Maker of children’s medicine left metal particles in liquid

A manufacturer of over-the-counter infant’s and children’s liquid medications has agreed to pay $25 million and plead guilty to a federal criminal charge that it sold products that contained metal particles.

Court documents unsealed Tuesday say McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a unit of health care giant Johnson & Johnson, will acknowledge selling adulterated bottles of Infants’ and Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Motrin.

The documents say metal particles, including nickel, iron and chromium, were introduced during the manufacturing process. Prosecutors said McNeil failed to take immediate steps to fix the problem before eventually issuing a recall in April 2010. The Food and Drug Administration had advised consumers to stop using the medicine, even though the potential for serious medical problems was remote.

Dunkin’ Donuts will end use of a type of whitening agent

Dunkin’ Donuts will change its powdered doughnut recipe so it no longer includes titanium dioxide, a whitening agent, a Dunkin’ Brands official said.

The change comes after an environmental advocacy organization said it found titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the white powdered sugar used, based on independent laboratory tests in 2013. The group As You Sow said the small size of nanomaterials makes them more likely to enter cells, tissues and organs and cause damage.

The FDA does not have a broad stance on products containing nanomaterials, saying it would make safety judgments on an individual basis.

Burger King joins its rivals, drops soda from kids’ menu

Burger King has dropped soft drinks from its children’s meal menu, the latest change at a fast-food chain as advocacy groups urge restaurants to promote healthier fare, especially for children.

Burger King followed the lead of McDonald’s, which removed such drinks from its Happy Meal menu list in 2013, and Wendy’s, which made a similar change in late 2014.

The updated menus come as restaurants have been pressured to offer options with less sugar and fewer calories, especially as obesity rates remain high. Obesity affects about 17 percent of all U.S. kids and adolescents, triple the rate a generation ago, according to federal officials.

Burger King offers apple juice, fat-free milk and low-fat chocolate milk in its kids’ meals.

— From news service reports

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