K A S H R U T . C O M_©

Pesticide report shows no residue on 50% of U.S. food tested

November 7, 2017: The FoodSafetyNews:

"The annual analysis of pesticide residues in domestic and imported foods, with the results for fiscal year 2015 showing 98 percent of tested foods produced in the United States do not violate federal limits."
"Of the 835 domestic food samples tested from 39 states, almost half, 49.8 percent, were completely free of pesticides for the period from Oct. 1, 2014, through Sept. 30, 2015, according to the annual report released Monday by the Food and Drug Administration."
"Fifteen of the U.S. food samples had pesticide residues in excess of the legal limits, representing less than 2 percent of the domestic samples tested. The remainder of the samples of U.S. foods had residues within allowable levels. Fruits and vegetables accounted for 58.7 percent of domestic samples."
"The FDA analyzed 4,737 from 111 foreign countries during FY 2015. Of those samples, 444, or 9.3 percent, had pesticide residues in excess of allowable limits. Overall, 90 percent of the foreign foods tested were within allowable U.S. limits."
"However, the imported foods did better than U.S. foods tested in terms of being completely free of pesticide residues, with 56.8 percent of them in that category."
"'“Historically, the violation rate of import samples is 3 to 5 times higher than the rate for domestic samples. For example, from FY 2011 to 2014 the violation rate for domestic samples ranged from 1.4 percent to 2.8 percent, whereas the rate for import samples ranged from 7.1 percent to 12.6 percent.'”

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Nearly half of British foods contain pesticide residue

November 3, 2017 - New Food Magazine:

"A report analysing 3,448 samples of British produce has found traces of pesticides on 48 per cent of them." Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) "tested 3,450 samples of 41 different food types, finding residues in 47.86 per cent of them – with 3.22 per cent registering above the maximum recommended level (MRL)."
"Food from outside the UK proved to be more likely to contain traces of pesticides with 53.46 per cent of the 1,719 samples testing positive. Of the 1,729 food products from inside the UK, that figure stood at 42.26 per cent."

By percentage of products containing pesticides Bread, breakfast cereal and grapes were the worst offenders.
"By percentage of samples tested, cumin was the most likely to have a residue level above the MRL. Twelve of the 24 samples analysed showed signs of pesticide traces. Other notable products that frequently exceeded the MRL included: buffalo, ewe and goat cheese (11 per cent); rye four (21 per cent); beans with pods (24 per cent); and okra (26 per cent)."

Kidde Recalls Fire Extinguishers with Plastic Handles Due to Failure to Discharge and Nozzle Detachment: One Death Reported

November 2, 2017: The CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians:

Kidde fire extinguishers with plastic handles have been recalled because the fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge and can fail to activate during a fire emergency. In addition, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard.
This recall involves two styles of Kidde fire extinguishers: plastic handle fire extinguishers and push-button Pindicator fire extinguishers.

List of recalled models is here.

Plastic handle fire extinguishers: The recall involves 134 models of Kidde fire extinguishers manufactured between January 1, 1973 and August 15, 2017, including models that were previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015. The extinguishers were sold in red, white and silver, and are either ABC- or BC-rated. The model number is printed on the fire extinguisher label. For units produced in 2007 and beyond, the date of manufacture is a 10-digit date code printed on the side of the cylinder, near the bottom. Digits five through nine represent the day and year of manufacture in DDDYY format. Date codes for recalled models manufactured from January 2, 2012 through August 15, 2017 are 00212 through 22717. For units produced before 2007, a date code is not printed on the fire extinguisher.
Note: This recall includes fire extinguisher models that were previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015. Kidde branded fire extinguishers included in these previously announced recalls should also be replaced. All affected model numbers are listed in the charts above. Recall information for fire extinguishers used in RVs and motor vehicles can be found on NHTSA’s website.
Sold At: Menards, Montgomery Ward, Sears, The Home Depot, Walmart and other department, home and hardware stores nationwide, and online at Amazon.com, ShopKidde.com and other online retailers for between $12 and $50 and for about $200 for model XL 5MR. These fire extinguishers were also sold with commercial trucks, recreational vehicles, personal watercraft and boats.
Consumers should immediately contact Kidde to request a free replacement fire extinguisher and for instructions on returning the recalled unit, as it may not work properly in a fire emergency.
Consumer Contact: Kidde toll-free at 855-271-0773 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday, or online at www.kidde.com and click on “Product Safety Recall” for more information.

Fake Alchohol in the US- 2 stories

Counterfeiter Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Van Winkle Bourbon

October 12, 2017 from Safeproof.com:

"In Franklin County New York, the esteemed bourbon brand, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, in conjunction with their partner, Buffalo Trace Distillery were instrumental in a successful prosecution of a liquor counterfeiter. When faced with charges that could result in a jail term, the counterfeiter pled guilty to the charges and awaits sentencing in January 2018"
"The Van Winkle Bourbons have been appearing on secondary market web sites where alcohol sales are permitted. This first successful prosecution spearheaded by Buffalo Trace Distillery was trigged by advertisements on a web site that offered the Van Winkle Bourbon. In a concerted effort to protect its brands, including Van Winkle Bourbons, Buffalo Trace Distillery has budgeted $500,000 towards fake booze sales."
"In Europe and Africa, where the problem of fake alcohol has become rampant, local and national agencies are constantly pursuing the counterfeit alcohol producers. In The USA, the companies themselves are taking the lead in investigating and pursuing the counterfeit liquor industry. It is hard to comprehend the extent of the fake booze problem in the USA without the intense pursuit and publication of investigations."

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Fake Alcohol Brands Exported from USA

October 30, 2017 from Safeproof.com:

"Customs Officials in the Port City of Walvis Bay, Namibia halted a shipment of Fake Alcohol Brands Exported from USA via Dubai. The destination of the liquor shipment was Zimbabwe. As reported by The Namibian, the shipment was stopped as part of a larger International Customs Operation by The World Customs Organization. "
"The Namibian Customs Officials hit the jackpot at one Custom Brokers warehouse when they uncovered fake alcohol valued at $1.50 Million USD. "
"The inventory seized at a customs broker’s warehouse included exact replica of brands owned by Diageo, the world’s largest International Alcoholic Beverage Distributor. The fake alcohol brands included, Johnnie Walker Red and Johnnie Walker Black Label Whiskey and Smirnoff Vodka, which are among the world’s most coveted brands."

Imported candy often contaminated with lead

October 27, 2017 from FoodSafetyNews:

"Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco and the California Department of Public Health recently published a study showing an increase in the amount of lead found in candy. The researchers found that almost all of the candy flagged for lead was imported."
"During the 14-year study period, state public health officials issued 164 health alerts for food contamination. Of these, 60 were lead-related and 55 of those were for imported food, mostly candy from Mexico at 34 percent, China at 24 percent), and India at 20 percent."
"Because the study is not comprehensive, the lead contamination in candy and other products on the market could actually be much higher than many realize."

‘Fish Fraud’ Is Rampant. Here’s How to Fix It

October 24, 2017 from Wall Street Journal:

Fish "Fraud is rampant: A 2016 study by the ocean conservation advocacy group Oceana revealed that as much as a third of seafood sold in the U.S. is mislabeled. Put another way, your “local” red snapper could be farmed Asian catfish or some other bottom-feeding species that was caught using illegal methods or even slave labor."
"Dock to Dish 2.0, uses recent advances in vessel traceability to offer live, public tracking of fishing boats and delivery vehicles, along with information about who caught the fish and how and—perhaps most important—when it was caught."
"Around 90% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported—compared with less than 25% of fresh vegetables and 14% of beef. Fish can pass through a dozen hands and travel thousands of miles before reaching the plate. And there are no legal requirements to document its journey."
"till, it’s unclear how far Dock to Dish’s technology will spread without government regulations requiring it. Paul Greenberg, who has written extensively about American fisheries, doubts consumers know enough about seafood fraud to place a value on live tracking, and he believes price will be an obstacle. Tracking is designed to promote local, sustainable catch, which is often more expensive than its imported competition, and many people, according to Greenberg, will be unwilling or unable to pay. "