Ross Laboratories

The Food and Drug Administration has asked Carnation Co. to submit new data to substantiate the claims that its new infant formula is less likely to trigger allergies after the agency found flaws in the company's original research. The questions surrounding the Carnation product, called Good Start, has led the FDA to request information from the makers of other formulas that also claim to reduce the chances of allergic reaction to cow's milk.

The Food and Drug Administration has asked Carnation Co. to submit new data to substantiate the claims that its new infant formula is less likely to trigger allergies after the agency found flaws in the company's original research. The questions surrounding the Carnation product, called Good Start, has led the FDA to request information from the makers of other formulas that also claim to reduce the chances of allergic reaction to cow's milk.

State health officials are asking the makers of infant formula to grant substantial rebates on formula provided to needy women and children through a nutrition program. Their goal is to win up to $40 million for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program, a federally funded program administered by the state, said Jo Ann Wray, chief of the state Department of Health Services' WIC branch in Sacramento.

State health officials are asking the makers of infant formula to grant substantial rebates on formula provided to needy women and children through a nutrition program. Their goal is to win up to $40 million for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program, a federally funded program administered by the state, said Jo Ann Wray, chief of the state Department of Health Services' WIC branch in Sacramento.

When infants suffer from diarrhea, there's a serious risk of dehydration. Now, the manufacturer of a new over-the-counter antidote called Ricelyte claims it can help infants with diarrhea recover faster and better than other antidotes. Rice is the basis of Ricelyte, while glucose is the basis of many other rehydration solutions such as Pedialyte.

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it has opened a preliminary investigation of the infant formula business to determine whether a lack of competition has artificially raised prices. The FTC responded to a complaint from Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), who said: "American women may be paying millions of dollars more than they should for infant formula because there is no competition." And that, he said, results from "an alarming pattern of lock-step pricing."

You've seen the ads. A sweet, doddering couple is cruising slowly down the highway of life when suddenly, out of the dust, another elderly, but sexier, couple in an open-top convertible zooms past, leaving the first couple to wonder: "Are we missing out on something?" The dear but pathetic-looking couple was clutching Ensure, the leading nutritional drink, while the totally awesome seniors were guzzling Sustacal, its rival "meal in a can."

Federal authorities subpoenaed the records of the nation's biggest baby formula manufacturers after state welfare officials and consumer advocates made allegations of price fixing, a representative of one of the companies said today. "This is a top-priority, front-burner investigation," said Kevin J. Arquit, head of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition. He said authorities have not concluded that price fixing occurred. The companies denied the allegations.

To the consumer, fast food is often a pleasing way to satisfy a gnawing appetite. To nutritionists, fast food and its contents have become a subject of frequent interest and some concern. A prominent example of this concern came within the last few weeks with the publication of an issue of Ross Laboratories' Dietetic Currents newsletter.

Exercise physiologists or fitness professionals in health clubs or sports rehabilitation centers can pinch and poke in just the right places to calculate your body fat. But there are other methods to assess your body composition and health: WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO: Measure your waist (the narrowest part) in inches, then measure your hips (the widest part). Now divide the waist measure by the hip measure. For example, a woman's waist is 27 inches and her hips are 33 inches. Her equation: 27 33 = 0.82.

Carnation Co. said Thursday that it had agreed to pay a total of $90,000 to nine states--including California--to settle allegations that it used misleading advertising to promote its new infant formula as unlikely to trigger allergies. Los Angeles-based Carnation, without admitting any wrongdoing, also agreed to drop the word hypoallergenic from the labels of its Good Start formula product, which was introduced last November.

Vince Ferry got knocked around last season playing tight end at Alemany High. Defensive ends weighing as much as 250 pounds treated the 180-pound Ferry like the fabled 98-pound weakling who has sand kicked in his face by bullies at the beach. "I was tired of getting beat up," Ferry recalled. So he did something about it. In preparation for his senior year, Ferry has supplemented his regular diet with a canned drink formulated to support maximum muscle development.