The FDA also instructed employees to block imports of the supplements, calling them "dangerous ... and even life-threatening." The agency said the supplement bears the name Yilishen when it is imported from China and is sold as Actra-Rx within the United States.

Laura Alvey, an FDA spokeswoman, declined further comment saying the matter is under investigation that may lead to criminal or civil enforcement actions.

Actra-Rx and Yilishen are promoted on Web sites as erectile dysfunction treatments that enhance men's sexual performance, the FDA said.

Despite an all-natural label, Actra-Rx capsules contain prescription strength levels of sildenafil, the active drug ingredient in Viagra, according to a letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Viagra, produced by Pfizer, was approved by the FDA to treat erectile dysfunction. The recommended dose is 50 milligrams. Some men take as little as 25 mg. or as much as 100 mg.

According to "Sex, Lies and Niagra," published in the Feb. 4, 2004 issue of JAMA, chemical analyses found an average of 55 milligrams of sildenafil per capsule - https://www.change.org/search?q=capsule of Actra-Rx and 상주출장마사지 - https://www.toptopanma.com/%ec%83%81%ec%a3%bc%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8... Niagra Actra-Rx, another name under which the product has been sold.

"The use of such nonprescription substances may present health risks for individuals with contraindications to the use of sildenafil," wrote the authors.

Follow up testing by the FDA confirmed Actra-Rx contained prescription-strength levels of sildenafil.

A spokesman for Los Angeles-based Body Basics declined comment. The company's voicemail identifies them as manufacturer of Actra-Rx. The company's Web site continues to advertise Actra-Rx as a "natural sexual enhancer" available in starter kits of 10 pills for $78.99.

In June 2003, Pfizer filed a trademark infringement suit against Body Basics, which had been using the name Niagra to sell the supplement. The federal court, in a consent judgment, barred the company from using that name, said Bryant Haskins, director of corporate media relations at Pfizer.

When the FDA in March 27, 1998 approved Viagra, the first pill to treat impotence, it warned consumers not to use the drug in combination with products containing nitrates to avoid worrisome lowering of blood pressure.

According to the FDA, the sildenafil in Actra-Rx also can interact with certain prescription drugs that contain nitrates or nitrates in illicit substances, significantly lowering blood pressure to unsafe levels.

Men at risk include those with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease. Those individuals use medications that contain nitrates and often suffer erectile dysfunction.

The FDA advised people who have taken Actra-Rx or Yilishen to stop using it and to consult - http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/?q=consult a doctor regarding an alternate erectile dysfunction treatment.

Nonpowder guns kill an average of four Americans yearly, and from 1990 to 2000, there were 39 such deaths — 32 of children younger than 15, according to a report in November's issue of Pediatrics.

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The report, published Monday, comes just two weeks after the BB gun death of an 8-year-old South Carolina boy accidentally killed by a 13-year-old friend. The pellet pierced the boy's heart, said Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

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"These are not the kinds of BB guns that I grew up with," Watts said. Today's BB guns "are extremely high-powered," and some can shoot with a velocity nearly matching a .22 caliber rifle, Watts said.

>\

>
Nonpowder guns include powerful air rifles introduced in the 1970s and 무안출장안마 - https://www.anmatoto.com/19-muan paintball pistols used in war games. They're sometimes described as fake guns and often given to children as gifts, but the report says they can cause internal injuries.

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Nationally, an estimated 21,840 injuries related to nonpowder guns were treated in emergency departments in 2000 — most in children aged 5 to 14, according to the report prepared by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Injury, Violence and Prevention

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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were 19,163 nonpowder gun injuries last year

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Most states have laws or regulations governing nonpowder guns. New York's is one of the strictest, prohibiting the purchase or unsupervised use by someone younger than 16 years, the Pediatrics report said

r>

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While some models of air guns and BB guns are marketed specifically to youngsters, manufacturers and sellers also stress that they should be handled like legitimate firearms

r>

r>
The gun involved - http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/search/gun%20involved in the South Carolina shooting was a present from the older boy's parents, who had hoped it would lift his spirits after his own brother's recent death in a car accident, Watts said

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"They're being given as toys without recognition that there may be a serious injury risk," said report author Dr. Danielle Laraque, a New York pediatrician.

However, FluMist, which contains weakened live virus, cannot be used by those at highest risk for flu complications. It is only approved for healthy people aged 5 to 49.

Thompson encouraged health care workers and people who care for 문경출장마사지 - https://www.anmaweb.com/%eb%ac%b8%ea%b2%bd%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8%e2... high-risk individuals to use the nasal spray.

"It is safe. It is protective and people should avail themselves of that opportunity," Thompson said.

Federal officials had hoped to offer 100 million doses of flu vaccine this year after more than 80 million Americans sought doses last year and 152 children died - http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/search?q=children%20died from the flu.

But in early October, manufacturer Chiron Corp. was barred from shipping between 46 million and 48 million doses to the United States because of contamination at its Liverpool, England, plant.

Federal officials began searching for additional flu vaccine, asking existing suppliers if they could provide more and asking producers around the world if they had surplus.

On Tuesday, Thompson announced Aventis Pasteur had scrambled to provide 2.6 million extra flu shots, for a total of 58 million doses. The extra vaccine, however, won't be available until January. The flu season typically peaks in January or later.

Between injected and inhaled vaccines and antiviral drugs, enough medicine will be available to treat 100 million people this flu season, officials said. Federal authorities have asked healthy adults to forgo vaccination to leave shots for those at greatest risk: the very young, the very old and people with chronic illnesses.

Gaithersburg, Md.-based MedImmune has the capacity to make 20 million doses of FluMist. Dr. Jim Young, president of research and development, testified before Congress that the company discarded 4 million unused doses of its 5 million doses last year. The company scaled back production this year to 2 million doses.

It restarted its plant this fall to boost this year's production. Beginning the first week of November through early December, MedImmune expects to ship 400,000 doses per week, said David Mott, MedImmune president. People will be charged $16 to $23.50 per dose.

Next year, the company expects again to ramp up production to yield 8 million to 10 million doses of the nasal spray.

The Food and Drug Administration continues negotiations with Canadian flu shot manufacturer ID Biomedical to secure about 2 million doses of their injectable flu vaccine. The government-to-government sale would hinge on the product meeting FDA safety and manufacturing standards, according to Lester Crawford, FDA acting commissioner.

Crawford on Thursday confirmed he's in negotiations with the French government and others to snag 5 million surplus flu vaccine doses around the world.

"Wherever there is flu vaccine, we're in negotiations — including France," Crawford said.

GlaxoSmithKline continues to negotiate with the FDA, as well, about possibly selling its product, Fluarix, in the United States.

When the company first began making Fluarix, five companies supplied flu vaccine to the U.S. market. Glaxo did not seek FDA approval for its product, focusing instead on international markets "where the need was greater," said Danielle Halstrom, company spokeswoman.

"With the vaccine shortages experienced in the United States for the past two years, we are revisiting that strategy," Halstrom said.

In the meantime, Johns Hopkins University has negotiated for the past two weeks to be able to offer FluMist to its employees.

"We certainly intend to use the FluMist," said Gary Stephenson, director of media relations. Stephenson said the quantity would be determined, in part, by how many flu shots Johns Hopkins can receive. "It's really very premature to discuss this right now."

While adults who take FluMist shed virus for up to seven days and children for up to two weeks, it's a fraction of the virus needed to infect someone, said James C. King, a University of Maryland School of Medicine pediatrics professor who tests vaccines.

By Diedtra Henderson

The move announced Thursday by the nation's second-largest cereal maker affects 29 cereals, including such popular brands as Trix, Golden Grahams, Lucky Charms and Rice Chex. The new recipes and packaging will be launched in October, he said.

General Mills officials said the whole-grain switch is designed to make it even easier for consumers to eat healthy food. Several of the company's brands, including Cheerios, Wheaties, Total and Wheat Chex, are already whole grain.

Company spokesman Tom Johnson said just over 40 percent of the company's cereal line is being changed, "so it's a huge undertaking." He declined to specify the cost of the changeover.

The decision follows a recent recommendation by a federal advisory panel. The panel, looking at ways to update the Agriculture Department's familiar food pyramid, recommended eating whole grain products rather than refined grains to reduce risks of heart disease and other conditions - http://data.gov.uk/data/search?q=conditions .

At the same time, 칠곡출장안마 - https://www.opanma.com/33-chilgok there has been growing questions about whether food companies could be held legally responsible for America's obesity epidemic and other health problems.

The scrutiny has prompted a handful - http://www.purevolume.com/search?keyword=handful of companies to offer, or at least consider, healthier versions of existing products.

Fast food restaurant chains McDonald's Corp. and Wendy's International Inc. have also revamped their children's menus to promote milk and fruit consumption.

Last year, Kraft Foods Inc. began reducing the fat content in 200 products in North America and capping portions for single-serve packaged snacks. It also quit marketing snacks at school.

General Mills officials said it had done extensive taste tests with consumer panels on the revamped cereals.

"Consumers are looking for food products that can be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle," Steve Sanger, the company's chairman and CEO, said in a statement announcing the change. "This innovation brings important health news to the cereal aisle. Delivering whole grain across our entire Big G cereal portfolio will benefit the people who love our cereals and should be good for the entire cereal category."

General Mills is the nation's No. 2 cereal maker, after Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg Co.

In a bad year, the stakes could be higher than just saving people from fever, headaches and a runny nose.

"What if you had 20 or 30 percent of your population not able to go to work or to school? It would affect the economy. It would affect, in a sense, our security," said Dr. Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic, who sits on a federal vaccine advisory board.

Health officials warned of shortages last Tuesday after one of the two companies that supply most of the nation's flu inoculations said it couldn't provide any. British authorities had suspended the license of Chiron Corp. because of problems at its vaccine plant in Liverpool. That chopped the nation's supply of flu vaccine in half.

When the news reached a meeting of vaccine experts Tuesday morning, "we were shocked and surprised, and then we got depressed, and then we just moved into problem-solving," recalled Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University.

"It doesn't help the firemen to get angry at the fire, you've got to go to work and put it out."

The basic problem is that "we've lost most of our domestic manufacturers" of flu vaccine, said Richard Webby at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. "When you're relying on two manufacturers ... and one goes down, you're up the creek."

Drug companies have pulled out of flu vaccine production because it's not very profitable and it's financially risky, health experts said.

One big problem is that demand for flu shots fluctuates from year to year as public interest waxes and wanes. Last season brought huge demand for a flu shot; the year before saw little interest, Poland said. But flu shots have to be made far in advance, so the manufacturers must rely on estimates and then they're "out there naked in the marketplace," said Schaffner.

If a flu shot isn't used during the season, it must be discarded. So companies generally throw away millions of doses a year, Poland said.

What's more, making vaccines - http://www.futureofeducation.com/main/search/search?q=vaccines requires massive capital investment and involves - http://www.examandinterviewtips.com/search?q=involves the costs of complying with federal regulations, and the market is relatively small, he said.

So what can be done to draw more companies into making flu vaccines?

One strategy would be to make demand higher and more reliable by getting more healthy adults to get flu shots regularly, Webby said. Between the publicity over last year's early flu season and the current concern that bird flu could spawn a lethal human pandemic, "flu certainly has had a relatively high profile the last couple years," Webby said. "All of this I think is certainly raising public awareness."

Other experts suggest having the government commit to buying a certain number of doses at a given price each year, buffering the uncertainty. Currently, most flu vaccine in the United States is bought by the private sector.

Not only could government buy more flu vaccine and promote flu shots more aggressively, it could also require health insurance companies to cover flu shots as well as other vaccines for adults, Schaffner said. A companion public program could provide flu shots for uninsured people, he suggested.

"It would create a huge new market."

By next year, a guaranteed government purchase might ensure that the three flu vaccine makers that now supply the nation remain in the business, Poland said. Besides the two major suppliers, another company makes the new inhaled vaccine, FluMist.

Poland said other measures also could improve the financial picture for manufacturing flu vaccines, such as easing the cost of complying with regulations and speeding up approval of new vaccines.

Schaffner said it's important for the government to keep focused on the problem.

"We need to not let our attention flag once this crisis is behind us," he said. "We need to keep our eye on the ball here."

The shortage has forced health officials to ration the available inoculations. The flu shots are now for 공주출장마사지 - https://www.anmapop.com/%ea%b3%b5%ec%a3%bc%ec%b6%9c%ec%9e%a5%ec%83%b5%cf... people 65 years of age and older, babies six to 23 months old, nursing home residents, pregnant women, day care workers and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people are being asked to take a flu mist instead. That's still not enough to counter the rush or cut the lines down.

Vioxx, heavily marketed as an arthritis drug, was pulled from the market last week after its maker announced that a study showed it doubled the risk of heart problems. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said similar prescription drugs were safe.

On Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency in London announced it would review drugs similar to Vioxx. And researchers writing in the New England Journal of Medicine voiced their concerns as well with such drugs as Pfizer's popular Celebrex.

As CBS News Correspondent - https://www.rewards-insiders.marriott.com/search.jspa?q=Correspondent Elizabeth Kaledin reports, the study in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine is now questioning the safety of other drugs in the same class...drugs known as COX 2 inhibitors..Dr. Garret FitzGerald has been studying the drugs for 경산출장마사지 - https://www.anmastar.com/%ea%b2%bd%ec%82%b0%ec%b6%9c%ec%9e%a5%ec%83%b5%c... 5 years.

"There have been suggestions in the past that indeed there are possibilities of cardiovascular problems with other members of this class,'' he told Kaledin.

The medical journal published two reports on the issue Wednesday on the Internet, ahead of their planned publication, because of their public health importance.

Studies done five years ago when Celebrex and Merck & Co.'s Vioxx were approved suggest that the same mechanism that inhibits inflammation and makes the drugs easier on the stomach than traditional painkillers also blocks a substance that prevents heart problems, FitzGerald, a University of Pennsylvania cardiologist who led the studies, which were designed by him but funded by the drug companies.

"I believe this is a class effect," meaning that the problem also applies to Celebrex and Pfizer's newer, similar drug, Bextra, which remain on the market.

He called on the FDA to change its advice to patients and doctors to reflect the new safety concerns. In a separate report also released by the medical journal, Dr. Eric Topol of the Cleveland Clinic chastises the FDA for not requiring Merck to do studies investigating heart problems with Vioxx when hints of them first appeared years ago.

Pfizer's medical director, Dr. Gail Cawkwell, insisted that its drugs are safe.

"The data for Celebrex is robust and exceeds, in the length of patients in studies and in the size of studies, the data Vioxx has," she said.

She called FitzGerald's contention "an interesting theory," but said, "there is no evidence" of increased risk of heart problems among the 75 million Americans who have taken Celebrex. Long-term studies are not yet available on Bextra, which was approved in 2001.

FDA officials did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

When Merck voluntarily withdrew Vioxx, FDA officials said heart problems were unique to that drug and that the mechanism underlying them wasn't known.

But FitzGerald and colleagues published two studies in 1999 and another in 2001 suggesting that by selectively blocking one of the two substances called prostaglandins that lead to inflammation, these so-called cox-2 inhibitors were sparing the stomach at the expense of the heart.

"There's a good prostaglandin and a bad prostaglandin - http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=bad%20prostaglandin as far as the heart is concerned," he explained.

Suppressing both, as older painkillers like aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS do, helps the heart. But shutting down just the "good" one raises the risk of high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and clotting, he reports.

The studies will be published in the Oct. 21 print edition of the medical journal.

Nonpowder guns kill an average of four Americans yearly, and from 1990 to 2000, there were 39 such deaths — 32 of children younger than 15, according to a report in November's issue of Pediatrics.

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The report, 의왕출장마사지 - https://www.anmaop.com/%e2%8c%a0%ec%9d%98%ec%99%95%ec%b6%9c%ec%9e%a5%ec%... published Monday, comes just two weeks after the BB gun death of an 8-year-old South Carolina boy accidentally killed by a 13-year-old friend. The pellet pierced the boy's heart, said Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

>\

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"These are not the kinds of BB guns that I grew up with," Watts said. Today's BB guns "are extremely high-powered," and some can shoot with a velocity nearly matching a .22 caliber rifle, Watts said.

>\

>
Nonpowder guns include powerful air rifles introduced in the 1970s and paintball pistols used in war games. They're sometimes described as fake guns and often given to children as gifts, but the report says they can cause internal injuries.

>\

>
Nationally, an estimated 21,840 injuries related to nonpowder guns were treated in emergency departments in 2000 — most in children aged 5 to 14, according to the report prepared by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Injury, Violence and Prevention

r>

r>
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were 19,163 nonpowder gun injuries last year

r>

r>
Most states have laws or regulations governing nonpowder guns. New York's is one of the strictest, prohibiting the purchase or unsupervised use by someone younger than 16 years, the Pediatrics report said

r>

r>
While some models of air guns and BB guns are marketed specifically to youngsters, manufacturers and sellers also stress that they should be handled like legitimate firearms

r>

r>
The gun involved in the South Carolina shooting was a present from the older boy's parents, who had hoped it would lift his spirits after his own brother's - http://www.melodyhome.com/category-0/?u=0&q=brother%27s recent death in a car accident, Watts said

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"They're being given as toys without recognition that there may be a serious injury risk," said report author Dr. Danielle Laraque, a New York pediatrician - http://photobucket.com/images/York%20pediatrician .

As long as people don't increase the number of calories they consume daily, 김포출장마사지 - https://www.startopanma.com/%ea%b9%80%ed%8f%ac%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b... the FDA found "limited but not conclusive evidence" suggesting reduced risk of coronary heart disease when people replace foods high in saturated fat with the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease accounted for 502,189 deaths - or one in five deaths - in 2001, the most current statistic available. Another 13.2 million Americans that year survived - http://www.dict.cc/?s=survived the heart attacks, chest pains and other ailments caused by coronary heart disease.

Along with lowering cholesterol, cutting out cigarettes and exercising, the group says Americans can boost heart health by eating foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. An American Heart Association - http://ms-jd.org/search/results/search&keywords=Association/ spokeswoman declined comment on the FDA's action until it reviews the health claim.

"Since CHD is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States, it is a public health priority to make sure that consumers have accurate and useful information on reducing their risk," Lester M. Crawford, acting FDA commissioner said in a prepared statement.

It's the third time the FDA granted a qualified health claim for conventional food.

Olive oil and certain food containing olive oil can now indicate that "limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil," the agency said.

The date is set, the venue is booked. Now, what to wear down the aisle?

Shopping for a bridal gown can be exciting for any bride-to-be, but with so many choices out there -- silhouettes, necklines, fabrics, colors -- it's easy to see how it could also become overwhelming.

So, how (and where?) to find that perfect one? Jennie Ma, fashion editor at TheKnot.com, gave us a few tips to help guarantee you'll say "yes" to the right dress.

When to start shopping:

Brides should start looking for gowns eight months before they say "I do," Ma advised. That allows for time to find the right dress, as well as the fittings and alterations you'll need to ensure it looks perfect on the big day.

"It takes time to find the right dress. Some girls are lucky and they find it right away, but it does take longer for a lot of other brides. Definitely give yourself time -- you don't want to feel rushed," she added.

Where to look:

There are a number of different places where brides can look for a bridal gown, all offering different kinds of dresses and experiences.

High-end salons will carry all the top designers and give brides an intimate shopping experience, but it's not the place for a bride-to-be on a budget, Ma said.

Brides can also look for their dress at department stories, which can be a one-stop shop for the entire bridal party -- bridesmaids' dresses can also be found there, and the groom can find everything he needs as well. Some department stores also have partnerships with high-end designers (like Roses by Reem Acra at Nordstrom), 대구출장안마 - https://www.opanma.com/10-daegu offering dresses at more affordable prices.

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Brides can also go the retail route, looking at lines offered by companies like J. Crew and Ann Taylor. "They're really great because they have amazing price points and it's another place where you can fully service your entire bridal party and get all the outfits in one place," said Ma.

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How to figure out what you want:

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Brides can find inspiration on websites like TheKnot.com, with galleries showing all the latest gowns from top designers. Magazines and Pinterest are other places where brides can look through pictures and see what they like -- and, perhaps more importantly, what they don't like.

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But other factors - http://www.answers.com/topic/factors from your wedding will also play into the decision-making process.

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"I would say the first thing is to figure out your venue and what style you're going for, and that naturally will really help you narrow down what dress you're looking for," Ma said. "If you're getting married in this gorgeous ballroom, you know you need a really dramatic gown. You're not going to want something really simple. So that will inform the decision."

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When you go -- be open-minded:

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Personal style preferences, budget and the type of wedding a bride is having will all influence what kind of dress she wants. But, brides should still go into the shopping process with an open mind, Ma said.

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"It's good to go in knowing what you want. It's good to be prepared and have an idea -- it will help your search process. But at the same time, be open minded," she advised.

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So if a friend, family member or bridal consultant suggests you try on a dress, go for it! The worst thing that could happen is you reaffirm that ball gowns aren't your thing. But maybe, just maybe, that mermaid-style gown you didn't think would work will wow you.

Illness from food-borne disease, which can lead to death, affects every country of the world, said the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization, which are hosting the world's largest meeting of health, agriculture and trade regulators to tackle the problem.

"Food safety regulators of the world need to intensify their collaboration," the agencies said in a joint statement about the three-day meeting starting Tuesday in Bangkok.

"There are just too many threats to the safety of the world's food supply, from the farmer's field to the consumer's table," said Hartwig de Haen, assistant director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Some 300 experts from more than 100 nations will discuss how to strengthen food-control systems to protect consumers while minimizing costs to farmers, food processors and 구미출장마사지 - https://www.anmaweb.com/%ea%b5%ac%eb%af%b8%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8%e2... retailers, the agencies said.

The agencies said the global incidence of food-borne diseases, which include cholera, typhoid, food poisoning, hepatitis A and dysentery, is difficult to estimate, but that many people fall ill and die as a result of eating unsafe food.

"In industrialized countries, 30 percent of the people are affected by food-borne diseases annually, and the problem is likely to be even more widespread in developing countries," the agencies said.

In 2000, WHO said, 2.1 million people died from diarrheal diseases spread mainly by contaminated food and water. Most of the victims were children in the less developed countries - http://www.wonderhowto.com/search/developed%20countries/ .

But in the United States, 76 million cases of food-borne diseases resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths are estimated to occur each year, WHO said.

It said threats to food, including improper handling and storage, can originate where crops are grown or animals are raised all the way up the chain to where and how it is prepared and cooked.

"While large food-borne outbreaks often receive the most public attention, the majority of the food-borne disease burden is linked to the many single cases occurring in all countries of the world," the statement said.

By Alexander G. Higgins