K A S H R U T . C O M_©

June 20, 2024 from the CPSC :

JoyJolt Drinkware Declan Single-Wall Glass Coffee Mugs have been recalled because the glass mugs can break and crack when filled with hot liquids, posing burn and laceration hazards.

Consumer Contact: MM Products toll-free at 888-569-5680 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, email at recall@joyjolt.com, or online at https://joyjolt.com/pages/product-notices-recalls or www.joyjolt.com and click on “Safety Recalls” at the top of the page for more information.

Description: This recall involves JoyJolt Declan Single-Wall Glass Coffee Mugs with model number JG10242. They were sold in a 16 oz. size as a set of six. The recalled glasses are clear with a handle. The model numbers are printed on the product packaging and the order confirmation.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled coffee glasses, and contact MM Products for a full refund.

Incidents/Injuries: There have been 103 incidents of the recalled coffee glasses breaking at the base, resulting in 56 injuries, including 35 burns across the body from spilled hot liquids, and 21 cuts. Seven incidents required medical attention, including surgery and stitches.

Sold At: Online at www.amazon.com and on MM Products Inc.’s website www.joyjolt.com from September 2019 through May 2022 for between $20 and $25 for a set of six mugs.

June 6, 2024 from the `Washington Post:

"The results of a new study challenge the popular understanding of sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol as healthy, natural sugar alternatives.

"The popular sugar substitute xylitol, commonly used by those wanting to lose weight or who are diabetic, is associated with an increased risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack and stroke, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal" on June 6, 2024.

• "Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic conducted several studies. In one, they analyzed saved plasma samples of participants of an earlier study — more than 3,000 subjects who had been fasting. These subjects had been followed over three years, during which some of them had suffered a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke. In the new study, researchers found that those who had suffered a cardiovascular event had high blood levels of xylitol.
• "Researchers also studied xylitol’s effect on clotting using human whole blood and platelets, and found that xylitol caused platelets in the blood to clot. They then tested how fast the blood clots in the presence of xylitol on mice models, by injuring the animal’s carotid artery, and found xylitol enhanced the rate of clot formation at the sites of arterial injury. Blood clots that travel to the arteries or veins in the body’s organs such as the heart can cause heart attacks, strokes and even death.

  "In another study, researchers tested blood-clotting susceptibility by collecting blood from 10 healthy volunteers before and 30 minutes after drinking a xylitol-sweetened drink. Ten other volunteers were given a glucose- or sugar-sweetened drink. Researchers found that those who drank the xylitol beverage showed a marked increase in clotting ability of their blood right after they ingested it. No change in blood clotting ability was found in subjects who had ingested the glucose.

• "The researchers cautioned that while these studies show that xylitol is linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, they do not show that it causes these events.

"The same research team found a similar link between erythritol and cardiovascular risk last year.

"The findings come as use of sugar alcohols such as xylitol is trending upward, as keto and low-carb diet trends are generating growth in alternative sweeteners billed as “natural.” Some $1.19 billion in xylitol products were sold in 2021, and that market is expected to grow to about $1.48 billion by 2030, according to the research firm Custom Market Insights.

"The results challenge the popular understanding of sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol as healthy, natural sugar alternatives. People view them as natural because our bodies produce them as part of our energy metabolism; however, our cells produce them at much lower levels. When these sugar alcohols are manufactured, they are industrially prepared, using bacteria or yeast that’s put through brewing and fermentation processes to create a chemical that tricks our taste buds

"Researchers also found that an elevated xylitol level may be worse for your heart than cholesterol. By eating a high-cholesterol diet, we might increase our blood cholesterol levels by 10 to 30 percent, Hazen said. By eating a product high in xylitol, researchers found, the chemical levels in the blood went up 1,000-fold — or 100,000 percent — and remained elevated for four to six hours."

El Al Subsidiary Sun D’Or Gave Out Treif Sandwiches To Passengers

June 4, 2024 from Vinnews.com:

"A passenger who was waiting to board a flight from George to Israel on Sun D’Or Airlines, a low-cost subsidiary of El Al owned fully by the parent company, was astonished to receive a sandwich containing chicken and cheese. The incident occurred on Sunday at Georgia’s Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport.

"El Al said that it is investigating the matter.

"The flight to Israel was delayed and local crews from the Sun D’Or company gave out sandwiches to passengers waiting for the plane. One passenger noticed that he had been given chicken with cheese in the same sandwich.

"El Al responded, stating that 'Due to a flight delay, local crews from Batumi initiated the distribution of food and drink during the wait at the airport. Unfortunately due to human error, passengers from LY5104 received non-kosher sandwiches while waiting on the ground.We stress that the incident did not occur on the plane and all food served on El Al flights is kosher. We apologize to travelers and will work to sharpen our regulations in order to prevent such events from recurring.'"

May 30, 2024 from the CPSC :

ADIOS! Super Vinegar All Natural Cleaner, 30% have been recalled because the recalled cleaning product violates the Federal Hazardous Substances Act because it is deceptively labeled as “Safe to Use” and lacks the required cautionary statements for a poison, posing a risk of poisoning and chemical burns to consumers.

Consumer Contact: Compare Brands toll-free at 888-912-4622 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at support@comparebrands.net, or online at https://comparebrands.net/pages/product-recalls or https://comparebrands.net/ and click “Recall” at the top of the page for more information.

Description: This recall involves the ADIOS! Super Vinegar All Natural Cleaner, 30%. The cleaner’s bottles are labeled on the front with: “ADIOS! SUPER VINEGAR ALL NATURAL CLEANER. 30% Concentrate Indoor & Outdoor use”. There is a label on the back with: “Say ADIOS to industrial cleaners with the natural power of vinegar” along with safety information and instructions. The product was sold in a 16 oz. white bottle with a blue cap.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled cleaner immediately and contact Compare Brands for information on how to obtain a free corrected label to put on the cleaner bottle. Compare Brands and Amazon are contacting all known purchasers directly.

USDA Jewish event seeks solutions for yeshivas, kosher pantries

May 26, 2024 - from the JNS:

"Key kosher food industry stakeholders met on Wednesday with officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in an effort to unwind bureaucratic restrictions on procuring food for emergency pantries and school lunch programs.

"As part of the USDA’s Jewish American Heritage Month celebrations, the 'Kosher Supply Chain and Food Insecurity Dialogue' event at the USDA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters featured panel discussions on improving the coordination between the kosher industry and the Biden administration. The event comes as this year’s annual farm bill goes through revisions ahead of a vote in the House of Representatives.

"The USDA program takes food that the government purchases from farmers for purposes of market stabilization and distributes it to soup kitchens and pantries.

"The “equity doctrine” currently in place provides for a balance of available foods—produce, eggs, meat, fish, etc.—to be provided to participating TEFAP organizations.

There is a "lack of available kosher food in TEFAP to begin with. Until recently, only two kosher items in the program were required to be kosher, according to the bidding process. Now, there are eight. Much of the challenge stems from the higher cost of kosher products compared with their non-kosher counterparts.

"For some of the smaller kosher emergency food providers, that means that they might not be able to place a required minimum order, meaning they get nothing at all from the USDA program.

"Another key program discussed at the event was the availability of kosher foods in school lunch programs. Jewish schools often find themselves also having difficulty procuring kosher items.

"Almost every yeshiva in New York City and many yeshivas in New Jersey provide the lunch program.

"A piece of chicken that’s kosher is a lot more than a non-kosher piece of chicken, or bacon for that matter,” he said, pointing to other staples, such as milk, which are required to be provided.

"Another inherent numbers challenge is the small size of many of the participating yeshivas, who don’t have the ability to purchase in bulk and enjoy a discounted price on food, making enrollment in the lunch program—with all of its time-consuming bureaucratic burdens—often not worth the effort.

"Schnall said he’s pushing for a so-called carve-out similar to what was introduced in this year’s farm bill in the Senate for TEFAP, which would provide an additional $8 million for kosher pantries to be able to buy kosher foods.

"Schnall also noted a major issue with the “commodities” component of the school lunch program, wherein schools receive on a per-student basis around 30-40 cents to purchase staple foods through the government. Again, the selection of kosher products is often miniscule.

"On top of that, many of the yeshivas often have more restrictions on the hechsher, or type of rabbinical certification, that is acceptable within their community.

"Even basics such as kosher tuna and American cheese are difficult to come by in the USDA’s available basket.

The Biden administration, he continued, 'Surprisingly actually feels very motivated to get something done. Government always take time. That’s the nature of the beast.'

"Part of the challenge is keeping the issue “on the front burner,” making last week’s USDA-hosted event, including the presence of “movers and shakers” more “impactful” for the effort, he said.

"While Rapaport concedes that 'there was no resolution that tomorrow, this is going to happen,' coming out of last week’s event, 'there’s definitely a lot of optimism of willingness to move forward.'"