Pets helped reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease while increasing a sense of well-being and a feeling of connectedness to the community, University of Queensland psychologist Maggie O'Haire has found.

The new product, which is being launched at the British Cardiovasular Society Conference in London today, is based on lycopene. Lycopene is known to be a powerful antioxidant, blocking the breakdown of fats in the blood, which lead to the damaging cholesterol and the build-up of fatal atherosclerotic deposits in arteries.

Sidney Chang of Whatley, Mass.-based Chang Farm said his company followed all U.S. Food & Drug Administration guidelines leading up to the voluntary recall of about 15,000 pounds of bean and soy sprouts May 28. The recall came about after a sample of product from Chang Farm tested positive for listeria monocytogenes at a New York retail store.

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Health Ministry is expected to submit a memorandum to the Cabinet on a proposal to set up a national Food Safety Agency by year end, said its minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. He added that the setting up of such an agency quickly was important to increase food safety and quality of imported food in the country.