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Food News


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.

Newer news

Inflation Drives Up Passover Food Prices For US Jews

April 21, 2022 - from VinNews:

"As households feel the squeeze of surging consumer prices, some U.S. Jewish families observing Passover have struggled to pay for eggs, gefilte fish and the unleavened bread known as matzo, which represents their ancestors’ exodus from slavery in Egypt.

"Grocery prices rose 10% in March on a year-on-year basis — the most in 41 years — driven by higher prices for poultry, fish, eggs, beef and other meats.

"The reasons for the surge vary: supply chain snags, unfavorable weather and rising energy prices. The latter, driven by Russia’s war against Ukraine, pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier. Transportation problems are weighing on food imports, particularly seeds and other items that produce oils.

"Diana Kogan, director of Caring for Jews in Need, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, said inflation and shortages have been a huge issue” for Jewish groups in Southern California that provide holiday food packages to vulnerable communities including older adults, Holocaust survivors and people without housing.

"'Kosher meat, kosher chicken in particular, has been an issue,” she said. “Chicken used to be $1.89 per pound. But this year it’s over $3 a pound. We’ve also seen a 20% to 30% increase in kosher food prices.'"

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1271

GE Appliances, a Haier Company, Recalls Bottom Freezer, French Door Refrigerators Due to Fall Hazard

April 14, 2022 - from CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians

GE-brand Free-Standing French Door Refrigerators in Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel have been recalled because the freezer handle can detach when a consumer tries to open the freezer drawer, posing a fall hazard to the consumer.

Consumer Contact: GE Appliances toll-free at 888-345-4671 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.geappliances.com/ge/recall/bottom-freezer-refrigerator-2022/ or www.geappliances.com and click on “Recall Information” at the bottom of the page for more information.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1270

Norwex USA Recalls Ceramic Knives Due to Laceration Hazard

April 21, 2022 - from CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians

Norwex Ceramic Knives have been recalled because the handle on the Norwex ceramic knives can break during use, posing a laceration hazard. Immediately stop using the recalled knives and contact Norwex for a free replacement product of equal or greater value as offered.

Consumer Contact: Norwex USA Inc. toll-free at 833-882-5569 from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. CT Monday through Friday and 9 a.m to 5 p.m CT Saturday, email at USNorwexservice@Norwex.com or at https://norwex.biz/en_US/product-recall or at www.norwex.biz.

Description: This recall involves Norwex Ceramic Knives. The knives have a ceramic blade and bamboo handle. The knife measures about eight inches long with a four-inch blade and a four-inch handle. Norwex is printed on the handle.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 188 reports of incidents, including 158 reports of the handle breaking and 30 reports of damage to the knives during shipping. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At: Norwex USA and Norwex Canada as a promotional product from January 2022 through February 2022 for free.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1269

Best Buy Recalls Insignia™ Air Fryers and Air Fryer Ovens Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

April 21, 2022 - from CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians

Insignia Air Fryers and Air Fryer Ovens have been recalled because the air fryers and air fryer ovens can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.

Consumers can register online at www.insigniaairfryerrecall.expertinquiry.com or call Best Buy at 800-566-7498 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go online at http://www.bestbuy.com/productrecalls or www.bestbuy.com and click on Product Recalls for more information.

This recall involves the Insignia Digital Air Fryers, Insignia Analog Air Fryers, and Insignia Digital Air Fryer Ovens, model numbers NS-AF32DBK9, NS-AF32MBK9, NS-AF50MBK9, NS-AF53DSS0, NS-AF53MSS0, NS-AF55DBK9, NS-AFO6DBK1 and NS-AFO6DSS1 sold by Best Buy. The brand name INSIGNIA is on the top or front of each unit. A rating label on the underside of each unit identifies the brand INSIGNIA and the model number.

The air fryers and air fryer ovens have cooking chamber capacities ranging from approximately 3.4 to 10 quarts, and plastic or plastic and stainless-steel bodies in black and stainless-steel finishes.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled air fryers and air fryer ovens and return the product to Best Buy for a refund in the form of a credit for use at Best Buy stores or Bestbuy.com. Best Buy is contacting all known purchasers directly to arrange returns and providing pre-paid shipping boxes and labels and return instructions. Consumers will receive a credit of $50 or the amount on the purchase receipt if higher. Consumers do not need a purchase receipt to get the $50 credit.

Incidents/Injuries: Best Buy has received 68 reports from U.S. consumers and 36 reports from Canadian consumers of the air fryer or air fryer ovens catching fire, burning or melting. These include seven reports of minor property damage and two reports of injuries, including an injury to a child’s leg.

Sold At: Best Buy stores nationwide and online at www.bestbuy.com, www.eBay.com and www.google.com from November 2018 through February 2022 for between $30 and $150.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1268

Stokke Recalls Clikk High Chairs Due to Fall and Injury Hazards

April 7, 2022 - from CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians

Clikk high chairs have been recalled because the white plastic seat can break, posing fall and injury hazards to children.

Consumer Contact: Stokke toll-free at 877-978-6553 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday email at info-usa@stokke.com online athttps://recall.stokke.com/clikkwhite or www.stokke.com and click on “Product safety and recall information” at the bottom of the page for more information.

This recall involves Stokke Clikk high chairs in white. The recalled high chair has a white molded plastic seat and foot rest with wooden legs. Only Clikk high chairs that are white in color, have item number 552104 and within the following serial number range 135AA057070 – 135AA0057908 are included in this recall. The item and serial number are printed on a label located under the seat of the high chair. The recalled high chairs were manufactured between December 16-18, 2020, and have Stokke Clikk High Chair on the label.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled white high chairs and contact Stokke for a free replacement. Consumers will receive the free replacement Clikk high chair in white after visiting Stokke’s website to confirm their product is included in the recall and registering the product online.

Sold At: Target, Buy Buy Baby, and other children’s product stores nationwide and online at www.stokke.com and www.amazon.com from January 2021 through June 2021 for about $180.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1267

Louisiana law targeting plant-based meat struck down

April 3, 2022 - from Food Beverage Insider:

"A federal court has ruled that a food labeling law in the state of Louisiana is unconstitutional, in response to a 2020 lawsuit filed by Tofurky, a producer of plant-based meat products.

"Tofurky challenged a Louisiana law that took effect in 2020, the “Truth in Labeling of Food Products Act (Act),” which forbids representations of a food as meat, beef or pork, for example, when the food is not derived from such things as harvested beef, poultry and domesticated swine.

"In a March 28 order granting summary judgment to Tofurky, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson agreed the law infringes on constitutionally-protected speech in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"Those subject to the law faced fines of up to $500 daily for using terms such as “burger” and “sausage” to represent their plant-based meat products, according to Tofurky and the organizations that represented the producer in federal court—the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Good Food Institute.

"The law barred plant-based meat products from using those terms even when their labels featured such modifiers as “vegan,” “veggie” or “plant-based,” the groups added.

"Jackson found the law was an infringement on protected commercial speech, based on a four-part test expressed by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1980 decision, Central Hudson Gas & Elec. Corp. v. Pub. Serv. Comm’n of N.Y.

"While Tofurky challenged the Act, the government official responsible for administering and enforcing it—the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) commissioner—had not brought an enforcement action against the plant-based meat producer for violating the food products labeling law, according to the judge’s summary judgment order.

"Nor had the LDAF received any complaints from consumers about Tofurky’s labels or, more generally, labels for plant-based meat products or cell cultured food products, Jackson observed."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1266

Israel Approves Egg Imports from Poland to Avoid Passover Shortages

April 3, 2022 - from Jewish Press:

"In light of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the truck drivers’ strike in Spain and in order to prevent an egg shortage on Passover, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is increasing the number of sources for the import of eggs to Israel and has approved the importation of egg from Poland.

"Poland joins countries that have previously been approved for egg imports – Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

"The Ministry of Agriculture predicts that in the coming week, millions of eggs will be imported to meet the holiday demand in Israel.

"Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development show that Israelis consume an average of 240 eggs each year, and an average of 20 eggs a month. On the other hand, in preparation for Passover, consumption increases by about 10%, to approximately 22 eggs a month.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1265

CONSUMER ALERT: Attorney General James Warns New Yorkers to Be Mindful of Discriminatory Practices Targeting Jewish Communities Before Passover

March 31, 2022 - from the NY Attorney General

"New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued a consumer alert urging New Yorkers to be mindful of potential discriminatory pricing practices at car washes in the days leading up to Passover. In previous years, there have been reports of car wash businesses in predominantly Orthodox Jewish communities in New York City raising prices by as much as 50 percent for Jewish customers seeking cleaning services close to Passover. In advance of Passover, many Jews clean their homes, cars, and other spaces to remove “chametz,” or leavened products, from these spaces because they are not eaten for the duration of the holiday. According to reports provided to the Office of Attorney General (OAG) from Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein, some companies have advertised “specials” for car washing services related to Passover, but instead, charged higher prices to Jewish customers. Attorney General James also sent letters to two organizations representing car wash owners in New York to remind their members that any such business practice is illegal and should be reported to OAG.

"If you believe you were charged more for services because of your religion, race, or background, or know of businesses using these discriminatory practices, please file a complaint with OAG.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1264

Best Brand Consumers Products, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68% Due to Presence of Methanol and the Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68% Due to the Presence of Benzene

April 1, 2022 - from the FDA

Best Brands Consumer Products, Inc. is voluntarily recalling two (2) finished product lots of The Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68%, available in green and blue formulations and Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68% blue formulation to the consumer level. FDA testing found the presence of benzene in The Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer product and methanol in the Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer product. Best Brands imported these two lots, which were produced by a third-party manufacturer.

Upon being notified of the testing results by FDA in late February, 2022, Best Brands promptly investigated and determined that both of the affected lots were produced during the months of April and May, 2020 and confirmed that the affected lots had already been removed from sale in April 2021 for unrelated commercial reasons.

The Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer available in green and blue formulations and Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer are used to help reduce microorganisms that can potentially cause illness when regular hand hygiene measures (i.e., washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds) are not readily available or feasible and is packaged in 2.11fl. oz/60 mL bottles. The voluntarily recalled finished product lots and expiration dates are listed in the table below. The product, which was distributed nationwide via three retail outlets, has since been removed from sale at each outlet for unrelated commercial reasons, and was not further distributed.

Product MFG Lot # EXPIRE DATE NDC #
Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer, Ethyl Alcohol 68%, blue color, 2.11 fl. oz bottle 20D21 6/30/2022 74530-013-02
The Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer, Ethyl Alcohol 68%, blue/green color, 2.11 fl. oz bottle 20E21 9/30/2022 74530-012-02
Consumers that have Lot: 20E21 (Exp. 9/30/22) of The Mandalorian Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68%, available in green and blue formulations in 2.11 fl. oz. bottles, and Lot: 20D21 (Exp. 6/30/22) of Mickey Mouse Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 68%, available in blue formulation in 2.11 fl. oz. bottles, which is being recalled should stop using and appropriately discard it. Consumers may contact Best Brands with questions regarding this recall or to request a refund by contacting Quality@BestBrandsintl.com. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1263

Kosher Food Bank Inexplicably Shut Down by Authorities in Florida

March 31, 2022 - from JTA

"The city of Dania Beach, Florida, shut down a Jewish food distribution site which has been operating since June 2020.

"The organizer of the kosher food bank, Dovi Katz, says he serves 4,000 children and 1,500 families a week across Florida.

"The city government sent a notice to the food bank last week that read: 'Your special event application will be revoked immediately due to life safety and traffic concerns expressed by the Broward Sheriff’s office.'

"The Broward Sheriff’s Office denied being responsible for revoking the permit, instead blaming the Dania Beach government.

"Food bank organizers says that’s simply not true and that the Broward Sheriff’s Office is completely responsible for the permit having been pulled."

"'We are working to find a new location, but we plead with the Broward Sheriff to give us a week or two or three to get our new location set up,' Katz said."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W1262
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