Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

09/02/2026

Companies are recycling Big Tobacco’s old tricks to sell ni****ne pouches, mints, gums, and more, promising sharper focus or even an athletic edge. But, spoiler: Ni****ne isn’t harmless and most health claims crumble under scrutiny.

09/01/2026

More than 10,000 cases of Hodo Lightly Fried Chili Crisp Tofu have been voluntarily recalled over concerns that packaging ink migrated into the product.

Beginning Aug. 7, 2026, more than 10,000 cases of Oakland, California, tofu brand Hodo’s products have been voluntarily recalled for a manufacturing defect that may have introduced printer ink to the brand’s Chili Crisp Lightly Fried Tofu.

“Printing ink from the product packaging may have migrated into the product,” Hodo said in a statement published Aug. 31. “The recalled product was distributed to wholesale distributors, retail locations, and directly to consumers in the following states from January 16, 2026 to July 16, 2026.”

No illnesses or health issues have been reported in connection with this recall.

This recall applies exclusively to one product:
▪️ Hodo Lightly Fried Chili Crisp Tofu (8 oz, printed film packaging)
▪️ UPC: 850565007842

No other Hodo products or tofu varieties are impacted by this recall.

The affected products were sold in 29 states through wholesale distributors, retail stores (including Target, Whole Foods, and local grocery stores), and directly to consumers in these 29 states:

▪️Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

To see the full list of lot codes, best-by dates, and manufacturing dates implicated in this recall, click the link in our bio!

08/31/2026

Peptides have become a recent obsession in the social media fitness scene, where influencers on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube rave about injectable “stacks” that promise fat loss, faster recovery, better sleep, and glowing skin. But outside of a few FDA‑approved drugs, most peptides live in an under-regulated marketplace—one where scientific evidence is thin, safety is uncertain, and access is surprisingly easy.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) that act as messengers with specific instructions for the cells that they bind to. For example, insulin tells your cells to absorb glucose.

Insulin—the first peptide made in a lab—has been saving the lives of people with diabetes for more than a century. And GLP-1 peptide drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) have undergone extensive testing in clinical trials to become FDA-approved drugs for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

But when an Instagram influencer recommends combining a handful of peptides into a “stack” to get a “steadier appetite” along with “less fatigue from cognitive stress” or to speed up injury recovery while “promoting a natural glow,” they’re not talking about FDA-approved drugs. Welcome to the largely unregulated Wild West of injectable peptides.

The least-regulated route to buy peptides is from international sellers, who are often based in China. As reported in New York Magazine, this approach typically involves connecting through encrypted messaging apps like Discord or WhatsApp with a middleman who coordinates the purchase.

Another common route is buying peptides that are marketed “for research use only,” a loophole that allows anyone with an internet connection and a credit card to purchase them. But just because you can buy something online doesn’t mean it’s being sold legally.

So even though the FDA isn’t often cracking down on peptides sold “for research use,” don’t assume that it’s a legal business model. “It's just an area in which there hasn’t been much enforcement,” says Zettler.

Medspas, concierge wellness clinics, and telehealth companies offer a more medical‑esque pathway. They typically prescribe peptides that are made by compounding pharmacies, among other services. Compounding pharmacies—which create customized formulas of drugs for individual patients—are a small but vital part of the healthcare system.

A product can’t be legally compounded unless it’s a component of an FDA-approved drug or the FDA puts it on its ‘permissible for compounding’ list. Only a few of the popular peptides meet the first requirement and none meet the second.

But are peptides even effective? Despite what peptide sellers and fitness influencers will tell you, we're at ground zero for the truth. Even basic questions like dosage and frequency still need to be determined.

Are peptides safe? Maybe. Maybe not. Quality is a major concern. “You could get 100 or 99 percent pure peptides, or there could be no peptides at all in your vial. Or what you received could be contaminated. Peptides prescribed by a healthcare provider and mixed by a compounding pharmacy are likely the safest bet, though that’s still no guarantee, since there isn’t rigorous oversight of each pharmacy.

In April 2026, the FDA announced that it will hold a meeting in July to consider whether seven peptides should be moved to the list of products that can be compounded. Five more peptides are slated for review next February. The shift appears driven by politics rather than new scientific evidence: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly supported peptides, even writing on X in 2024 that he would move to end the FDA’s “war” against the compounds.

But allowing the peptides to be compounded isn’t the same as approving them as drugs. It simply gives compounding pharmacies the green light to prepare the peptides—something many already do (with little fear that the FDA has any interest in cracking down on them).

The FDA may also let manufacturers sell peptide pills as dietary supplements. CSPI has argued that move would threaten the public’s health because the FDA doesn't review supplements for safety or effectiveness before they hit the market.

If companies can sell them and make lots of money without having to prove that they do what they’re claimed to do, why wouldn’t they?

08/28/2026

🚨 RECALLS TO WATCH! 🚨

As the back-to-school season begins, new and ongoing food and supplement recalls continue to raise concerns. The latest recalls include this summer’s ongoing cyclospora outbreak, E. coli in blueberries, salmonella in pet food, jalapeño peppers, salsas, dips, and eggs, and alfalfa sprouts linked to both E. coli and salmonella.

Here’s what you need to know about the latest, ongoing food and supplement recalls and how to stay safe. 👇👇

E. coli in sprouts and blueberries, salmonella in sprouts, jalapeño peppers, and eggs, and more. See the latest food and supplement recalls and safety tips.

08/27/2026

HDL, LDL, triglycerides - what does it all mean? If you're trying to make sense of the results of your blood lipid panel, we have some answers. We asked a cardiologist to walk us through a panel piece by piece. If you’re chasing high HDL, confused about ApoB, worried about LDL particle size, or wondering how much diet helps, this one’s for you.

08/27/2026

What's on the tray in America's prisons? Our friend Daniel Rosen, co-founder of the Carceral Nutrition Project, joined with ethnographer and folklorist Leslie Soble on an episode of Helena Bottemiller Evich's podcast American Dish to talk about "what's actually on the tray, who's profiting from it, and why the whole "you did the crime, you do the time" doesn't actually make sense when you consider how to feed incarcerated people."

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-on-the-tray-in-americas-prisons-with-daniel/id1880072578?i=1000784360808

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1rYhMbTfoDC76CfUI8KvP0?si=QxN0PN3nSwynRd2ZSakdDA

American Dish · Episode

08/27/2026

Have food recalls hit an all-time high? Lettuce, jalapeno peppers, eggs, blueberries these outbreaks and more have put food safety at the top of mind for American consumers. CSPI's Sarah Sorscher spoke to Yuki Noguchi of NPR about how this year's recalls compare to other years, and how the cuts to food safety programs have made it that much harder to track what's exactly going on.

Listen to NPR's segment 👇

Recalls of lettuce, jalapeno peppers and eggs because of foodborne illness outbreaks have put a spotlight on the safety of the U.S. food supply. How much do the recalls tell us?

08/26/2026

Many schools now prohibit peanut butter or peanut products on lunch menus and in classrooms, and for good reason. Allergic reactions are unpredictable, and can cause an array of medical issues for the allergic student. But while food allergies can be difficult to navigate in the classroom, we’ve rounded up the best healthy snack ideas—all free of the Big Nine allergens, easy to pack and share, delicious, and nutritious!

Click the link in the comments to see our ideas 👇

08/25/2026

"The FRESH Act is a death star for state food policy."

A bill that promises to put FDA in charge of “review and evaluation” of safe food while handing the real safety decisions over to the food industry is a bill that has no place in our food system.

Read the new press release from our friends at the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation 👇

Analysis from Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic finds the proposed federal FRESH Act would preempt hundreds of state laws—from additive bans and allergen warnings to restaurant inspections […]

08/21/2026

Congratulations to South Carolina, and exciting news for students going back to school this fall! The state legislature just made school breakfast free for all students for the 2026-27 school year. This makes South Carolina the 6th state + D.C. with free school breakfast, joining Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia in making this important move towards healthy school meals for all!

Read more: https://scdailygazette.com/2026/08/18/every-sc-student-to-get-free-breakfast-with-state-funding/