Health Highlights: Nov. 6, 2009

Nov. 7 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

FDA Issues Warning Letters To Flavored Cigarette Sellers

Warning letters have been sent to companies using Web sites to sell illegal flavored cigarettes to U.S. consumers, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

A ban on the sale of candy- or fruit-flavored cigarettes that took effect Sept. 22 is meant to reduce the number of children and teens who start smoking.

The companies that received the letters were told to stop marketing and selling flavored cigarettes or to take other actions to make sure the products comply with the law. Failure to heed the warning could result in seizure or injunction. The companies were given 15 days to tell the FDA what measures they've taken.

"FDA takes the enforcement of this flavored cigarette ban seriously," Dr. Lawrence R. Deyton, director of FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in an agency news release. "These actions should send a clear message to those who continue to break the law that FDA will take necessary actions to protect our children from initiating tobacco use."

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Pet Treats May Be Salmonella-Tainted: FDA

Pig ears and beef hooves pet treats made by California-based Pet Carousel may be contaminated with salmonella, warns the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The treats were produced under conditions that can cause cross-contamination between batches or lots. Consumers should not handle these products or feed them to their pets, the FDA said. No illnesses associated with the treats have been reported.

The pig ears and beef hooves were distributed across the United States in both bulk and retail packaging for sale in pet food and retail chain stores. The pig ears were packaged under the brand names Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel. The beef hooves were packaged under the brand names Choo Hooves, Dentley's, Doggie Delight, and Pet Carousel.