THIS SECTION IS FOR NEWS AND INTERESTING STORIES RELATED TO FOOD, NUTRITION AND FOOD PROCESSING. THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO KOSHER BUT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE KOSHER CONSUMER, MANUFACTURER OR MASHGIACH.
May 8 2024 from the Matzav.com:
"Following a concerning situation involving a Shul in Harford County, Maryland, Agudah Maryland’s advocacy efforts have resulted in a crucial legislative change to safeguard Shabbos observance in Maryland.
"Last April, Agudah Maryland received a call from the rabbi of a shul in Harford County, reporting that local building officials had mandated the installation of motion sensors on all light fixtures as per regulations outlined in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Such a requirement would obviously present severe Shabbos-observance issues, as the act of entering any room in the building would activate the lighting (via a Psik Reisha) and thus be a serious violation of Shabbos.
"he root of the issue stemmed from Maryland’s compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), standards issued by the International Code Council (ICC), the body which drafts the internationally-accepted building regulations. Since its inception in 1994, states have been incentivized by the federal government to adopt IECC requirements, leading Maryland to pass a law in 2019 mandating compliance. The initial iteration of the IECC required motion sensors in any new construction, prompting local officials to insist on their installation at the shul.
"gudah Maryland representatives worked collaboratively with the shul’s Rabbi to articulate the religious concerns to the building officials, emphasizing the infringement on the constitutional value of religious liberty, as Shabbos-observing Jews would be unable to utilize the shul. Through comprehensive explanation and dialogue, the Harford County building officials demonstrated understanding and receptiveness, ultimately reaching a resolution with the shul.
"ecognizing the need for legislative action to prevent similar issues in the future, Agudath Israel Maryland engaged in discussions with the Maryland Commissioner of Labor. Subsequently, a decision was made to advocate for a change to state law, ensuring proper consideration of religious liberty in building regulations. During the recent legislative session, Agudah Maryland worked closely with state legislators to craft, explain, advocate, and pass the bill. With the law now amended, there is optimism that such issues will not arise in the future.
"Furthermore, Agudath Israel Maryland has proactively engaged with the International Code Council (ICC) to educate them on the unintended impact of IECC regulations on religious observance. With the next iteration of the ICC code on the horizon, there is hope for accommodations to ensure religious practices are respected."
April 22 2024 from the Shelby Report:
"The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies have amended their agreement with C&S Wholesale Grocers for the sale of assets in connection with their proposed merger previously announced on Oct. 14.
"The updated divestiture package increases the total store count by 166 to include 579 stores that will be sold to C&S and continue operating as they do today.
"It maintains the sale to C&S of the QFC, Mariano’s and Carrs banner names. Under the amended agreement, Kroger will also sell the Haggen banner to C&S. Stores under these banners that are retained by Kroger will be re-bannered into one of the retained Kroger or Albertsons Cos. banners following the close of the transaction.
"Under the amended agreement, C&S will license the Albertsons banner in California and Wyoming and the Safeway banner in Arizona and Colorado. In these states, Kroger will re-banner the retained Albertsons and Safeway bannered stores following the closing of the merger. Kroger will maintain the Albertsons and Safeway banners in the remaining states.
"The stores (regardless of banner) will be sold by Kroger to C&S following the closing of the merger with Albertsons Cos."
April 24 2024 from the Food Processing:
"USDA has announced final updates to the school nutrition standards; tremendous amount of feedback on February 2023 proposal helps to save flavored milk from the chopping block.
"The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) announced the final updates to school nutrition standards, and the winners include those who wanted less sugar and sodium in food and beverage products served at schools, but didn’t want to see chocolate (and other flavored) milk disappear from the menus.
"Added sugars will be limited for the first time, with breakfast items taking the biggest hit under the new standards. In Fall 2025, breakfast cereals, yogurt and flavored milk will see new limits on the amount of added sugar per ounce. Starting in the fall of 2027, no more than 10% of weekly calories in school meals can be from added sugars.
"Speaking of flavored milk, USDA will still allow fat-free and low-fat flavored milk in all K-12 schools, so long as they meet the added sugars limits noted above. USDA stated that companies representing more than 90% of the school milk market in the U.S. have already committed to providing options with no more than 10g of added sugars per 8 oz. by the 2025-26 school year.
"Sodium also will see a single, gradual reduction from current limits, to be achieved by the 2027-28 school year. At that point, schools will implement a reduction of approximately 15% for lunch and about 10% for breakfast from current limits on sodium.
"USDA maintained its whole grains nutrition requirements, and the standards will continue to make it easier for schools to offer meats and meat alternatives (yogurt, beans, peas, lentils, eggs and tofu, for example) at breakfast, in the hopes those items would replace sugary choices and provide a better nutritional profile. School meals will still emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains, the USDA said."
May 9, 2024 from the CPSC:
ZLINE Wall Ovens have been recalled because the oven door hinge can dislodge, releasing the spring, which can damage or break through the door trim, posing an impact injury hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: ZLINE toll-free at 833-256-3603 from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at awrecall@zlinekitchen.com, or online at https://zlinekitchen.com/recalls-walloven or at https://zlinekitchen.com and click on “Recalls” on the bottom of the page and then “Product Recalls” for more information.
Description: This recall involves single-door and double-door ZLINE built-in electric wall ovens with model numbers AWS-30, AWD-30, AWS-30-BS, AWD-30-BS, AWSS-30, and AWDS-30. The recalled ovens were sold in stainless steel and black stainless with a digital control at the top of the unit. The recalled product is approximately 30 inches wide by 24.5 inches deep by 51 inches high for the double wall oven, and 29 inches high for the single wall oven. The ZLINE logo is printed on the bottom face of the door. The serial number and the manufacturing date in YYYYMMDD format are printed on a white label located inside the right side of the oven. The serial numbers range between 207986920110001 and WOAR2112048400, and the manufacturing dates between November 2020 and December 2021 are shown as 20201101 through 20211231.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ovens until the oven door is repaired. Contact ZLINE to obtain a free replacement door and instructions on replacing it. Consumers can register online at https://zlinekitchen.com/recalls-walloven to begin the repair process. Consumers who require physical assistance may request a service visit. ZLINE is contacting all purchasers directly.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 95 reports of incidents of the door spring releasing or breaking through the top of the oven door. One minor injury has been reported.
Sold At: Best Buy, Lowe’s, The Home Depot and The Range Hood Store nationwide and online at www.bestbuy.com, www.build.com, www.costco.com, www.homedepot.com, www.therangehoodstore.com, www.overstock.com and www.wayfair.com from December 2020 through September 2022 for between $1,900 and $3,950.
May 2, 2024 from the CPSC in conjunction with Alerta Rapidida Mexico:
Youth Sipper Bottles have been recalled because the silicone cover on the sipper can detach while in use, posing a choking hazard to children.
Consumer Contact: Igloo at 800-273-7024 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at customerservice@shop.igloocoolers.com, or online at www.igloocoolers.com/recalls or www.igloocoolers.com and click on “Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves the Igloo 12 oz. Youth Sipper Bottle. “IGLOO” is printed on the side of the stainless-steel bottle. The bottle’s lid has a silicone cover on the sipper. They were sold in various colors including: pink top and purple body; purple top and pink body; blue top and green body; and green top and blue body.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled bottles away from children, stop using them, and contact Igloo to receive a replacement bottle or refund. Consumers should destroy the silicone spout by removing the silicone spout and cutting it into two separate pieces down the center. Consumers should then take a photo of the spout in two separate pieces, then discard the two pieces in the trash. Consumers should submit a photo of the spout in two separate pieces to customerservice@shop.igloocoolers.com to receive a refund in the form of a $15 online store credit, a $15 gift card to be mailed to consumers, or a replacement bottle. If consumers have the original purchase receipt, they can submit a photo of the receipt along with a photo of the destroyed bottle for a full refund in the form of the original method of payment. Consumers who purchased the recalled bottles at Rural King must contact Igloo to receive a replacement bottle, or a refund in the form of a $15 credit to purchase another product at igloocoolers.com or the Igloo company store in Texas, or a $15 gift card. Customers who purchased at Academy Sports + Outdoors can also return the product directly to the store for a full refund in the form of the original method of payment, a $15 gift card, or store credit.
Sold At: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Rural King, and online at www.igloocoolers.com from April 2023 through March 2024 for between $13 and $17.
May 2, 2024 from the CPSC in conjunction with Alerta Rapidida Mexico:
Commercial Refrigerators with Secop Compressors have been recalled because the recalled commercial refrigerators with Secop Compressors can fail in a manner causing the compressor to overheat, posing a fire hazard.
Consumer Contact: True Manufacturing toll-free at 855-203-0185 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, email at info@true-secopcompressor-retrofit.com, or online at www.true-secopcompressor-retrofit.com or www.true-secopcompressor-recall.com for more information, or at www.truemfg.com and click on the “Recall” quick link.
Description: This recall involves commercial refrigerators with Secop compressors with model number NLE11MN. The recalled Secop Compressors installed in True Commercial Refrigerators were sold through corporate channels to commercial customers and to the commercial food service companies. The recalled commercial refrigerators are both black and stainless steel in color, and have configurations with double, triple, and sliding doors. The model and serial numbers are printed on a label located inside the commercial refrigerator cabinet by the left door. The following refrigerator models and serial numbers are included in this recall:
A list of recalled products is here.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using commercial refrigerators with Secop compressors with model number NLE11MN, and contact True Manufacturing for a free repair. The original Secop ePTC starter in the compressor with the RSCR motor configuration will be replaced with the CSIR motor configuration. Consumers can register their unit for retrofit at www.true-secopcompressor-retrofit.com or www.true-secopcompressor-recall.com, and an on-site service visit by a technician will be scheduled. True Manufacturing is contacting all known purchasers directly.
May 1, 2024 - from the Israel National News:
"Tnuva, one of Israel's largest dairy companies, on Wednesday morning announced that it would raise the prices of its dairy products and other food products.
"The prices of Tnuva's price-controlled dairy products will rise on Thursday. The prices of products which are not price-controlled, as well as Sunfrost, Maadanot, Mama Of, and Tirat Tzvi, products, will be raised beginning on May 16.
"Sunfrost product prices will rise an average of 4.5%, while Maadanot prices will rise an average of 4.2%. Mama Of products will rise an average of 9.8%, and Tirat Tzvi products will see an average rise of 4.48%.
"In a statement, Tnuva explained, 'Tnuva is absorbing, for quite a while - and even more since the start of the war - the rising input costs, including raw materials.'"
April 17, 2024 - from the purdue.edu:
"Trio of journal articles highlights consumer knowledge gaps in safe preparation methods
"Many consumers know the food safety risks of dairy products, eggs and raw meat. But they are less likely to understand the risks associated with dry goods, including tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios, said Yaohua “Betty” Feng, associate professor of food science at Purdue University.
"In the last 10 years, authorities have linked three food poisoning outbreaks in North America to cashew cheese-analog products alone. Plant-based food products, meanwhile, are surging in popularity. Sales of the products topped $7 billion in 2020, an increase of 27%, according to the Plant Based Foods Association.
Since last September, Feng and her collaborators have published three studies exploring issues related to tree nut safety. The most recent, “Food Safety Implications of Online Recipes for Preparing Soaked Nuts and Nut-Based Dairy Analogs,” made the cover of the January-February issue of Food Protection Trends. That study was based on a content analysis of more than 500 recipes posted on online blogs and YouTube videos.
"Feng, Harris and two colleagues first examined the food safety implications of the popular commercial and at-home practice of soaking and drying almonds before consumption. Their analysis of online blogs and recipes, published by the Journal of Food Protection in 2020, found a lack of information on safe food-handling practices along with risky room-temperature soaking procedures.
"The new study, expanded to include cashew, walnut and pistachio recipes, turned up similar issues.
"n outbreak associated with cashew cheese in 2021 shifted their focus beyond just soaking and drying nuts to ask what people were doing with the soaked nuts besides just eating, or drying them and then eating.
"It helps to know if the raw nuts have been treated to reduce salmonella. Some nuts labeled “raw” have been treated, while others with the same label have not.
"ood scientists do know, however, that bacteria can grow without necessarily making food taste bad or smell bad. “Using the sniff text or the taste does not work,” she said."
April 17, 2024 - from the JNS:
Gemiluth Chessed of Greater New York (GCGNY) commissioned a study on the experience of food insecurity. "The study was conducted by Baltimore’s Jewish Nonprofit Planning and Research Institute (JNPRI),"
"Over a three month period beginning in January 2024, JNPRI surveyed 492 individuals who observe kosher at home and face food insecurity. Questions in English and Russian touched upon household demographics, eating and shopping habits, and the food support resources and organizations respondents find most helpful.
"Michelle Shain is JNPRI’s director of research and the study’s author. She says the goal was to highlight the different needs and experiences across New York City and in households with different social and demographic characteristics, and to use those demographic differences to understand where some of the challenges originate.
"She points to the following data acquired from the JNPRI study: there was no single type of chicken, meat or fish that was a staple protein for all respondents; more than half of participants relayed that they are unwilling to eat unfamiliar foods in order to save money, suggesting that when resources are scarce, other priorities get shortchanged; and finally, one third of respondents live with someone who has a dietary restriction, like lactose intolerance.
"Sixty-one percent of participants said they would feel more comfortable going to a food pantry or community kitchen if there were more foods that meet their preferences or dietary needs.
"Respondents value forms of food assistance that allow them to purchase foods that meet their individual preferences and dietary restrictions. Survey respondents were 66% more likely to say grocery gift cards were “essential” in ensuring that they have enough to eat every month than to say that food pantries were essential. These include the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which offers monthly debit cards and grocery gift cards.
"Another critical takeaway of the report was that time and mobility constraints prevent some from accessing both low-cost retail food as well as food banks and community kitchens. Whereas only half of those who are food insecure choose their primary grocery store because of pricing, the rest select stores based on their location’s accessibility, hours, and convenience — whether they are one-stop-shops, or delivery is offered, for example.
"About half of the respondents also maintain they’d be more comfortable visiting a food pantry or community kitchen if it had extended hours, shorter lines or were situated in more convenient and discrete locations.
"The OU’s Department of Community Projects and Partnerships is currently working on piloting different solutions based on the data, including kosher protein distribution and advocacy efforts to get more kosher protein from government programs.
"An OU-initiated partnership with GCGNY, Empire Chicken and City Harvest that was launched in December has enabled the ongoing distribution of 26,000 pounds of kosher chicken at a subsidized cost to New Yorkers struggling to afford kosher meat."
April 10, 2024 - from the Food Safety News:
"The FDA has released a report on an investigation into imported honey and the intentional adulteration of it for economic gains.
"The report from the Food and Drug Administration includes information on 107 samples from 25 countries. The FDA collected the samples in import status, which refers to products collected at ports of entry or other locations where they are held prior to being released into domestic commerce.
"The agency tested retail and bulk samples in 2022 and 2023. Retail samples consisted of individual jars or other containers. Bulk shipment samples were collected typically from barrels or drums. All of the samples were labeled as being 'honey.'
"The FDA conducted a similar sampling and testing program in 2021 and 2022. Those tests showed 14 percent of samples were intentionally adulterated.
"Adulteration of honey generally involves the addition of undeclared sweeteners that are less expensive than honey, such as syrups derived from cane, corn, rice, or sugar beets. Such adulteration artificially increases the value of the honey by increasing its weight and can cause problems for people with food allergies.
"'Of the 107 import samples collected and tested, the FDA found 3 import samples, 3 percent, to be violative. While the number of violative samples represents a slight decrease from the 2021-2022 imported honey assignment, the two assignments were not designed for statistical comparison,' according to the FDA’s report.
"Honey from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Yemen were found to be adulterated."
The FDA report is here
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