K A S H R U T . C O M_©

As lockdowns lift, new hazards lurk in the water - PLEASE FORWARD TO THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBEL FOR BUILDING OPENING as the lockdowns ease

April 28, 2020 - from Nature:

"Stagnant water in unused buildings can harbour infectious bacteria and heavy metals. Scientists point out that guidance on reopening is limited. "

"As some regions prepare to lift the lockdowns in response to COVID-19, scientists who study water are worried about the potential for a secondary health crisis waiting in the dormant plumbing of offices, gyms, restaurants and schools."

"Because of the threats from heavy metals leaching out of pipes, and bacteria and parasites growing in stagnant water, researchers are studying locked-down water systems in an attempt to understand how people can safely reoccupy buildings."

"The longer a building sits unused, the more potential there is for harm. That’s because the length of time between water treatment and use is one of the key factors determining bacterial regrowth.""One of the main concerns is Legionella, a genus of bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease."

" The most common advice after a period of dormancy is to run all taps at full flow for a set amount of time — usually 5 or 10 minutes — to flush the stagnant water from the pipes."

"And the complications don’t stop there. For large complexes such as universities, there might not be enough staff to routinely flush every building. Already-struggling small businesses could baulk at the increased water bills that would result from proper flushing. And without sufficient masks and respirators, staff carrying out flushing operations are at risk of inhaling Legionella and other pathogens that might be growing in the pipes."

"The most important things that building owners and managers can do right now" "are to flush taps regularly, carry out low-cost testing and start to build up a water-management plan."

Israeli rabbis in Argentina give US kosher meat market a boost too

June 8, 2020 - from JTA:

"Remember that flight that brought nearly 100 rabbis to Argentina to certify kosher meat that was held up because of the coronavirus pandemic? It wasn’t only a boon to the Israeli market: The visiting rabbis also certified over 420,000 pounds of kosher beef that will be shipped to the United States."

"Despite Argentina’s ban on incoming travelers, the country arranged for a special flight for the rabbis last week. The country is one of the world’s top meat producers, and thousands of tons of meat had been held up without kosher certification because of travel restrictions. Normally, rabbis visit the country throughout the year and stay for a few months to certify meat."

"On Friday, President Alberto Fernández visited a kosher meat facility in Santa Rosa, the capital city of the La Pampa province, 370 miles west of Buenos Aires."

"'The plant located in Santa Rosa is already working to sell to the United States, increasingly interested in buying these meat cuts with added value,' a government statement read."

98 Israeli rabbis fly to Argentina to certify thousands of tons of kosher meat and save a growing market

June 3, 2020 - from JTA:

"A special flight from Tel Aviv to Buenos Aires brought 98 rabbis to certify thousands of tons of meat as kosher and help preserve the South American country’s Israeli kosher meat market amid the coronavirus crisis."

"Under typical circumstances, as many as 15 Israeli rabbis travel to Argentina twice a year and stay for a few months because there aren’t enough local rabbis with expertise in kosher slaughter to handle the volume of meat that is exported to Israel. But Argentina has banned all incoming commercial flights since March 20, and only Argentine citizens are currently allowed to enter the country."

"Also, two of Argentina’s foremost kosher slaughter experts, father and son Roberto and Gabriel Yabra, died after contracting COVID-19 in April."

"The team of Israeli rabbis will work in six industrial facilities."

"Argentina is the world’s fifth largest beef exporter and Israel is one of its largest buyers. In the first three months of the pandemic, 8,500 tons of meat have been exported to Israel, but a shipment of 15,500 tons is pending for a total of some 24,000 tons this year. The export in its entirety is valued at approximately $170 million."

"It’s only the third-ever direct El Al flight between Israel and Argentina."

Despite closed borders, Argentina to fly in rabbis to certify kosher meat

May 21, 2020 - from Reuters:

"Argentina, which has enforced one of the world’s toughest travel bans against the coronavirus, plans to help charter a private flight to bring in rabbis from Israel to certify meat at the country’s packing plants for kosher markets around the world."

"The trip is key to Argentina being able to maintain beef exports to key buyer Israel, which has become increasingly important with exports stalled to the European Union and sharply down to major buyer China."

"The global lockdown meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus has snarled this year’s plans with borders closed and air travel paralyzed worldwide. "

"Argentina is the world’s fifth largest beef exporter and Israel is the No. 3 buyer of its famed cuts, snapping up over $100 million each year."

"The rabbis normally make the trip twice a year and stay for a few months, as many as 15 rabbis in plants at a time. They ensure the cattle are slaughtered and the meat processed in accordance with Jewish law."

"Lisandro Sabanés, an Argentine foreign ministry spokesman, confirmed the government was helping to make arrangements for the rabbis. "

"Argentina has banned commercial flights until September, allowing only citizens and residents to enter on special flights and has imposed a strict national quarantine. "

FDA allows ingredient swaps without label changes

May 26, 2020 from Foodt Dive:

• "Companies making minor formulation and ingredient changes to their products because of scarcity due to the coronavirus pandemic do not have to make corresponding changes to their labeling, according to new guidance from the FDA."

  "This flexibility only applies to small changes. Labeling changes would be required if a substitution occurred that added a commonly allergenic ingredient, if the substituted ingredient made up more than 2% of the weight of the finished product, if a missing ingredient was a defining characteristic of the product or if the change made an impact on health claims or functionality."

  "The same guidance document also gives flexibility to operators of 20 or more vending machines. FDA says it will not object if they are unable to provide calorie information on foods that are sold during this time. "

"A plain reading of the guidance basically shows that the regulations only allow manufacturers to make swaps that many consumers might not care about or even notice — like unbleached flour for bleached flour, or leaving green peppers out of a quiche that contains four other vegetables. The FDA notes this is necessary because the pandemic has strained supply chains everywhere, and specific ingredients may see shortages as time goes on. This guidance doesn't allow a manufacturer to make big changes, like leaving raisins out of cinnamon raisin bread, or swapping alternative flours for whole wheat in a muffin recipe."

"However, these new regulations don't require any public disclosure of these changes." "Instead of just making a swap in the factory, manufacturers could publicize the changes on social media, their brand website, by information displayed at the point of sale or through stickers on packaging alerting consumers of a potential change."

"Consumers are more likely to be understanding about changes as long as they are informed. And highly sensitive consumers, including those with food allergies, will continue to place trust in the brands that take care to let them know that manufacturing practices during the pandemic will keep them safe — or that temporary changes may result in new risks."

Prices Spike at the Grocery Store

May 20, 20120 - from Food Processing:

"Grocery prices have experienced their highest month-to-month jump since 1974 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."

"Grocery increases averaged out to 2.6% more for April than for March. The steepest increases were for meat, poultry, fish and eggs, which collectively saw a 4.3% increase in April over March. Individually, eggs had the biggest jump, at 16.1%, although prices have gone back down again, due in large part to relaxation of federal regulations that allowed eggs to shift more easily from foodservice to retail distribution."

"Other items facing high increases were apples, 4.9%; bread, 3.7%; and cookies, 5.1%."

"On the other hand, the overall Consumer Price Index was down 0.8%, thanks to sharp drops in energy, transportation and other costs."

Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy protein earns Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status

May 13, 2020 - from Ingredients Network:

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “no objections” letter for the animal-free dairy company Perfect Day’s β-lactoglobulin protein. The letter certifies that the protein has attained Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. "

"This whey protein is a flora-based replication of the bovine-based β-lactoglobulin protein. It is made from the fermentation of the genetically modified trichoderma reesei yeast strain. After the yeast ferments, the protein is extracted via the aid of a centrifuge and then combined with water and fat to create a milk-like product for use in dairy products."

"Though GRAS is a voluntary designation for companies to pursue, this status is a milestone for companies with novel ingredients or lab-based formulations that companies want to assure consumers through government backing that there is a reasonable certainty that it won’t cause harm."

"According to Perfect Day, 'β-lactoglobulin produced by fermentation is identical to commercially available bovine-produced β-lactoglobulin.' By issuing the notification with “no questions,” the FDA is signaling that it agrees with the company’s assessment."

"The company will likely look toward expanding its animal-free dairy products." "The company will only be able to expand so far. In the FDA approval letter, the governmental regulatory agency specifically prohibits some uses for the protein. The letter said lab-fermented β-lactoglobulin is 'not intended for use in infant formula or in products subject to regulation by the United States Department of Agriculture.'"

"With infant formula off the table, the company will likely focus on more mainstream dairy products like cheese, milk, yogurt and ice cream. Last summer, the company’s first commercial product - animal-free ice cream - appeared on its website. The ice cream came in three flavors: Milky Chocolate, Vanilla Salted Fudge and Vanilla Blackberry Toffee. Despite a $20 per pint price tag, the lab-grown ice cream sold out in 24 hours. "

Dairy Proteins are being created by microbial fermentation

July 15, 2019 - from Specialty Food News and Crain's Chicago Business:

"Lab-made dairy is beginning to catch the eye of investors." "he key to making it is synthetic whey, which can be incorporated into a range of foods from yogurt to ice cream. Companies like Perfect Day, founded by Ryan Pandya, are creating dairy proteins like whey and casein without having to use any animal-made products" using microbial fermentation.

"With the help of investors like Archer Daniels Midland, Perfect Day has grown into a 60-employee operation with $60 million in funding."

"Perfect Day contends its proteins require 98% less water and 65% less energy than that required to produce whey from cows. The company said it hopes to one day license its ingredients so they can be used by food manufacturers in a range of products—but those involved concede that scaling the effort won’t be easy.

"New Culture wants to make the end product: cheese from its own lab-grown casein, another protein derived from dairy. In the lab, New Culture has crafted a super stretchy, believable version of mozzarella—the most consumed cheese in the U.S. A third startup, Motif Ingredients—a spinoff of Gingko Bioworks—is using $90 million in funding to focus on lab-grown dairy proteins as flavor and texture ingredients."