Health Highlights: Oct. 19, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Warning Letters Sent to Cosmetics Companies Over Ad Claims

At least four cosmetics companies have received warning letters accusing them of making exaggerated advertising claims about their products.

Avon and Lancome are among the companies that were sent the warning letters by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which threatens to halt sales or seize products if the companies don’t tone down the claims in their ads, CBS News reported.

Both Avon and Lancome said they’re cooperating with the FDA to resolve the issue.

“It’s surprising that they didn’t react to these claims before,” dermatologist Dr. Tina Alster told CBS News. She used to be a consultant for Lancome and said the FDA looked the other way for years as companies boosted claims about the benefits of their cosmetics.

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Recall of Smucker’s ‘Uncrustables’ Sold to U.S. School Lunch Programs

Smucker’s Uncrustables peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sold to school lunch programs in the United States are being recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.

The peanut butter in the sandwiches was produced by Sunland Inc., which closed its Portales, N.M. plant last month and recalled more than 200 peanut products made under a variety of brand names after salmonella was discovered in Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, the Associated Press reported.

Illnesses among 35 people in 19 states have been linked to Sunland, but no illnesses have been connected to the Uncrustable sandwiches.

“When USDA learned of the FDA recall of certain products manufactured by Sunland, Inc., we coordinated with state agencies to immediately notify individual school districts and ensure that recalled products were identified and destroyed,” U.S. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Alyn Kiel said in an email, the AP reported.

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