Judge Stays Course With Final Decision On Cancer Warning Labels For Coffee
The final ruling that confirmed the tentative decision from March clears the way for the Council for Education and Research on Toxics to seek a permanent injunction that would either lead to warning labels or a commitment by the industry to remove the chemical from their product.
The Associated Press:
California Judge Affirms Ruling For Coffee Cancer Warnings
A court ruling that gave coffee drinkers a jolt earlier this year was finalized Monday when a Los Angeles judge said coffee sold in California must carry cancer warnings. Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said Starbucks Corp. and other roasters and retailers failed to show that benefits from drinking coffee outweighed any risks from a carcinogen that is a byproduct of the roasting process. He had tentatively made the same written decision in March. (Melley, 5/7)
In other news from across the state —
Stat:
Surgical Device Firm Demands The Retraction Of A Study Paid For By Its Rival
In January, Minerva Surgical lost a patent infringement suit against Hologic, a rival manufacturer of a radiofrequency device for treating heavy bleeding in the uterus. But Minerva hasn’t raised the white flag. Last month, the Redwood City, Calif., company issued a press release demanding the immediate retraction of a recent study showing that Hologic’s device for endometrial ablation is better than Minerva’s. According to the release, the article, which appears in a relatively obscure publication called the International Journal of Women’s Health (IJWH), makes “material misleading statements” about the nature of the study. (Marcus and Oransky, 5/8)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Officials Propose Cutting Nearly $16 Million From Health Services Budget
Facing yet another significant budget shortfall, Sonoma County officials are proposing slashing nearly $16 million from the Department of Health Services, a move that would result in almost 30 staff layoffs and reduce funding for about 50 nonprofits providing direct health care-related services. The proposed cuts would also eliminate 78 vacant positions in the health services department. In total, the proposed reductions would reduce the department’s full-time staffing roster by one-sixth, from about 650 to 543 positions. (Espinoza, 5/7)