other advantages, but it is not possible to control the exact composition of breast milk. It’s true that the current administration seeks to emasculate the standards-setting agencies. However, it’s just true that minuscule amounts of chemicals may leach out from packaging and that minuscule amounts of anything are not necessarily dangerous. Formaldehyde, for instance, is bad, bad stuff, but is formed naturally in organisms (as a metabolic intermediate) in very small quantities. There is no sense in setting standards for formaldehyde that are lower than those occurring naturally in the body. Specifically for baby formula, I wonder what the levels of various harmful chemicals are in formula versus that in breast milk. A lot of otherwise toxic substances are hydrophobic and are absorbed into fatty tissues, and the breast milk may contain these substances. Of course breast milk has a lot of antibodies and such that can’t be replicated in formula, and breastfeeding has a lot of other advantages, but it is not possible to control the exact composition of breast milk.

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