Girl Scouts cut trans fats from cookiesSat, 24 Feb 2007 03:34:46 GMTBy DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press Writer NEW YORK - For much of the country, it's Girl Scout cookie time again. And this year, all those cookies, not just the Thin Mints and a few others, will come nearly free of harmful trans fats. The Girl Scouts have marked their 90th year in the cookie business by getting most of the artificial fat out of all varieties of their iconic treats, which had been under attack by a few health-focused consumer groups. The change reflects a movement by the scouts in recent years to add an element of health consciousness to their annual bake sale. This year, about half of all Girl Scout troops are also offering a sugar-free cookie called the Little Brownie. A cookie with reduced saturated fat, the Cartwheel, was also introduced last year. Tinkering with a popular recipe is something no cook does lightly, and Girl Scouts of the USA Vice President Denise J. Pessich said the changes were only made after the two commercial bakeries that make the cookies found trans-fat alternatives that didn't compromise flavor, texture or shelf life. Pessich said she was confident fans would notice few differences. The recipe changes have also given troop leaders an opportunity to talk more about the importance of eating right, Pessich said. "They know that, for one thing, you need to make informed choices. You need to read labels," she said. In making the adjustments, the scouts are following other manufacturers who rid their products of trans fats after the Food and Drug Administration began requiring food labels to carry information on the substance last year. Scientific studies have linked trans fats to heart disease. Cities around the country are also taking steps to ban trans fats at restaurants. New York became the first city to do so last year. The first "zero trans" Girl Scout cookies made their debut in the fall of 2005, including a reformulated version of the top-selling Thin Mint. The remaining varieties had most trans fats eliminated by last October. Consumer reaction is still developing. Most troops take their orders in January and begin deliveries in late February or early March. But — taste aside — the initial feedback has been positive, said Anna Ho, who organizes sales for Troop 805 in Parsippany, N.J. "People are saying, 'It's about time,' said Ho. "Everybody is conscious of the trans-fat issue ... My own sister used to rub me in the ribs sometimes and say, 'When are you going to go healthy?'" She said the scouts seem to understand the need for a change too. "These girls are pretty in tune," she said. "They know that at the high school, they started mandating healthier eating. The snacks changed. The vending machines changed. They are very aware that there is a kick on for a healthier lifestyle." The scouts have been careful not to bill the updated cookies as health food. Even with the changes, most varieties are still high in sugar and saturated fat. "Like any snack food, you talk about moderation," Pessich said. "We know we aren't selling broccoli." In fact, the scouts are quick to point out, the new recipes aren't technically trans-fat-free either. A look at the nutrition label reveals that most varieties still contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil — the primary source of trans fats in the U.S. diet. But the amount is less than half a gram per serving, low enough to allow a "zero grams of trans fat" label under FDA rules. Every variety of Girl Scout cookie now meets that standard, based on serving sizes that range from four Thin Mints to two Samoas or Caramel deLites. That's something for cookie fans to keep in mind as they open a box, said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "If it says zero grams, but contains partially hydrogenated oil, people should know it does contain a little bit of trans fat," Jacobson said. "If somebody ate several servings of those foods a day, someone could consume 2 or 3 grams of trans fat, which is significant." Texas families seek to block govs orderSat, 24 Feb 2007 06:24:37 GMTBy JIM VERTUNO, Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas - A group of families has sued in an attempt to block Gov. Rick Perry's executive order requiring schoolgirls to be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer. The lawsuit challenges Perry's authority to issue the order and seeks to block any state money from being spent on the vaccine until that question is resolved, said Kenneth Chaiken, the attorney representing the families. "The school-age girls of Texas are not guinea pigs who may be subjected to medial procedures at the apparent whim of Texas' governor," according to the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Travis County. Perry, a Republican, wants to require the vaccine for girls entering sixth grade. It protects against strains of human papapillomavirus, or HPV, that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. Supporters of the vaccine requirement say it will help fight a cancer that kills 3,700 American women each year. But the order has inflamed conservatives who say it contradicts Texas' abstinence-only sexual education policies and intrudes into family lives. Chaiken said the lawsuit does not raise that moral objection. Perry is confident he had the authority to issue the order, his spokeswoman Krista Moody said. "He sees this vaccine as not only a fiscally responsible order but also one that has the potential to save the lives of thousands of women in Texas," Moody said. The governor's order also upset many lawmakers in his own party, and a bill to override the measure is moving through the state House. FDA approves Shires ADHD drug VyvanseSat, 24 Feb 2007 01:13:49 GMTBy ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - A new amphetamine-based drug to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder won federal approval Friday. It's harder to abuse than older stimulants, the manufacturer says. The Food and Drug Administration approved Vyvanse, also known as lisdexamfetamine, agency spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said. The drug is made by Shire PLC. Shire hopes the drug will extend its lucrative ADHD franchise once its top-selling Adderall XR begins facing competition from lower-priced generic versions in 2009. Shire plans to move patients from the older to the newer drug at the time, company spokesman Matt Cabrey said this week. Shire said it tried to limit the drug's potential for misuse. It tested the drug on adults with a history of abusing stimulants to assess its "likeability." Results suggest the drug delays the onset and limits the intensity of amphetamine-like effects, the company said. Vyvanse works by gradually releasing its active ingredient, d-amphetamine, after the drug has been swallowed and comes into contact with enzymes in the digestive tract. Unless it's swallowed, Vyvanse remains inactive. Shire believes that will curtail its potential for abuse by users who snort or inject crushed pills. Despite those measures, the Drug Enforcement Administration has proposed making Vyvanse a Schedule II drug, a class that includes cocaine, methadone, methamphetamine and other drugs with a high potential for abuse. Other ADHD medicines, including Adderall and Ritalin, also are Schedule II drugs. Vyvanse's label will bear a "black-box" warning, the government's strongest, Cruzan said. Details were not immediately available. The label of Adderall XR bears a warning because of safety concerns related to amphetamine abuse as well as the risk of sudden death in patients with heart defects. FDA approval of Vyvanse came the same week that the agency asked all manufacturers of ADHD drugs to warn patients and their parents of mental and heart problems associated with use of the medicines. Britain's Shire said earlier this month it would spend roughly $2.6 billion to buy New River Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Radford, Va., company that originally developed Vyvanse. Colorado high school bans energy drinkSat, 24 Feb 2007 01:14:08 GMTBy CHASE SQUIRES, Associated Press Writer DENVER - A high school banned a caffeine-packed energy drink and 7-Eleven pulled it from Colorado stores after some students said it made them sick and shaky and caused their hearts to race. About a half-dozen students became sick in the last two weeks and two were hospitalized after drinking Spike Shooter, made by Biotest Laboratories LLC. All recovered within hours, said Dennis Vigil, assistant principal at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs. A warning on the can says the drink isn't meant for anyone under 18, said Biotest spokesman Tom DeNardin. The drink contains roughly the same amount of caffeine as two to three five-ounce cups of coffee. "It's not targeted at all toward high school ," DeNardin said. "That is not what the intent was." 7-Eleven Inc. pulled the drink from all 222 of its company-owned stores in Colorado after the school asked nearby stores to limit sales to students, spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. The corporation had never recommended Spike Shooter to its stores and it was not distributed by the company's approved suppliers, she said. "Because of the concern about the reaction with the kids, and because it was not a recommended product, we told all the stores to take it off the shelves," Chabris said. A company Web site says Spike Shooter contains 300 milligrams of caffeine per 8.4 ounces. By comparison, a five-ounce cup of coffee contains on average 80 to 115 milligrams of caffeine, according to the London-based International Coffee Organization. The Web site carries a warning suggesting consumers "Begin use with one-half can to determine tolerance." At the top of the cans a warning says consumers should "Read label before drinking." The Web site says Spike Shooter should not be consumed by people taking certain other medications or if they have high blood pressure or a number of other conditions. It adds, "Keep out of reach of children." ___ On the Net: http://www.biotest.net |
