K A S H R U T . C O M_©

November 28, 2018 from the Foood Dive:

"Deoleo, a Spain-based maker of olive oil products, recently announced two legal victories. One was a permanent injunction against false and misleading statements circulated on social media, and the other dismissed a mislabeling lawsuit."
"The permanent injunction was granted Nov. 15 by a Minnesota judge, who said statements published about Bertolli and Carapelli olive oils in Natural Solutions Magazine were false and misleading. The mislabeling lawsuit was decided Nov. 8 by the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The judge in that case found plaintiff Kevin Fahey's claims that Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil was mislabeled to lack sufficient factual content to determine Deoleo's liability."
"Both cases cited a 2010 study from the University of California-Davis, which Deleo said has "since been heavily refuted as false and misleading by olive oil councils and experts from around the world." That study found 69% of imported extra virgin olive oil sa mples bought off the shelf did not meet international standards required for that label."

IKEA Recalls Dining Tables Due to Laceration Hazard

November 27, 2018 from the CPSC in conjuntion with Healty Canadians:

GLIVARP extendable dining tables have been recalled because the table’s glass extension leaf can detach and fall unexpectedly, posing a laceration hazard.
This recall involves IKEA GLIVARP extendable dining tables in white. The recalled tables have four steel legs and a glass table top with an extension that can be pulled out to the side. They measure about 29 inches tall by 49 inches long. The glass table top extension measures about 25 inches long. The supplier number (12003) is printed on a sticker on the underside of the table frame. “GLIVARP” and the IKEA logo are also printed on the sticker.
IKEA has received three reports of the table’s glass extension leaf detaching and falling unexpectedly, one of which included a minor injury where no medical attention was needed.
Sold Exclusively At IKEA stores nationwide and online at www.ikea-usa.com from February 2017 through October 2018 for about $300.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dining tables and return them to any IKEA store for a full refund or free replacement table.
Consumer Contact: IKEA toll-free at 888-966-4532 anytime or online at www.ikea-usa.com and click on Press Room at the bottom of the page, then on Product Recalls at the top of the page for more information.

Airbnb blacklists Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria

November 21, 2018 from the 'worldIsraelNews and 'worldIsraelNews:

"On Monday, Airbnb announced it is removing lodging listings placed by Israelis who live in communities in Judea and Samaria."
"The leading peer-to-peer app allows users to rent out rooms in their dwellings to guests, using their homes as hotels or short-term rentals."
"According to the statement released by Airbinb, the company concluded “it should remove listings” in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, which it referred to as 'the occupied West Bank.'"
"The San Francisco-based company admitted its decision, which affects some 200 listings, was for political reasons. In a statement on its website, the company made it clear that it had accepted the Palestinian narrative of the conflict."
"Michael Oren, current deputy minister in the prime minister’s Office and Israel’s former ambassador to the U.S., tweeted Monday that Airbnb should be boycotted:"
"Airbnb blacklists Jewish apartments in Judea and Samaria – not Palestinian apartments, not apartments in Turkish occupied Cyprus, in Moroccan occupied Sahara, not in Tibet or the Crimea. Airbnb’s policy is the very definition of anti-Semitism. No one should use its services."

USDA, FDA to Split Lab-grown Meat Oversight

November 20, 2018 from the Specialty Food News and BeefMagazine.com:

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry, according to the agencies. An agreement between the agencies allows FDA to oversee cell collection, cell bank and cell growth, and differentiation, while USDA will oversee the production and labeling of food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry."
"The administration does not believe new legislation is needed because the agencies have the statutory authority necessary to appropriately regulate cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry."

More confirmed ill in outbreak linked to fresh cucumbers; no recall yet

November 5, 2018 from the FoodSafetyNews:

"As the patient count continues to increase, investigators in Canada are looking look for clues in an ongoing Salmonella Infantis outbreak health officials say is linked to long English cucumbers."
"The Public Health Agency of Canada went public with information about the outbreak on Oct. 19, reporting 45 people across five provinces had been confirmed infected. As of Nov. 2, the agency reported another five people have been confirmed sick."
"Patients and public health officials report illness onset dates beginning on June 17 and running through Sept. 30. Additional people are expected to be confirmed as outbreak victims, partly because it can take several weeks for confirmation testing and reporting to be completed."
"Except for one patient from Quebec — who reported traveling to British Columbia before becoming ill — all of the confirmed outbreak victims are in five western provinces. British Columbia has been hardest hit with 42 cases, followed by Alberta with five. Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec each have one confirmed case."
"Anyone who has eaten any long English cucumbers and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, making diagnosis difficult."
"Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that patients need to be hospitalized."