Current Events in April 2014

Food is a bigger deal than it used to be. What you eat not only keeps you alive, it says a lot about who you are.

In its Top Trends of 2014 the National Restaurant Association (NRA) listed vegetarian appetizers, non-wheat (gluten-free) noodles and pasta and locally-sourced produce, meats and seafood as menu items that fill seats.

“Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and where their food comes from, and that is reflected in our menu trends research,” said NRA's Hudson Riehle. “True trends – as opposed to temporary fads – show the evolution of the wider shifts of our modern society over time, and focus on the provenance of various food and beverage items, unique aspects of how they are prepared and presented, as well as the dietary profiles of those meals.”

It may be impolite to call them fads, but enthusiasm for particular types of food – and disdain for others – ebbs and flows like the tide. Writing in Food Technology magazine, contributing editor Elizabeth Sloan recently focused on functional food trends, gathering data from a variety of industry sources.

Less reliant on supplements

In a significant shift, she says consumers who once took daily supplements are taking fewer pills and consuming for nutrient-rich food. In fact, she found nearly 9 in 10 adults made a strong effort to consume more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, herbs/botanicals and include more fish/oil/omega-3s in their diets.

When grocery shopping, consumers now seem to be more interested in the ingredients in the food they are buying. She cites research showing nearly 60% of consumers not only read labels but look for ingredients they can recognize.

Just over 50% of food shoppers seek out food made with simple, real and natural ingredients. They tend to avoid, she says, food products containing artificial ingredients.

Protein is in

While carbohydrates have fallen out of favor over the last decade or so, foods high in protein are becoming more popular. Fifty-seven percent of consumers – especially those between the ages of 18-34 and above age 65 – are big protein fans.

Protein tends to be found in unprocessed food sources, which might explain its popularity. But when questioned consumers said they were drawn to it for health reasons – to maintain healthy bones/joints, strengthen immune systems, and build muscle strength/tone while maintaining energy throughout the day.

Despite protein's appeal, a surprising 80% of households go meatless at dinner from time to time. When they do they are most likely to substitute eggs, beans and nuts as sources of protein.

Pharma-food

If you notice an overriding theme  of associating diet with health you aren't imagining it. Sloan calls it “pharma-food,” noting that 80% of consumers are now making food choices on the belief that certain foods can help delay or prevent a whole range of disease.

In 2013, 56% of consumers bought foods or beverages that targeted a specific condition. Cholesterol-lowering foods and beverages were the most purchased condition-specific food or drink.

Consumers also appear to have changed the way they regard food in efforts to lose or control weight. Instead of simple calorie restriction more consumers say they are simply eating healthier.

Sloan found whole grains, fiber, and vitamin D were favorite ingredients for the two-thirds of consumers trying to manage their weight.

Millennials making an impact

Not surprisingly, the Millennial generation is driving many of these emerging food trends and will likely continue to have a growing impact in the future.

Millennials are more likely than the rest of the consumer population to view their food choices as healthier, more expensive, more natural/organic, less processed, better tasting and fresh.

They are also the most likely to assign medicinal power to their food, believing it can boost energy and help retain mental sharpness with aging.

There have been a number of studies in recent years indicating that Increasing daily coffee consumption may reduce type 2 diabetes risk. The latest comes from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), which found that people who increased the amount of coffee they drank each day by more than one cup over a four-year period had a 11% lower risk for type 2 diabetes than those who made no changes to their coffee consumption,

In addition, the study found that those who decreased their coffee consumption by more than a cup per day increased their type 2 diabetes risk by 17%.

"Our findings confirm those of previous studies that showed that higher coffee consumption was associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk," said Shilpa Bhupathiraju, lead author and research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. "Most importantly, they provide new evidence that changes in coffee consumption habit can affect type 2 diabetes risk in a relatively short period of time."

The study appears online in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes).

“Our findings confirm those of previous studies that showed that higher coffee consumption was associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk,” said Shilpa Bhupathiraju, lead author and research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. “Most importantly, they provide new evidence that changes in coffee consumption habit can affect type 2 diabetes risk in a relatively short period of time.”

But a colleague noted that coffee is far from the only factor affecting diabetes risk.

"These findings further demonstrate that, for most people, coffee may have health benefits," said Frank Hu, senior author and professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH. "But coffee is only one of many factors that influence diabetes risk. More importantly, individuals should watch their weight and be physically active."

Study details

The researchers analyzed data on caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, and caffeinated tea consumption from 48,464 women in the Brigham and Women's Hospital-based Nurses' Health Study (1986-2006), 47,510 women in Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2007), and 27,759 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2006).

Participants' diets were evaluated every four years with a questionnaire, and those who self-reported type 2 diabetes filled out additional questionnaires. A total of 7,269 cases of type 2 diabetes were documented.

Results showed that participants who increased their coffee consumption by more than one cup per day (median change=1.69 cups/day) over a four-year period had a 11% lower risk of type 2 diabetes in the subsequent four years compared to those who made no changes in consumption. (A cup of coffee was defined as eight ounces, black, or with a small amount of milk and/or sugar.)

Those who lowered their daily coffee consumption by more than one cup (median change=2 cups/day) had a 17% higher risk for diabetes. Changes in decaffeinated coffee consumption and caffeinated tea consumption were not associated with changes in risk for type 2 diabetes.

Quick, what are the retail USDA beef grades? If you said U.S. Prime, U.S. Choice and U.S. Select, you're right. U.S. Prime is the juiciest but also has the most fat. U.S. Select is the leanest but also often the toughest.

Now there's another designation, though not perhaps actually a grade. It's USDA Very Tender and the Harris Teeter chain is currently introducing it in its stores. It will include such cuts as rib eye, strip loin, short loin, tenderloin and top blade.

“We are going above and beyond the norm to give our shoppers another measure of confidence they deserve when purchasing quality beef products,” said Harris Teeter spokeswoman Danna Jones says. “Our hope is that this label will help eliminate confusion at the meat case.”

Cargill Meat Solutions supplies Harris Teeter’s private-label Reserve Angus Beef. Cargill was the first meat processor to have its "guaranteed tender" program certified by the USDA. That program requires certain processes and standards tied to production, Harris Teeter said.

Cargill first introduced the "tender" beef in Colorado in 2012, selling it in Safeway stores throughout the state. It said then that the cuts were cured a minimum of 14 days.

Cargill said in 2013 that  Cargill it had "aggressively conducted tenderness testing since 2000, focused on providing consumers with a consistently tender eating experience that translates into increased beef demand."

“We know that beef attributes such as tenderness, flavor and juiciness are important to consumers and the long-term health of the American beef industry hinges on our ability to consistently deliver the best possible beef eating experience,” said John Keating, president of Wichita-based Cargill Beef.

Good news for anyone who lets Charles Schwab handle their investments: the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has determined that the company “violated FINRA rules by adding waiver provisions in customer agreements prohibiting customers from participating in class actions.”

Charles Schwab must pay a half-million-dollar fine, and can no longer force its investors/customers into arbitration should they have any complaints.

The issue of forced arbitration and customer rights made it to the forefront of public consciousness last week, after The New York Times discovered that food conglomerate General Mills had quietly altered its legal and privacy policies to state that “In exchange for the benefits, discounts, content, features, services, or other offerings that you receive or have access to by using our websites, joining our sites as a member, joining our online community, subscribing to our email newsletters, downloading or printing a digital coupon, entering a sweepstakes or contest, redeeming a promotional offer, or otherwise participating in any other General Mills offering,” you-the-customer give up any right to sue the company over a dispute, but must instead agree to let General Mills hire a professional arbitrator to settle the matter.

The outrage inspired by this news soon convinced the company to backtrack, and rescind its attempted forced-arbitration policy.

Timeline

Schwab's forced arbitration attempts go back much further. FINRA said that “In October 2011, Schwab sent amendments to its customer account agreement to more than 6.8 million investors. The amendments included waiver provisions that required customers to agree that any claims against Schwab be arbitrated solely on an individual basis and that arbitrators had no authority to consolidate more than one party's claims.”

The company presumably made this attempt as a result of an April 2011 Supreme Court ruling that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) overrides any state law banning forced arbitration or allowing class action suits in customer-service contracts.

In other words, the court ruled, it is acceptable in at least some instances for a company (AT&T, in that specific case) to put fine print in its customer service contracts requiring customers to settle disputes through arbitration, rather than as part of a class-action suit before the courts.

So if AT&T can force its customers into arbitration, why can't Charles Schwab? Because AT&T is not bound by FINRA rules, whereas securities firms like Charles Schwab are. Therefore, FINRA said, “the FAA does not preclude FINRA's enforcement of its rules.”

An HPV (human papillomavirus) DNA test for women 25 and older that can be used alone to help assess the need to undergo additional diagnostic testing for cervical cancer has won federal approval.

The test, the first of its kind to win Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, also can provide information about the patient’s risk for developing cervical cancer in the future.

Using a sample of cervical cells, the cobas HPV Test detects DNA from 14 high-risk HPV types. The test specifically identifies HPV 16 and HPV 18, while concurrently detecting 12 other types of high-risk HPVs.

Based on results of the cobas HPV Test, women who test positive for HPV 16 or HPV 18 should have a colposcopy, an exam using a device that illuminates and magnifies the cervix so a physician can directly observe the cervical cells.

Women testing positive for one or more of the 12 other high-risk HPV types should have a Pap test to determine the need for a colposcopy. FDA advises health care professionals to use the cobas HPV Test results together with other information, such as the patient screening history and risk factors, and current professional guidelines.

“Today’s approval offers women and physicians a new option for cervical cancer screening,” said Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Roche Diagnostics conducted a well-designed study that provided the FDA with a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness when used as a primary screening tool for cervical cancer.”

Already in use

The FDA first approved the test, called the cobas HPV Test in 2011 for use in conjunction with or as a follow-up to a Pap test (cell cytology), which examines cervical cells for changes that might become cervical cancer.

The new approval expands the use of the test to include use as either a co-test or as a primary cervical cancer screening test, however; it does not change current medical practice guidelines for cervical cancer screening. These guidelines are developed, reviewed and modified by groups other than the FDA.

Genital HPVs are a group of more than 40 related viruses and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are the most common sexually transmitted infections. Approximately 14 “high-risk” HPV types are associated with cervical cancer.

In most cases, a high-risk HPV infection goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems. However, about 10% of women infected with high-risk HPV develop a persistent infection which may put them at risk of cancer.

Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infections, with just two types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancers.

Intensive study

Data supporting the use of the cobas HPV Test as a primary screening test for cervical cancer included a study of more than 40,000 women 25 years and older undergoing routine cervical exams. Women who had a positive Pap test or whose cervical cells screened positive for HPV, as well as a subset of women whose Pap and HPV tests were both negative, underwent a colposcopy and cervical tissue biopsy.

All biopsy results were compared to the Pap and cobas HPV Test results. Data from this study, which included three years of follow-up on women who went to colposcopy, showed that the cobas HPV Test is safe and effective for the new indication for use.  

You spend a lot of time and energy pumping iron, so you want to get as much benefit from it as possible. And that means you have to eat (or drink) the right thing after your work-out.

So a new study should be of interest. It finds that a soy-dairy protein blend increases muscle mass better than whey protein alone. 

In the study, published online in the Journal of Applied Physiology,  researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch found that using a protein blend of soy, casein and whey post-workout prolongs the delivery of select amino acids to the muscle for an hour longer than using whey alone.

It also shows a prolonged increase in amino acid net balance across the leg muscle during early post-exercise recovery, suggesting prolonged muscle building.

The study was conducted by researchers from UTMB in collaboration with DuPont Nutrition and Health.

"This study sheds new light on how unique combinations of proteins, as opposed to single protein sources, are important for muscle recovery following exercise and help extend amino acid availability, further promoting muscle growth," said Blake B. Rasmussen, chairman of UTMB's Department of Nutrition and Metabolism and lead researcher of the study.

The new research builds on an earlier publication reporting that a soy-dairy blend extends muscle protein synthesis when compared to whey alone, as only the blended protein kept synthesis rates elevated three to five hours after exercise. Together, these studies indicate that the use of soy-dairy blends can be an effective strategy for active individuals seeking products to support muscle health.

Study details

The double-blind, randomized clinical trial included 16 healthy subjects, ages 19 to 30, to assess if consumption of a blend of proteins with different digestion rates would prolong amino acid availability and lead to increases in muscle protein synthesis after exercise.

The protein beverages provided to study subjects consisted of a soy-dairy blend (25 percent isolated DuPont Danisco SUPRO soy protein, 50 percent caseinate, 25 percent whey protein isolate) or a single protein source (whey protein isolate). Muscle biopsies were taken at baseline and up to five hours after resistance exercise. The protein sources were ingested one hour after exercise in both groups.

Nano Well-being Health is recalling 2 lots of Super Arthgold 500-mg capsules: lot L1P1-6100/Expiration date June 25, 2016, and lot L1P2-6000/Expiration date September 16, 2016.

Laboratory analysis has found the product to contain chlorzoxazone, diclofenac and indomethacin, making it an unapproved new drug.

Use of this product containing the undeclared drug ingredients listed above, has a reasonable probability of resulting in fatal adverse events in consumers and patients with underlying illnesses, including known allergy to the hidden ingredients, cardiac, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and renal conditions as well as patients who recently undergone cardiac bypass graft surgery.

Consumers would be unaware that the product contains Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) (and other ingredients), may inadvertently overdose by taking another NSAID concurrently, thus increasing the risk for NSAID associated adverse events, which include but are not limited to, myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, renal toxicity, and bleeding, ulceration, or perforation of the stomach or intestines.

No illness or injuries have been reported to date.

The product, used as a dietary supplement for joint pain and arthritis, is packaged in bottles of 120 capsules and was distributed to wholesalers nationwide.

Nano Well-being Health Inc. is notifying its distributors and customers by letter and phone call and is arranging for replacement of all recalled products. Consumers/distributors/retailers who have the recalled product should stop using it and return it to place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact Nano Well-being Health at 1-714-515-4600 Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5 PM, PST, or by e-mail at nanowellbeingh@gmail.com.

Felt Bicycles, of Irvine, Calif., is recalling about 3,500 2008 Felt S22 and S32 triathlon bicycles and 2010 Felt S32, B12, B14 and B16 triathlon bicycles in the U.S. and Canada.

The steer tube on the bicycle fork can break and cause the rider to lose control, posing a risk of injury.

The company has received 18 reports of the bicycle forks breaking, including five reports of minor injuries.

This recall includes all 2008 Felt S22 and S32 triathlon bicycles, and 2010 S32, B12, B14 and B16 triathlon bicycles. The bicycles have aluminum frames with carbon fiber forks and aluminum steer tubes. The Felt logo is on the seat, frame and tires. The model number is printed on the frame, next to the Felt logo.

The 2008 S22 model was sold in gloss white and the 2008 S32 was sold in gloss red. The 2010 S32 model was sold in gloss black, the 2010 B12 was sold in gloss white, the 2010 B14 was sold in gloss pewter and the 2010 B16 was sold in matte black.

The bicycles, manufactured in China, were sold at bicycle specialty stores nationwide from October 2007, through February 2014, for between $1,500 and $3,000.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles and contact their local Felt Bicycles dealer for a free inspection and steer tube replacement.

Consumers may contact Felt Bicycles toll-free at (866) 433-5887 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

After years of delay, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued proposed new regulations for e-cigarettes, nicotine gels and and products that aren't currently regulated.

The new rules fall short of existing regulations governing traditional cigarettes, however, and are unlikely to satisfy anti-smoking advocates who had hoped for more stringent measures. They won't outlaw advertising or Internet sales and won't ban flavors, which critics say attract younger users.

However, manufacturers will have to disclose the chemicals used in their e-cigarettes, which will be required to carry health warnings.

“This proposed rule is the latest step in our efforts to make the next generation tobacco-free,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said the proposed rule is a good start but goesn't go far enough.

"Stopping the sales of these products to minors is a critical step that will help protect our children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction," Boxer said. "The FDA was also right to propose barring e-cigarette companies from making unproven health claims and requiring them to disclose the harmful ingredients in their products."

"Now it is time for the Administration to take the next important step by banning the outrageous marketing of e-cigarettes to our kids, including the use of candy flavors and cartoon advertisements that are shamelessly designed to lure and addict them," she said. 

In February, introduced legislation to prohibit the marketing of e-cigarettes to children and teens. Earlier this month, she and several other senators urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FDA to take enforcement action against e-cigarette manufacturers who make unsubstantiated or false claims in their advertising, including unproven assertions that their products help smokers of conventional cigarettes quit.

Products covered

Products that would fall under FDA regulation for the first time include e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine gels, waterpipe (or hookah) tobacco, and dissolvables.

Manufacturers would be required to:

• Register with the FDA and report product and ingredient listings;
• Only market new tobacco products after FDA review;
• Only make direct and implied claims of reduced risk if the FDA confirms that scientific evidence supports the claim and that marketing the product will benefit public health as a whole; and
• Not distribute free samples.

In addition, the newly regulated products would have to meet these provisions:

• Minimum age and identification restrictions to prevent sales to underage youth;
• Requirements to include health warnings; and
• Prohibition of vending machine sales, unless in a facility that never admits youth.

Death and disease

“Tobacco remains the leading cause of death and disease in this country. This is an important moment for consumer protection and a significant proposal that if finalized as written would bring FDA oversight to many new tobacco products,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “Science-based product regulation is a powerful form of consumer protection that can help reduce the public health burden of tobacco use on the American public, including youth.”

The proposed rule will be available for public comment for 75 days. 

The day wouldn't be complete without Amazon expanding into some new market segment. Today it's home delivery of groceries.

Amazon is announcing something called Prime Pantry, which will let Amazon Prime customers order as many groceries and household items as can be stuffed into a 45-pound box. Unlike other Prime services, there will be a delivery charge -- a flat $5.99, regardless of how full the box is.

How do you know when the box is full? A little icon shows you how full your box is as you add items. 

But, you say, you can already order all kinds of grocery and household items from Amazon. Yes, you can, and many of them qualify for free two-day shipping for Prime members.

But many other items aren't currently offered under Prime -- like soda, bottled water or canned foods, simply because they're too heavy to ship for nothing.

It's not quite clear whether Amazon has added a raft of new products or if it is simply offering a more economical way to ship bulkier items. But unless you're heavily into body-building, there's nothing wrong with letting someone else lug cartons of soft drinks, bottled water and laundry detergent from the curb to your front door.  

On the negative side, we tried to put together a test order but the selection was so limited that we couldn't find 45 pounds worth of anything we wanted. In the sorely lacking department: iced tea in big bottles, coffee beans that aren't Starbucks, big bottles of decent olive oil, snack bars from somebody other than Kashi and so on.

Maybe the selection will improve with time but for now it's very white bread, so to speak.   

In most states (and countries) you can't legally get a driver's license until you're at least 16 or 17 years old, for reasons that boil down to “If you're younger than that, you probably lack the physical and intellectual maturity to safely operate an automobile.” Each state has slightly different licensing requirements, but all of them have minimum legal ages in the teens.

That's not the case with ATVs (all-terrain vehicles). Each state chooses whether or not to set any requirements, and there's no single rule which all 50 U.S. states have in common.

In January 2014, the National Conference of State Legislatures compiled a list of ATV safety laws by state. Some states regulate ATV drivers almost as strictly as regular automobiles, limiting ATV driving not just to people who are above a certain age, but have an official “safety certificate” or other ATV-specific driver's-license equivalent.

Other states aren't on the NCSL list, because they have have no ATV requirements at all. Alabama has laws only regarding foster children, who must wear a seatbelt and helmet while in an ATV.

Other states only impose age restrictions for those who drive ATVs on public roads, or require only that minors must wear goggles, helmets or other safety gear not mandated for adults. Among states that do set minimum ages for ATV drivers, the youngest age is six (in New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas).

That said, certain safety and consumer groups think ATVs (at least in modern form) are too dangerous to be mere children's toys. On April 24, for example, the Consumer Federation of America put out a press release saying “ATVs Are Dangerous to Children: Must be Designed Safer.”

The release did not mention any specific design improvements to increase safety, other than to note that both the CFA and the American Association of Pediatrics recommend that the US. Consumer Product Safety Commission “reject the manufacture of a transitional, 'youth model' ATV for 14- to 16-year-olds that is capable of traveling at speeds up to 38 miles per hour.

James Perrin, president of the AAP, went a bit further, saying that “Children are not developmentally capable of operating these heavy, complex machines. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns all parents that no child under the age of 16 should drive or ride an ATV.”

The latest proposed "net neutrality" rules may not be exactly neutral but Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Tom Wheeler says they're a step in the right direction. And Wheeler says early reports about the proposed rules have been dead wrong.

"To be very direct, the proposal would establish that behavior harmful to consumers or competition by limiting the openness of the Internet will not be permitted," he said in a blog post Thursday afternoon.

The commission is proposing new rules that would let big companies -- or any company for that matter -- pay broadband providers a fee for what amounts to premium service; if Netflix doesn't want its movies and TV shows getting jammed up behind other traffic, it could pay Cablevision, Verizon and other broadband providers for a clearer channel.

This sparks outrage in advocates of the net neutrality principle, which holds that the Internet should treat everyone equally. But with Netflix and YouTube alone gobbling up half of the available bandwidth on the Internet most days, Wheeler might argue that it's unrealistic for them to get the same treatment as Al's Garage and Body Shop.

The FCC had earlier tried to enforce a more "pure" net neutrality but the rules it drafted were struck down by a federal appeals court, just as they had been a few years earlier. Wheeler is hoping this attempt will be more successful.

Some consumer advocates fear that if Netflix or Disney has to pay more to assure glitch-free transmissions, it will eventually pass those costs on to its customers. Others counter that the streaming video market is becoming so competitive that it will be a long time before anyone dares raise rates drastically.

Besides, Wheeler says, his plan will forbid Comcast and other carriers from purposely throttling transmissions from content providers who don't pay for special handling, while at the same time allowing the carriers to offer premium services to companies willing to pay for it. He insisted in his blog post that broadband carriers -- commonly known as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) -- would not be able to take actions that would harm consumers.

To be clear, this is what the Notice will propose:

1. That all ISPs must transparently disclose to their subscribers and users all relevant information as to the policies that govern their network;
2. That no legal content may be blocked; and
3. That ISPs may not act in a commercially unreasonable manner to harm the Internet, including favoring the traffic from an affiliated entity.

The proposal is being circulated at the commission today and will be voted on at its May 15 meeting. 

If you're one of those who needs a cup of coffee to kick-start your morning, you might want stockpile some now, before the price goes up: supplies are down due to a major drought in Brazil, which produces one-third of the world's coffee.

Actually, the price of coffee has already doubled compared to last year; it just that the full price increase hasn't trickled down to end consumers yet. That's because most coffee sellers buy and pay for their beans months or even years in advance.

For example: if you visit your local coffee shop today, there's a good chance you're still paying pre-drought prices, because that's what the shop actually paid for the beans. But that pre-drought supply is probably running low now. The next time your coffee shop orders beans it'll have to pay a lot more, and some of that increase is bound to be reflected in the price.

Still brewing

A similar rule applies to the coffee you make at home: the grocery store or coffee shop where you bought it probably paid a pre-drought price for the beans, but the next batch will cost far more.

If you are planning to lay in a supply of coffee for home use, remember that where long-term storage is concerned, whole beans are much better than pre-ground coffee because, all else being equal, whole beans stay fresh for a longer time.

Granted, you could point out, “If I were up to the task of grinding coffee beans first thing in the morning, I wouldn't need caffeine in the first place!” If necessary, you can grind the beans, load them in the filter and fill the coffeemaker with water just before you go to bed at night, so that next morning, all your semi-conscious self has to do is press the “Start” button on your coffee machine.

Here's one reason eating a lot of red meat is a bad idea: researchers have found a strong association between heart disease and the type of iron that's found only in meat.

The iron in question is "heme iron" and a study by the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington found that heme iron consumption increased the risk for coronary heart disease by 57%, while no association was found for nonheme iron, which is in plant and other non-meat sources. 

The body treats the two kinds of iron differently. It can better control absorption of iron from vegetable sources, including iron supplements, but not so with iron from meat sources.

"Heme iron is absorbed at a much greater rate in comparison to nonheme iron (37% vs. 5%). Once absorbed, it may contribute as a catalyst in the oxidation of LDLs (low-density lipoproteins), causing tissue-damaging inflammation, which is a potential risk factor for CHD (coronary heart disease)," the researchers wrote.

It adds up

Iron stores in the body increase over time, they noted. The only way to reduce iron in the body is by bleeding, donating blood or menstruation. Some dietary choices, such as coffee and tea, also can inhibit iron absorption.

The study was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Nutrition. Along with first author Jacob Hunnicutt, a graduate student in the school's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the study's co-authors are Ka He and Pengcheng Xun, faculty members in the department.

Hunnicutt said the link between iron intake, body iron stores and coronary heart disease has been debated for decades by researchers, with epidemiological studies providing inconsistent findings. The new IU research, a meta-analysis, examined 21 previously published studies and data involving 292,454 participants during an average 10.2 years of follow-up

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits shot higher last week, exceeding analysts expectations.

For the week ending April 19, applications totaled 329,000 -- up 24,000 from the week before, which had been revised higher by 1,000 to 305,000.

Economists at Briefing.com had forecast an increase to 312,000.

Sterne Agee Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza says the latest rise mostly offset the outsized decline reported two weeks ago. Still, she says, “claims have shown noticeable improvement over the last 12 months suggesting improvement in at least the first part of the labor market equation: fewer job layoffs.” But, she adds, “we have yet to see marked improvement in the second part of the equation: meaningful and sustained job creation.”

The 4-week moving average, which is less volatile than the weekly number and considered a more accurate gauge of the labor market, rose 4,750 to 316,750.

The full report is available on the Labor Department website.

Outside of a couple of routine medical procedures that older men and women must endure, few things are more painful than going through a mortgage closing. That may be about to change.

On the heels of a report finding that many consumers are frustrated by the short amount of time they have to review a large stack of complex closing documents when completing a mortgage. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is releasing guidelines for an eClosing pilot project to assess how electronic closings can help consumers as they navigate the mortgage closing process.

“Mortgage closings are often fraught with anxiety,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “We have taken action to address some of the problems consumers face, but more needs to be done. Our eClosing pilot project will provide valuable insight into how to improve the closing experience for consumers. ”

The report and guidelines are the latest components of the CFPB’s “Know Before You Owe” mortgage initiative, which is designed to improve the home-buying experience for consumers.

In November 2013, the bureau issued a rule  requiring two, new easier-to-use mortgage disclosure forms that clearly lay out the terms of a mortgage for a homebuyer. The first form is a Loan Estimate, which provides a summary of the key loan terms and estimated loan and closing costs. The second form is a clearer Closing Disclosure, which offers a detailed accounting of the transaction.

The bureau is now in the process of preparing for this rule to be implemented in August 2015.

Mortgage closing pain points

The new report is the culmination of research conducted over the past year. Three major pain points for consumers during the closing process were highlighted:

• Not enough time to review: Many consumers are frustrated by the short amount of time they have to look over the closing documents. Often, they do not see the paperwork until they arrive at the closing table. Consumers reported feeling pressure to rush through the paperwork and sign -- even when they did not understand the terms.
• Overwhelming stack of paperwork: When consumers close on a home, they often face stacks of paperwork. Some of the forms are intended to help consumers better understand the costs and risks of their mortgages. Other forms are included by lenders as a result of their legal risk assessments. Remaining forms may fulfill federal, state, and local government requirements. The volume of paperwork varies from lender to lender.
• Complexity of documents and errors: Most closing documents are full of legalese and technical jargon. The terms and acronyms are unknown to most consumers. In addition to having little time to read through and understand a large stack of paperwork, consumers often complained that they had little help from the others in the room. Consumers also mentioned that they found errors in their closing documents. Those errors often led to delays as closing agents had to redo the entire closing package.

David of Bradenton, Fla., can relate to the problems homebuyers face at closing. "We refinanced our house with Ameriquest in 2004," he writes in a ConsumerAffairs post. "First they sent a notary that knew nothing of the actual loan documents to our house for closing. Then they never disclosed to us anything about an early payoff penalty. We are in the middle of trying to build a new home and refinanced our house to withdraw the equity to use as a down payment. Ameriquest charged us $6800 to pay off our mortgage that we were not expecting. Ameriquest never discussed this prepayment penalty in any of the original discussions in soliciting our mortgage."

A fix

The CFPB’s new Know Before You Owe mortgage rule is designed to address some of these challenges. For example, consumers will receive their new Closing Disclosure at least three business days in advance of closing, to provide more time to review the terms of the deal. However, this rule does not apply to any of the other paperwork consumers receive at the closing table.

The agency only has jurisdiction over a few forms in the closing stack. More needs to be done to improve the closing experience for consumers.

Miravalle Foods of El Monte, Calif., is recalling its 0.75-ounce packages of Miravalle brand Achiote Molido Ground Annato spice.

The product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recalled packages of Ground Annato 0.75 oz. were distributed in retail stores in California, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.

The product comes in a 0.75 ounce, clear plastic package marked with lot # 0015 & #0018 on the top of the UPC number (712810005020).

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 626-575-7551, Monday through Friday 8AM to 4:30PM PT.

To make it easier to share huge files, as well as ensure the safety of important data, businesses are making increasing use of the cloud – storing their computer files on remote servers.

But two researchers at Johns Hopkins have questioned the security of the growing number of companies now offering cloud storage services.

Lead author Duane Wilson, a doctoral student, and his faculty adviser, Giuseppe Ateniese, an associate professor of engineering, say they have found a flaw that could allow the company storing the supposed secure data to view it.

Zero-knowledge environment

When a company stores its secure data in the cloud, they typically are promised that the information will remain in a “zero-knowledge environment,” meaning that no one except those who have permission to access the data can see it.

Encryption is supposed to protect the data. The researchers say it doesn't always work that way.

“Our research shows that as long as the data is not shared with others, its confidentiality will be preserved, as the providers claim,” Wilson said. “However, whenever data is shared with another recipient through the cloud storage service, the providers are able to access their customers’ files and other data.”

In other words, the company that is holding and protecting the data is also able to view it. This weakness, the researchers say, calls into question the privacy protection these digital warehouses claim to offer.

Trusted middleman

In cloud-based storage, a trusted third party acts as sort of a middleman to verify the identity of the parties accessing the data, making sure they are cleared for access.

After completing an authentication process, the middleman issues “keys” that can unscramble and later recode the data. But Wilson says he found that many cloud storage companies were not turning to an outside third-party, but carrying out the verification function in-house.

That might not be a problem in a perfect world, where all employees are committed to maintaining the clients' confidentiality. Unfortunately, says Wilson, it's not a perfect world.

“The storage businesses could use a phony ‘key’ to decrypt and view the private information, then re-encrypt it before sending it on to its intended recipient,” Wilson said.

Reverse engineering

The researchers say they substantiated the security flaw by reverse engineering a typical cloud storage system. They also carried out a network traffic analysis to study the type of communication that occurs between a secure cloud storage provider and its customers.

They stress that they have no evidence that any cloud storage provider is illegally accessing their customer's confidential data, but say it is important that consumers and businesses using these services understand the potential risks.

The study focused on storage providers that promise their clients complete confidentiality. File-sharing services commonly used by consumers, like Dropbox and Google Drive, don't guarantee privacy and consumers shouldn't assume they have it.

The flaw is easily fixable, Wilson says, if storage companies are required to actually use third-party companies to serve as the file-sharing middleman, instead of performing the function in-house.

Still dealing with Heartbleed

The revelations from the Johns Hopkins researchers come at a time when security experts are still scrambling to deal with the fallout from the recently-revealed Heartbleed flaw.

“Everyone should worry about Heartbleed and should change passwords,” said Guy Hembroff, associate professor and chair of the Computer Network and System Administration program at Michigan Technological University. “An average user logging into their Amazon account may be logging into a server that was compromised.”

If that happened to be the case, he says their username, password, and account information – such as address and credit-card information -- would be in the memory of the server where the vulnerability is targeted.

“Therefore changing passwords of these accounts is important,” he said.