Countries line up against Huawei

New Zealand has blocked Huawei from supplying technology for a next-generation mobile data network in the country, joining the United States and others that see the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker as a security threat. New Zealand’s intelligence agency rejected a proposal from Spark, a New Zealand’s telecom carrier, to use Huawei gear in its planned fifth-generation mobile network. Huawei’s involvement would raise “significant national security risks,” Spark said Wednesday.

The move follows a similar decision by Australia in August as well as warnings from the United States that the company’s ties to the Chinese government make its products vulnerable to snooping or interference — an accusation Huawei denies.

Altria may seek a stake in Juul

The Altria Group, whose fortune was built on traditional cigarette brands like Marlboro, is in talks to buy a minority stake in Juul Labs, the startup that has captured much of the market for e-cigarettes, two people briefed on the matter said Wednesday.

If a deal is struck, Altria will get a piece of a popular e-cigarette maker — one that critics say has targeted teenage customers. Terms of the potential investment, including the size and price, were unknown, although Altria would probably have to pay a substantial amount. Juul was last valued at about $16 billion.

Look for the label on romaine

About a week ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stay away from romaine lettuce after an outbreak of E. coli was linked to the leafy vegetable. The outbreak caused 43 people to become sick in 12 states and 22 people in Canada.

As part of its investigation, the FDA determined the location of the outbreak to the lettuce growing areas of the Central Coast of California. The region supplies a bulk of the romaine during the summer. Since that season is over and no new cases of E. coli have been reported, federal health officials are lifting their do-not-eat-romaine recommendation, with a few qualifiers.

Under a first-of-its-kind voluntary agreement, the FDA said romaine growers and shippers can resume supplying retailers and the food industry as long as they identify where the produce was grown and when it was harvested. Lettuce harvested from the winter growing regions have not been linked to the recent outbreak. What consumers need to look for are labels or signs in the grocery store showing the lettuce was picked after Nov. 21 and is coming from an area other than California’s Central Coast. If the lettuce package or box does not have the voluntary label, the FDA recommends you should not eat it.

— From wire reports