Tag: fuckcorporate

062 – Active-B, triclosan, anti-bacterial soap myth

…Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation. However, data showing effects in animals don’t always predict effects in humans. Other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. …
How can I tell if there is triclosan in a product that I am using?
Antibacterial soaps and body washes, and toothpastes are considered over-the-counter drugs. If an over-the-counter drug contains triclosan, it will be listed as an ingredient on the label, in the Drug Facts box. If a cosmetic contains triclosan, it will be included in the ingredient list on the product label.

– What consumers should know
http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm205999.htm

WTF – hindustan unilever again:

Active-B:
At the same time that Hindustan Unilever was participating in the “health in your hands” initiative, for example, the company was modifying the material qualities of Lifebouy soap by introducing the anti-bacterial agent “Active-B’, or triclosan. In India this new ingredient was used to market the brand’s enhanced health-protecting qualities and heightened effectiveness over other soaps. Yet the same business-school case studies that applauded Hindustan Unilever’s involvment in the global handwashing initiative also noted that the decision to incorporate triclosan was taken despite ongoing debate in scientific and public forums in the US about the health risks associated with adding anti-bacterial agents to household hygiene products …
Conroversy over risks of triclosan inttensified in the late 1990s when findings published in Nature showed that under laboratory conditions triclosan induced genetic changes to bacteria … The authors suggested that the widespread use everyday household products containing triclosan could lead to appearnce of multi-product resistant super-germs.
…
As the business-school case studies report, these US-based controversies have not impinged on Unilever’s use of triclosan in household products for markets in India.
Introductory readings in anthropology – Global and local: Societies, Environment and Globalization p.236
http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=2-TWAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&dq=unilever+triclosan&source=bl&ots=LzY0HKn92q&sig=U–TJ73TgihwzRKFqquaN8cOPCI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oKqIU5akB4fZ4QSOuYCoDA&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=unilever%20triclosan&f=false

at last but not the least, Thank you Minnesota for raising this flag
…A recent University of Minnesota study has shown levels of triclosan in lake sediment has been increasing. Scientists fear this could promote the growth of resistant organisms. If we want high concentrations of triclosan to be useful in an industrial or medical setting, maybe we can’t be dumping it down the sink every day. At the same time, research indicates the benefit of using antibacterial hand soaps and other consumer products might be very close to zero — regular soap matches the effectiveness of triclosan soap in many studies.
About 75% of hand soaps use triclosan in the US, and Minnesota isn’t the first state to look at banning it. Several others are considering enacting similar legislation. There is even talk of the FDA stepping in after the agency announced last year that it was planning to reevaluate the use of triclosan in consumer products. If a few more states ban the chemical, manufacturers will have little choice but to go along. So, if you meet a Minnesotan, it’s probably still safe to shake their hand.
http://www.geek.com/science/minnesota-becomes-the-first-state-to-ban-antibacterial-hand-soap-1594414/

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♥ – A jewel, the essence

There is now an important critical literature on the representations of women in the media and western art. John Berger’s book Ways of Seeing provides an accessible introduction, and Laura Mulvey’s famous essay on the male gaze launched an important literature in the field of cinema. And there’s a fine review essay by Paul Messaris available on the web. But Erving Goffman’s somewhat lesser-known study called Gender Advertisements is useful here because he focused on, among other things, poses common to magazine advertisements. “Commercial photographs,” Goffman points out, “involve carefully performed poses presented in the style of being ‘only natural’.” (84) Continue reading “♥ – A jewel, the essence” →

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