Imitation Milk Product

[VhmSays]

The only known side effect is some people get vulnerable to conjunctivitis. So, I need to be more careful with how I do my contacts. But yeah. My eczema can get so bad that I can't tie my shoes which doesn't matter because I can't even walk when it gets that bad. I've got it bad. Blood all over the floors and faucets.

Came out of nowhere about 4 years ago. This Dupixent kicks its ass though, so I'm going to the French Riviera today for a week. Flying to Nice at 8 this evening!

That was approved about a year back and its expensive. How long have you been on it? Did you have any side effects/injection site problems? 

 

[austin1972]

That was approved about a year back and its expensive. How long have you been on it? Did you have any side effects/injection site problems? 

Yeah, last May. $37,500/year. Blue Cross denied me. I took them to court and lost. The drug company ponied up and I'm now a case study but I'm getting it for free. I just have to go to my dermatologist fairly often for observations. But that's only $40/visit.

I've been on it for a month and a half. No problems so far. Just some rubbing alcohol and nitrile gloves. You gotta rotate around where you stick yourself. It's so creepy shoving in a needle but the alternative is horrible.

 

[Nailing Malarkey Too]

So, for my chronic atopic eczema I'm now taking a biologic which basically retrains my DNA to create some proteins and quit making others. It's literally saving my life. Shit's expensive but it's the only thing that's worked. The corticosteroids weren't doing jack. Having to shoot myself up every two weeks is creepy as hell. I'd make a terrible heroin addict. Yikes. I just got the heebie jeebies thinking about sticking that needle in.

DNA manipulation is getting easier and cheaper. I suspect there is a Moore's Law equivalent for Gene splicing and dicing. The Personal Home Gene Editor is coming (probably from Apple. They will call it I-Adam) and there will be lots of recipes on Pinterest.  Klingon? no problem. 

The slogan will be "Why PhotoShop When You Can BodyShop?"

 

[austin1972]

Yes, the biologics are coming. The FDA makes it very slow and super costly to bring to the market. For good reason, I suppose. I've seen those superhero movies...The FDA fast tracked Dupixent and I think it was still north of $1 billion to get it out there.

 

[VhmSays]

Yeah, last May. $37,500/year. Blue Cross denied me. I took them to court and lost. The drug company ponied up and I'm now a case study but I'm getting it for free. I just have to go to my dermatologist fairly often for observations. But that's only $40/visit.

I've been on it for a month and a half. No problems so far. Just some rubbing alcohol and nitrile gloves. You gotta rotate around where you stick yourself. It's so creepy shoving in a needle but the alternative is horrible.

Blue cross should have payed, on what basis were you denied? Hope its a long term study, are you on the combination with topical corticosteroids/other drugs?

 

[A guy in the Chesapeake]

Yeah, last May. $37,500/year. Blue Cross denied me. I took them to court and lost. The drug company ponied up and I'm now a case study but I'm getting it for free. I just have to go to my dermatologist fairly often for observations. But that's only $40/visit.

I've been on it for a month and a half. No problems so far. Just some rubbing alcohol and nitrile gloves. You gotta rotate around where you stick yourself. It's so creepy shoving in a needle but the alternative is horrible.

Best wishes - singer in my band suffers from that, and when his outbreaks happen he's absolutely miserable, and his isn't considered to be a sever level of outbreak.  

 

[austin1972]

Blue cross should have payed, on what basis were you denied? Hope its a long term study, are you on the combination with topical corticosteroids/other drugs?

Fuckers. They denied me because I hadn't tried enough alternatives. Ummm, I did and was at the top level. I'm still using Fluocinonide and Mupirocin along with bleach baths, a cortisone shot every 6 months and light treatment but I don't think I need them. Not taking a chance though. I'm in the top 1% of crappiness so I won at something! When your derm says, "Oh honey, I know this is unprofessional of me to say but your skin is a fucking wreck", you know you've won an award.

 

[Steam Flyer]

The only known side effect is some people get vulnerable to conjunctivitis. So, I need to be more careful with how I do my contacts. But yeah. My eczema can get so bad that I can't tie my shoes which doesn't matter because I can't even walk when it gets that bad. I've got it bad. Blood all over the floors and faucets.

Came out of nowhere about 4 years ago. This Dupixent kicks its ass though, so I'm going to the French Riviera today for a week. Flying to Nice at 8 this evening!

Dang, that sounds like a nice compensation. I'll wave as you go overhead.......

-DSK

 

[ShortForBob]

Seeing as this seems to have become the scary icky or scratchy thread.

You lot gave us Spanish Flu!!



Interesting, I never realised it killed one in five..well actually..it didn't..more than half died of secondary infections..no antibiotics.

Could it happen again?

Yes

http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2018-04-13/flu-pandemic-1918-what-happened-and-could-it-happen-again/9601986

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Milk = stuff straight from the cow. That's a variable organic product and unsuited to market realitys.

OK, new question:

If the "meat" came from a lab, not a cow, is it still beef?

 

[mad]

OK, new question:

If the "meat" came from a lab, not a cow, is it still beef?

No, its a man made protein source.

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

It took a year to determine that the topic case has merit.

...In her decision, U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane agreed with Randy that his suit had merit and would prevent potential harm to his business: “A ruling in Plaintiff’s favor would permit Plaintiff to proceed with its plan to sell additive-free skim milk in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without having to use the ‘imitation’ label to which it objects. Thus, the Court finds that the utility of a judgment on Plaintiff’s claims would be substantial.”

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Case dismissed

...With the FDA issuing sworn statements that it has no plans to enforce the relevant regulations or require state agencies to enforce them either, Randy will be able to label his product as skim milk for the time being. Given the FDA’s current promise not to enforce against Randy, U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane dismissed the suit without prejudice. This would allow Randy and IJ to resume the suit should the FDA enforce the regulations in the future....

Having a law with no intention to enforce it makes little sense to me.

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Dairy farmers can sell truthfully labeled milk, says the FDA
 

A family-run dairy farm in Maryland has won the right to sell its pure skim milk without having to label the milk as “imitation.” According to written FDA regulations, only skim milk with artificial vitamins A and D added can be labeled as “skim milk.” However, in response to a lawsuit, the FDA publicly released a letter to dairy farmer Randy Sowers stating that it will not enforce the regulation against him or any other dairy farmers, and it will no longer require states to enforce the regulation either. Randy teamed up with the Institute for Justice (IJ) in 2018 to sue for his right to sell truthfully labeled product.

...

“The government does not have the power to change the dictionary,” said IJ Senior Nutjob Justin Pearson. “Randy’s product was the real thing, not an imitation. It was a clear violation of his First Amendment rights to force him to use a label that wasn’t truthful. Now, this communication from the FDA should allow Randy and other dairy farmers across the nation to sell pure skim milk across the country without fear of prosecution.”

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

The FDA Deserves Credit for Easing Food Ingredient Labeling Rules in Response to COVID-19
 

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was relaxing food ingredient labeling rules due to ingredient shortages associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The move is intended to benefit food manufacturers, grocers, and consumers. I think it will do just that.

Practically, the flexibility around "minor formulation changes" will allow food makers to substitute small amounts of food ingredients temporarily without necessitating the creation or use of a new food label. That will get more food in front of consumers.

...

"Given significant supply chain disruptions for [flour] during this time, we do not intend to object to the use of products labeled with 'bleached' flour ingredients that substitute for the ingredient 'unbleached flour' without making a corresponding label change while there continues to be 'bleached' flour shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," the FDA explains here, in an announcement explaining the regulatory flexibility.

While the new FDA guidance allows food makers to substitute food ingredients, the agency's flexibility isn't without some limitations. For example, it doesn't extend to known allergens, meaning a food maker may not swap out an existing ingredient for nuts, shellfish, or another allergen the agency requires food makers to disclose on the food label. It also allows substitutions only of ingredients that comprise up to two percent of the food's total weight. 

The FDA gets a lot wrong, but the agency's move this week is just the latest example of welcome and much-needed regulatory flexibility in the face of the pandemic.

The article goes on to note that some are worried that the newfound flexibility may become permanent.

Would that really be so terrible?

 

[BeSafe]

The FDA Deserves Credit for Easing Food Ingredient Labeling Rules in Response to COVID-19
The article goes on to note that some are worried that the newfound flexibility may become permanent.

Would that really be so terrible?

I tend to disagree with this one:

4.  Geographical Origin:  Some foods may voluntarily provide the geographical origin of certain ingredients. FDA does not intend to object to temporary substitutions of similar ingredients of different origin if the substitution is not for the food itself. For example, if a food states that it is made with “California raisins” and the manufacturer needs to substitute raisins from another domestic or internation allocation, FDA does not intend to object. However, we note that specific inquiries regarding country of origin labeling should be directed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS).  

If you're going to market something specifically as 'Made in XXX', then that's kind of the point.  Its marketing and integral to the product.  But I also notice that this particular section has the specific instructions for objection/clarification (more directly spelled out than the others) so they know this is going to be more contentious too.

 

[Saorsa]

If you're going to market something specifically as 'Made in XXX', then that's kind of the point.  Its marketing and integral to the product.  But I also notice that this particular section has the specific instructions for objection/clarification (more directly spelled out than the others) so they know this is going to be more contentious too.

If you are going to have regulations and discover that you can suspend them without any ill effect then why have that regulation at all?

Most of those seem to be demanded by the producers for a marketing advantage rather than any sort of public need.

It's not difficult with modern packaging machinery to add a supplemental label if they have changed something like use of non CA raisins.

It doesn't seem to be a matter of food or drug safety if it's suspension makes no difference in that regard.

 

[BeSafe]

If you are going to have regulations and discover that you can suspend them without any ill effect then why have that regulation at all?

Most of those seem to be demanded by the producers for a marketing advantage rather than any sort of public need.

It's not difficult with modern packaging machinery to add a supplemental label if they have changed something like use of non CA raisins.

It doesn't seem to be a matter of food or drug safety if it's suspension makes no difference in that regard.

That particular issue would seem to be more applicable to Commerce than the FDA.  Conjoining health/safety with marketing is always messy.

One of the big problems with "Government" is they have little incentive to go back and remove rules that aren't applicable.  That makes them vulnerable to exploitation and ridicule.  COVID seems to be acting as a catalyst for such reflection.

 

[Saorsa]

That particular issue would seem to be more applicable to Commerce than the FDA.  Conjoining health/safety with marketing is always messy.

One of the big problems with "Government" is they have little incentive to go back and remove rules that aren't applicable.  That makes them vulnerable to exploitation and ridicule.  COVID seems to be acting as a catalyst for such reflection.

Mission creep is career enhancing.

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

"Vegan Butter" seems oxymoronic to me, but not misleading. A US District Court Judge Agrees.
 

..."In the State's central thesis, Miyoko's product does not meet the federal standard for 'butter' (which it cannot be called without dairy and an 80% fat content), barely evades being 'margarine' (which it would have to be called if it was slightly fattier), and ought to be sold as a 'spread' (non-enforcement around peanut-and-fruit-based "butter" notwithstanding)," Judge Seeborg's ruling explains.

...

"[J]ustifying governmental speech regulation using the government-issued dictionary is troublingly self-fulfilling," Judge Seeborg writes.

Just as happened in the Ocheesee case, one the chief claims of California regulators in the vegan butter case is that the product in question was somehow misleading consumers. Miyoko's countered that no reasonable consumer has been, is, or could be fooled into thinking its products are derived from animal milk rather than from plants. The company's packaging and messaging prove that fact. For example, the front of the company's European Style Cultured Vegan Butter packaging alone uses the word "vegan" twice, notes the "cashew & coconut oil spread" is "100% crafted from plants," is "lactose free," states that it "contains nuts," and boasts a photo of a dozen or so cashews.

"I don't think there's a single confused consumer out there," owner Miyoko Schinner told Bay Area news station KPIX in February. "No more than a consumer is confused when they order almond milk. They know it's not dairy milk. In fact, they're ordering almond milk because they don't want dairy milk!"

Judge Seeborg agreed, noting that California had failed to identify even one consumer who claimed they'd been misled by Miyoko's.

...