French allergy doctors from the Association for Clinical Research on Allergies and Asthma (Arcaa) unveiled a new label last month called “Allergenes Controlés” which aims to guarantee – with the help of independent laboratories – the safety of a range of consumer products for the fast-growing ranks of those who are afflicted by allergies.
Allergies affect [...]
Archive for the ‘health’ Category
New allergy label debuts in France
Posted in air quality, food, health on October 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Stevia hits France but will our brains be fooled by another imitation?
Posted in food, health on September 28, 2009 | 4 Comments »
The new ‘miracle’ sweetener Stevia (100% natural) has just been authorized in France, making it the first EU country to give the green light to a much-hyped product which is hoped will save the soft drink industry from falling sales and aspartame backlash. Already in use in Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, full approval in [...]
Health risk of cellphone jammers in French cinemas
Posted in Grenelle, health, wireless on May 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Cellphone jammers are illegal in most countries (the military excepted) but in France, since 2004, it is legal to use jammers in cinemas and theatres.
A cellphone jammer is a device that emits signals in the same frequency range that cellphones use, effectively blocking their transmissions by creating strong interference. In Europe those frequencies are gsm [...]
New EU law on organic agriculture is a step backwards for France
Posted in agriculture, health, policy on May 4, 2009 | 2 Comments »
France will lose its familiar green Agriculture Biologique (AB) label next year. New rules came into effect on Jan 1, 2009 aimed at harmonizing standards among the 27 European Union nations on organic agriculture. While the text seeks to simplify and impose common standards, the net effect for countries like France is to considerably lower [...]
If it isn’t organic, skip the whole grain
Posted in agriculture, food, health on April 6, 2009 | 1 Comment »
When I was growing up, my mother had to bake her own bread because whole grain bread was not available. So I grew up with the sturdy conviction that any bread which was brown and grainy was more healthful than white bread. As I moved to organic food in recent years, I discovered that while [...]
Highest-risk fruit and vegetables for pesticide contamination
Posted in agriculture, food, health on March 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
March 20-30 marked the 4th annual edition of “Semaine Sans Pesticides“ – a kind of national awareness week to remind people of the seriousness of the issue in France. Just as the market stalls fill up with tempting displays of strawberries and aspargus, it’s worth remembering that France is the world’s third biggest user [...]
French Academy of Medicine declares cellphone basetowers “safe”
Posted in health on March 12, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Following a French court’s recent landmark decision to order the dismantling of a cellphone base tower on the basis of health risks to residents nearby, French telephone operators lost no time lobbying the government to reaffirm the inviolability of the right to erect cellphone towers anywhere and everywhere on French territory. The next step in [...]
