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A little something extra with your Kung Pao shrimp?

Do you know where that eel you're eating came from? Not from China... at least, not anymore. On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked the sale of five types of farm-raised seafood from China, including shrimp and catfish. The U.S. has been warning China for six years about fish imports contaminated with additives. China is the world's largest producer of farmed fish. Chinese officials responded by installing a new health minister.

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Packing on the tobacco tax

Hey smokers, will it make you feel better knowing it's for the kids? The Wall Street Journal says Senators are talking about hiking the federal cigarette tax to $1 a pack. Right now, it's 39 cents, plus state taxes. Democrats want to use the extra revenue to add $50 billion to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, also known as S-Chip, which provides health insurance to low-income children.

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Smoking just won't die

While many local governments in the U.S. have banned smoking in and around public buildings and restaurants, the tradition is alive and well in Europe — and there may be a new tobacco bully on the world's business playground ready to take the profits. Britain's Imperial Tobacco has made a takeover offer for Spanish cigarette and cigar-maker Altadis. The transaction's valued at almost $18 billion.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Senate committee today takes up a bill to reduce the dangers of smoking. The bill would let the FDA regulate tobacco, just like it does drugs, food and other consumer products. But one part of the proposal is being called impossible by some lawmakers — an idea to create a safer cigarette.

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Hold the chili sauce, please

You might wanna stick with mustard or ketchup on your dog. The FDA says cans of hot dog chili sauce sold under various names including Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger brands, may be contaminated with the bacteria that causes botulism. Four people have been hospitalized so far. The Georgia-based company that makes the chili sauce is voluntarily recalling the product. The hot sauce outbreak also ends a decades-old streak: The last case of botulism in commercially canned food dates back to the '70s.

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Now for something lighter...or not

Guinness beer has about 200 calories in it, but you won't find that information on the side of its bottles or cans in the U.S. That could change, though. The government is considering a new rule that would require all alcoholic beverages to put facts about calories, carbs, sugar and alcohol on the packaging. Beverage distributors seem to be toasting the proposal. But even if it's approved, it'll still be another three years before we see the new labels.

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Time to make the almost-trans-fat-free donuts

Dunkin' Donuts is the latest food chain banking on a new image by reducing trans fat. The donut maker will switch to a new cooking oil by mid-October. It won't be 100 percent trans-fat free but pretty close — it says any trans fat used will fall below half-a-gram per serving. A spokesman for the Center for Science in the Public Interest says "if Dunkin Donuts can do that, anyone can," but he points out, the donuts are still "mostly white flour, sugar and fat." But they're so tasty. . .

Next up: Baskin-Robbins ice cream plans to zap the bad fat by the first of the year.

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Apples are the new french fries

I don't know how many kids are going to be fooled, but Burger King is hoping to come off as a little healthier by offering apples cut to look like french fries. That's one of a few new options the fast-food chain is promising to add to its children's menu. B-K also says it plans to sell and market flame-broiled Chicken Tenders. But the fried Tenders will stay on the menu. Though you'll be able to enjoy them with some organic, unsweetened apple sauce, if you choose.

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We don't recommend you try this

Ever tried to pull one of your own teeth? It hurts just to think about it. In Britain, a survey of more then 5,000 patients found that 6 percent of them have resorted at some point to self-treatment. One person took out 14 of his teeth with pliers. And others just decided to use a little super-glue on crowns after they popped off. Behind the scary tales -- there is a shortage of dentists in Britain's National Health Service. A good number of them have been leaving the system after the government introduced some reforms in 2006. And by now, 45 percent of dentists don't accept National Health Patients anymore.

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Fat fears slim cereal profits

That cereal you're eating for breakfast may get crunched by a deal. The Wall Street Journal says St. Louis based Ralcorp Holdings is interested in acquiring Post Cereals from Kraft Foods. Pricetag would be $2.8 billion. That's a lot of flakes. Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran and Grape Nuts are among the brands.

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FDA approves cholestrol drug

The FDA has given drugmaker AstraZeneca a stamp of approval for its popular cholesterol drug.
Crestor is used to treat the clogging of arteries. The approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will likely boost sales of the blockbuster drug. Crestor sales in the first nine months of 2007 are at $2 billion worldwide.

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A better workout than shopping

And since you're probably going to pump in calories today, you might want to pump up tomorrow instead of shopping. Gold's Gym says anyone who wants to work out tomorrow can come to one of its 500 gyms around the country for free. That news comes from the desk of shamelessly opportunistic marketing ploys

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Wii don't want no strokes

Wii are feeling a little better. That's what some stroke patients are saying after playing the top-selling Nintendo game system. The Ohio State University Medical Center is among rehabilitation centers prescribing Wii-time for people recovering from a variety of traumatic injuries.
The gaming system requires the use of your body, while holding a controller, to determine movement in several games. An occupational therapist at Ohio State says the idea came from a rehab hospital in Alberta, Canada using the Wii with patients.

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Smoking: Bad for your health, good for the job

Non-smokers need not apply. The boss of a small IT company in Germany has had it with people who don't smoke. He fired three workers because they were threatening to disturb the peace after they requested a smoke-free environment. The manager, known only as Thomas J, told a German paper: "We're on the phone all the time and it's just easier to work while smoking. I'm only going to hire smokers from now on." On January 1, Germany introduced smoking bans for bars and restaurants but you can still smoke in small offices.

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McDonald's Japan profits are . . . meatier

Japan's having a Mega Mac attack. McDonald's Japan posted a five-fold increase in annual net profit today. Among the reasons for the surge: the popularity of Mega Macs, four meat patties layered between three slices of bun with cheese and lettuce. That and new breakfast menus helped McDonald's ride out its disclosure in November that it sold salads past their expiration dates at some Tokyo restaurants. And there's still hunger for more: The company predicted further growth as it plans to open 130 new stores and promote its coffee more.

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Misery loves money

Before you make any plans to shop this weekend, consider your mood and a new study out today.
If you're sad and a little self-absorbed, you may be spending more cash than usual.
Researches from Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford and Pittsburgh Universities say this is different from the idea of retail therapy. A Harvard prof says the so-called "misery is not miserly" phenomenon occurs without awareness. Participants in the study watched either a short video about the death of a boy's mentor or a clip about coral reefs. On average, the group watching the somber video paid nearly four times as much for an insulated water bottle than the group watching the nature video.

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Wii gonna get in shape

Why join a gym or go outside when you can play a video game? Nintendo hopes to grab some new customers with that mentality. The company will announce a new product today that will ship in the U.S. this spring. The Wii Fit includes the Wii Balance Board, a white rectangle you stand or put your hands on that senses weight and motion. Nintendo has sold almost 1.5 million copies of Wii Fit since it went on sale in Japan last year. The game will sell for less than $100 in the U.S.

Other items showing at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco include a headset that lets you control what you're doing in a game by thinking about it. The $300 device comes from a company called Emotiv.

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An unhealthy amount of money

Here's a number that might give you a headache: In less than a decade health care will account for $1 of every $5 the nation spends. New numbers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project healthcare spending will nearly double by 2017. That adds up to more than $4 trillion a year. Another way to put it? About 20 percent of U.S. GDP.

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Apparently Nutella doesn't make a healthy breakfast

Here's a pop quiz for your breakfast. The elements of a healthy breakfast include: A. a glass of orange juice B. a bowl of oatmeal or C. toast and Nutella?

A British ad for Nutella claimed that hazelnut and chocolate could be part of a balanced diet. Well not for long. The BBC reports the ad which aired in Britain is being pulled.

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I prefer my fast food grilled anyway

KFC ditched the Kentucky Fried Chicken in name a while back. But now it's diversifying its menu as well. In the coming weeks, the restaurants will be rolling out "Kentucky Grilled Chicken." In an effort to serve up some healthier options, the fast food chain says the new menu items will have significantly less salt, fat and calories. The restaurants already cut trans fats from their cooking oils last year. Six cities will get to test out the new menu -- which will even include a made-over serving bucket -- Colorado Springs, San Diego, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Florida and Austin, Texas. KFC plans be grilling nationwide next year.

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Nestle selling Alcon to raise funds for acquisitions

Food giant Nestle has agreed to sell its stake in the US Eyecare firm Alcon for up to $39 billion.

The buyer is the Swiss drug firm Novartis Nestle says it will use the proceeds to make acquisitions in nutrition and health foods sector.

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Americans are taking their medicine -- a lot of it

The nation is not feeling very well. Over half of all insured Americans are taking regular medications for chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
That's according to a new study by Medco Health Solutions, a company that manages prescription benefits. The research shows seniors take the most meds; over 20 percent use at least five regular medications. The research also tracked a sharp rise in the use of prescription medications by young women.

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Pet owners compensated for pet food problems

Remember that pet food scare last year? As you can imagine, some pretty upset pet owners decided to go against the companies that created this whole mess. Now Canada-based Menu Food and other firms have agreed to reach a settlement. A total of 24 million dollars will be paid to pet owners in the U.S. and Canada. People who had to spend money to treat their pets. The deal would also include burial or cremation fees.

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The cost of a 'healthy' retirement

A lot of people may want to reconsider their retirement plans. A study by Fidelity Investments finds that a 65-year-old couple will need about $85,000 to cover insurance costs for long term-care after they retire. That's how much they'll need to cover annual premiums throughout their retirement. The Boston-based financial services firm says the research points out the need for people to be financially prepared for their golden years.

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