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.
July 10, 2025 from the CPSC
Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles has been recalled because the lid can forcefully eject, posing serious impact and laceration hazards, when a consumer attempts to open the capped bottles after food, carbonated beverages or perishable beverages, such as juice or milk, are stored inside over time.
Consumer Contact: Walmart toll-free at 800-925-6278 from 7 a.m. through 9 p.m. CT any day or online at www.walmart.com/help or https://corporate.walmart.com/recalls for additional information.
Description: This recall involves Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles sold with model number 83-662 on the product packaging. The stainless-steel bottles are silver with a black one-piece screwcap lid. They measure 4.41 x 4.41 x 11.5 inches and there is an Ozark Trail logo embedded on the side of the bottle. The model number does not appear on the product.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled water bottles and contact Walmart for a full refund. Consumers can bring the bottle to their nearest Walmart store for a refund.
Incidents/Injuries: Walmart has received three reports of consumers who were injured when struck in the face by a lid forcefully ejected from these bottles upon opening. Two consumers suffered permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye.
Sold Exclusively At: Walmart stores nationwide and online at Walmart.com since 2017 for about $15.
June 26, 2025 from the CPSC
Peg Perego Tatamia 3-in-1 Recliner, Swings and High Chairs have been recalled because the 3-in-1 products pose a suffocation risk because they were marketed for infant sleep, and they have an incline angle greater than 10 degrees, in violation of the Infant Sleep Products Rule and Safe Sleep for Babies Act. In addition, the products fail to meet mandatory warning requirements under the high chair standard.
Consumer Contact: Peg Perego toll-free at 877-737-3464 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at service@pegperego.com or online at https://www.pegperego.com/en_us/baby/recalls or https://www.pegperego.com/en_us/baby/ and click on “Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves Peg Perego Tatamia recliners, swings and high chairs. The products convert from a recliner to a high chair and to an unpowered infant swing, and they were sold in “Ice” (gray) color with model number IMTATANA01BL73. The top of the padded leather seat has the brand name “Peg Perego” printed on it. In high chair mode “Peg Perego” is printed on the front of the tray. The adjustable side of the product has “tatamia” printed on it. Only products manufactured on or after June 23, 2022, and/or purchased on or after November 12, 2022, are included in this recall. The manufacture date in YYYY/MM/DD format and model number can be found on the base of the product.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and contact Peg Perego for a full refund. Consumers should contact Peg Perego for a prepaid shipping label and packaging to send the products back to Peg Perego. Peg Perego and Amazon are contacting all known purchasers directly.
Sold At: Online at PegPerego.com, Amazon.com, Target.com and other websites from November 2022 through January 2025 for about $450.
June 26, 2025 from the CPSC
Laboomkey Electric Immersion Water Heaters, models RDK, RDKL, RDK-H and HT2000W have been recalled because they pose a risk of serious injury and death due to fire and burn hazards. The product is intended to be immersed in water for the purpose of heating the water.
Consumer Action: CPSC urges consumers to immediately dispose of the electric immersion water heaters. There is no remedy for consumers because the manufacturer is refusing to cooperate with CPSC.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Laboomkey Electric Immersion Water Heaters, models RDK, RDKL, RDK-H and HT2000W, because they pose a risk of serious injury and death due to fire and burn hazards. The product is intended to be immersed in water for the purpose of heating the water.
Changsha Yiruituo Trade Co. Ltd., of China, imports this product and has been unwilling to conduct a recall.
CPSC is aware of 81 reports of the Laboomkey electric immersion water heaters igniting, melting, smoking or overheating, including at least 31 reports of fires. The defective electric immersion water heaters will catch fire if the unit is not completely submerged in water.
The defective electric immersion water heaters are metal tubes with several holes stamped into the metal. Some have an attached black plastic power cord, while others have blue end caps and a white plastic power cord. The defective electric immersion water heaters were sold on Amazon.com from May 2023 through May 2025 for about $35.
June 18, 2025 from Food Dive:
June 18, 2025 from Food Dive:
June 17, 2025 from Food Dive:
June 24, 2025 from Food Dive:
"The law mandates disclosures for more than 40 ingredients, including food dyes and additives commonly used in food processing to help with texture, taste or shelf life. The legislation applies to food product labels developed or copyrighted on or after Jan. 1, 2027.
"Federal action could overturn aspects of the law, including what’s subject to the legislation. The law would no longer apply if the FDA instituted its own labeling requirements and ingredients could be exempted if the agency approved their safety."
June 18, 2025 from the CPSC
4 Liter/6 Can Minifridges have been recalled because the recalled minifridges’ electrical switch can short circuit, posing fire and burn hazards.
Consumer Contact: AstroAI toll-free at 877-278-7624 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, email at recall@astroai.com, or online at https://www.astroai.com/product-recall or www.astroai.com and click on “Recalls” for more information.
Description: This recall involves the AstroAI 4-Liter/6-Can minifridges. AstroAI is printed on the front of the units. The model and serial numbers are found on a label on the back of the minifridge. The model number is “LY0204A”. The nine-digit serial number of the affected units starts with “S/N” and begins with the following numbers: 19, 20, 21, 2201, 2202 or 2203. The serial number is located on either the bottom or the middle-right portion of the label. The minifridges measure 9.45 inches in diameter x 6.9 inches wide x 10 inches high. The minifridges were sold in a variety of colors, including black, white, blue and pink.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled minifridges and contact AstroAI for a free replacement minifridge. To receive a replacement minifridge, consumers should send a photo of the recalled minifridge, showing the model number and serial number, with “Recalled” written on the minifridge in permanent marker to AstroAI by email at recall@astroai.com or through the online portal at https://www.astroai.com/product-recall. Consumers should dispose of the recalled minifridges in accordance with state and local waste disposal procedures.
Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received at least 70 reports of the minifridges smoking, burning, melting or catching fire. Two fires resulted in extensive property damages, together totaling more than $360,000 in reported damages.
Sold At: Online at Amazon.com and Astroai.com from June 2019 through June 2022 for about $40.
June 12, 2025 from CPSC in Conjunction with the Government of Canada
Giraffe highchairs have been recalled because the highchairs pose a fall hazard and risk of serious injury or death to babies because the legs of the chair can detach from the frame if the screws connecting the legs are not properly tightened during assembly. Description: This recall involves Bugaboo Giraffe highchairs. The highchairs measure about 30 inches tall, 21 inches wide and 23 inches long. The highchairs were sold in blue, black, natural wood/white, warm wood/gray and white with the item codes listed below. The item codes are located on the bottom of the seat.
| Color | Item Code |
|---|---|
| Blue | 200008005 |
| Black | 200008004 |
| Neutral Wood/White | 200008002 |
| Warm Wood/Gray | 200008003 |
| White | 200008001 |
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled highchairs and contact Bugaboo to receive a free repair kit including an Allen key and new screws to install into the product’s legs. Bugaboo is contacting all known purchasers directly.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 22 reports of the legs of the chair detaching, including 13 reports of minor injuries.
Sold At: Nordstrom and other specialty stores nationwide and online at www.bugaboo.com and www.Amazon.com from May 2023 through April 2025 for about $380.
June 9, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"British lawmakers were set to deliberate today on a proposal that seeks to prohibit shechitah without prior stunning—a practice central to both kosher and certain halal dietary laws. According to a report by The Independent, the petition that triggered the debate has amassed over 109,000 signatures and characterizes the method as “barbaric,” asserting that it clashes with what it calls 'modern British values.'
"If the proposal were to move forward, it would revoke religious exemptions that currently allow shechitah and specific halal practices to proceed without stunning animals beforehand. Proponents of the ban insist that animal welfare should take precedence, while opponents argue that both kosher and halal methods are deeply rooted in religious tradition and incorporate strict standards of humane treatment.
"Under current legislation in the UK, stunning animals before slaughter is generally required. However, religious slaughter is granted exceptions. In actual practice, the overwhelming majority of halal meat is stunned before slaughter, while kosher meat is not. These practices are all carried out under government supervision, with the Food Standards Agency ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
"Many critics of the petition have voiced concern that banning non-stun slaughter would threaten the religious freedoms of both Muslim and Jewish communities in the UK. They stress that observance of religious dietary laws is a fundamental component of their cultural and spiritual life.
"Ahead of the parliamentary session on June 9, supporters of religious slaughter have urged the public to reach out to their Members of Parliament. Meanwhile, the Halal Monitoring Committee has signaled its intention to engage with lawmakers in an effort to provide a clear and factual explanation of traditional slaughter techniques."
June 10, 2025 from Food Safety News:
"Two species of fish-borne parasites have been found in freshwater fish routinely caught for consumption. Researchers say people could be eating the fish in ways that are conducive to transmission.
"The analysis of freshwater fish collected at five fishing sites in San Diego County, CA, was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and showed that two species of trematodes, a type of flatworm, were prevalent in seven fish species. The infected fish species are found across the United States.
"One of the trematode varieties was found to have infected fish from all testing sites with 93 percent of the fish tested being infected. The other type of parasite was found in fish at two of the testing sites and had an overall prevalence of 89 percent.
"Researchers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California-San Diego discovered that fish species found to be infected with the parasites included largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie and common carp.
"An invasive snail has been found to be a host for the parasites, which cause human illness. Trematodes have historically infected people in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific and local transmission wasn’t a concern in the United States until the arrival of the freshwater snail that serves as a host. The snail is now found in at least 17 states and Puerto Rico. Previous research by the same team found that the snail and the two trematodes have become widespread at freshwater fishing sites in California.
"n the initial stage of their lifecycle, trematodes infect the snails, then exit the infected snails and move on to a second intermediate host — fish. The adult trematodes then infect hosts, like birds or people, that eat the infected fish. If ingested by people, trematodes infect the small intestine, causing gastrointestinal symptoms that range from mild diarrhea to weight loss and lethargy.
"People can take to reduce the risk, like properly cooking or freezing fish before consumption, which kills the parasites.
June 6, 2025 from Vegconomist:
"The Senate Agriculture Committee has advanced the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, legislation that seeks to increase access to both whole milk and non-dairy beverages in the National School Lunch Program. While the bill includes provisions for whole and low-fat milk, it also creates a significant opportunity for expanding plant-based milk options, such as almond, soy, and oat milk, in public schools across the country.
"Though the inclusion of dairy milk options has raised concerns from those advocating for plant-based alternatives, the bill’s provision for expanding access to non-dairy beverages has been praised by many. For students who cannot consume dairy due to health reasons or personal beliefs, the increased availability of plant-based options addresses a growing demand for cruelty-free and allergen-free choices."
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