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.
April 12, 2023 from the Courthouse News:
"Louisiana can enforce a state law aimed at keeping companies from deceiving consumers by using meat-like descriptions on packaging for plant-based food products, a three-judge panel at the Fifth Circuit held Wednesday.
"The 3-0 ruling reverses a federal judge's decision to halt enforcement of the law last year in a case brought by Tofurky, the brand name behind the vegan turkey substitute known as tofurkey.
"Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Edith Brown Clement wrote for the panel that the state’s Truth in Labeling of Food Products Act does not mean that Tofurky’s labels using meat terms such as “chik’n” and “burger” in addition to “plant-based” are in danger of facing a penalty under the law because Tofurky is not out to make consumers think its products contain meat.
"The ruling noted that Tofurky’s interpretation of the act used a broader reading to protect itself ahead of a court ruling, even while the state insisted on a narrower interpretation of the law aimed at stopping unscrupulous companies from confusing consumers into believing meatless items contain meat.
"Clement, a George W. Bush appointee, agreed with the state’s narrower interpretation, reversing last year’s ruling from U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson, a Barack Obama appointee who placed a hold on the state’s ability to enforce the law.
"Jaime Athos, president and CEO of Tofurky and the dairy-free company, Moocho, replied to a request for comment Wednesday evening by saying Torfurky is happy with the ruling.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has long required that food producers truthfully label the nature and contents of their products using common or usual terms. Tofurky says terms like “veggie burger” accurately inform consumers how plant-based products can be served and what they taste like.
"The Louisiana law is similar to food labeling statutes passed in Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and other states. A number of those laws are also being challenged by Tofurky, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Good Food Institute. A judge in Arkansas halted enforcement of that state's law in December 2019, finding it was likely an unconstitutional restriction on Tofurky’s right to free speech.
April 19, 2023 from the SFA:
"The recently introduced Choose 2 Reuse bill in New York seeks to improve sustainability in the restaurant industry by requiring certain businesses to provide reusable containers for dine-in, takeout, and delivery, reports The Wall Street Journal. The bill is with the City Council.
"Under the ruling, customers would be asked to return their reusable containers and chopsticks after their meal, either through delivery or in person. The bill does not extend to containers for beverages.
"Proponents believe that customers are willing to sacrifice the convenience that single-use plastic affords for more sustainable alternatives. If consumers don’t want to use reusable packaging, they will still have the option to opt for single-use containers.
April 19, 2023 from the Times of Israel:
"PM says company to get go-ahead in coming days; permit said set to be granted to Remilk, a developer of cultured milk
"Tech12 reported Israel’s Remilk, a developer of cultured milk and dairy, as the permit receiver. The startup will still require approvals from regulatory bodies in Israel.
"Earlier this year, Remilk won regulatory approval to sell its cow-free milk in Singapore and a letter from the US Food and Drug Administration that its animal-free whey protein can be safely used in food products. That’s after the company started sales of its protein in the US last year.
"Founded in 2019, Remilk produces milk proteins via a yeast-based fermentation process that renders them “chemically identical” to those present in cow-produced milk and dairy products. The startup claims that the result is 100 percent similar to “real” milk, but free of lactose, cholesterol, growth hormones and antibiotics."
March 27, 2023 - from Matzav.com:
"The Orthodox Union and the CRC (Hisachdus Harabbonim) have released a joint statement regarding the kashrus of Birdsboro beef.
"The statement follows the spreading of rumors and claims regarding the kosher status of said meat, which is sold, in the Bingo supermarkets in New York and New Jersey.
"The two supervising agencies assure kosher consumers that Birdsboro beef is glatt kosher l’mehadrin and there are no concerns to be had."
March 28, 2023 - from VinNews:
" The Knesset plenum on Tuesday passed into law a bill to allow hospitals to ban chametz, or leavened foods, during the weeklong Passover holiday.
"Forty-eight Knesset members voted in favor and 43 voted against the proposal that is intended to reverse a Supreme Court ruling from April 2020 according to which hospitals could not enforce a similar law.
"The Charedi United Torah Judaism Party sponsored the bill that grants hospital administrators the flexibility to determine “the special arrangements” needed to ensure that patients can keep kosher for Passover.
"According to the law, chametz instructions as determined by hospital managers will be published on the hospital website and signs will be posted in the facility. Employees will also be informed of the religious instructions.
"A related law was in place for more than three decades until it was struck down by the Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, in 2022 when it ruled on a petition by a secular group that hospitals could not require security guards to search visitor’s bags for chametz during the holiday.
March 23, 2023 - from VinNews:
"The Knesset is due to pass at the second and third readings a law prohibiting bringing Chametz into hospitals.
"The law was presented by MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) and a number of other MKs after the High Court declared that hospital directors cannot prevent Chametz from being brought into hospitals without legal backing.
"The current law has been toned down from the original bill which would have allowed security guards to check the contents of people’s bags. The law now states that “Hospital directors can establish regulations regarding a prohibition or restriction on bringing Chametz into the hospitals, in order to facilitate maintenance of kashrus and Pesach for those who are hospitalized in their hospitals.
"Gafni originally described the law as a 'superfluous law, since for 70 years hospitals operated on Pesach calmly and serenely until the court jumped in. The court said that the hospital director has no authority on the matter. Why did the court get involved? Why did it require legislations? This kind of insolent interference only happens on religious issues.'
"The Bennett government fell last year after Idit Silman left the government in protest over the government’s demand from hospitals to allow Chametz into their environs."
January 24, 2023 - from VinNews:
"In another indication of the new government’s intent to roll back policies of its predecessor, the UTJ party submitted a bill to ban Chometz from hospitals during Pesach.
"In 2020 the High Court declared such bans in hospitals to be illegal, and last year the court issued a similar ruling regarding army bases. When Former health minister Nitzan Horowitz instructed hospitals to abide by the court’s ruling ahead of Pesach 2022, coalition whip Idit Silman described it as an attempt by the more liberal parties in the government to weaken the state’s “Jewish character” and used it as a pretext to leave the government, starting the process of the coalition’s downfall.
"The new bill submitted Monday would legalize and require Chometz bans in hospitals, as was customary before the 2020 court decision.
"In their explanatory notes to the bill, MKs Moshe Gafni, Yaakov Asher, and Yitzchak Pindrus explained that their bill would not be overly onerous for non-Jewish patients in hospitals as 'in light of developments in food technology there are kosher-for-Passover replacements for all sorts of foods — rolls, cakes, cookies and candy bars.'
"Opposition MK and former Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana blasted the bill, stating it would lead to intentional attempts to bring in Chametz.
March 27, 2023 - from eunews.culture:
"Nearly half of the honey imported into the European Union is suspected of being fake, according to an EU probe.
"The research, spearheaded by the European Commission’s Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), revealed the massive fraud and that many may be buying counterfeit honey labelled as authentic.
"According to European Commission investigations, 320 samples were tested and 147 (46%) of collected samples of honey imports are suspected of being adulterated with syrups and therefore in non-compliance with the requirements of the EU Honey Directive. The honey is suspected to have been cut with sugar syrups made from rice, wheat or sugar beet.
"Most fake honey is brought from Turkey (93%) and China (74%).
"All the 10 honeys entered via the United Kingdom failed the tests and were marked “non-compliant
"The report indicates that honey imported from the UK had a suspicion rate of 100%, with the JRC suggesting that the honey may have been produced in other countries before being processed in the UK and re-exported to the EU.
"The main buyers of honey produced in the world are the United States and Europe."
March 21, 2023 - from the Jerusalem Post:
"Getting ready for Passover in Israel this holiday season might be a little harder this year due to some meat shortages across the country.
"With Ramadan around the corner and Passover falling not so far afterward, many people, Jews and Muslims, are stocking up their homes with food and people should expect to see shortages of both chicken and beef as well as higher prices."
March 21, 2023 - from the Business Wire:
"GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of food technology company Eat Just, Inc., announced today that it has received a "no questions" letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of one of the agency’s first pre-market consultations for a new kind of meat, poultry and seafood made from cells instead of raised and slaughtered animals. The letter means that following a careful and rigorous evaluation, the FDA has accepted the company’s conclusion that its first poultry product, cultivated chicken, is safe to eat.
"This clears a crucial step in bringing GOOD Meat to restaurants and retail in the U.S. more than two years after its historic approval and launch in Singapore. The company is now working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on necessary approvals before world-renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés becomes the first in the country to offer GOOD Meat’s chicken to customers at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. Andrés is chef/owner of José Andrés Group, which operates more than 30 restaurants across the country.
"The United States joins Singapore as a global leader in creating a regulatory pathway to market for real, safe, high-quality meat produced directly from animal cells. It’s a pioneering process that, in partnership with the broader agricultural community, can help meet the growing global demand for safe, sustainable protein. Some analysts predict cultivated meat could become a $25 billion global industry by 2030.
" Over the course of many months, GOOD Meat’s development, manufacturing, and regulatory teams prepared extensive documentation for the FDA detailing the safety and production process for its cultivated chicken. The company provided details on the identity, purity and stability of chicken cells used as well as a thorough description of its consistent, robust, and scalable process, which does not require antibiotics at any stage. The submission included an in-depth safety review of the media used to grow its non-genetically modified cells.
"Safety and quality validations submitted by GOOD Meat demonstrated that harvested cultivated chicken met poultry microbiological and purity standards, with microbiological levels significantly cleaner than conventional chicken. The analysis also demonstrated that GOOD Meat's cultivated chicken contains high protein content, a well-balanced amino acid profile and is a rich source of mineral,s experience for chefs and the sensorial experience for consumers.
"According to consumer research conducted by a leading global management consulting firm on behalf of GOOD Meat, 70% of Singaporeans who tried GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken said it tasted as good or better than conventional chicken. Nearly 90% of those diners said they would substitute conventional chicken with cultivated chicken. Approximately 90% of restaurant operators said they would be open to selling cultivated meat, and most said they could envision cultivated meat replacing conventional meat on menus within a decade. "
March 20, 20123 - from the Yeshiva World:
"New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued a consumer alert urging New Yorkers to be cautious of potential discriminatory pricing practices at car washes in advance of Pesach. 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 the days leading up to Passover, many Jews clean their homes, cars, and other spaces to remove “chametz” (leavened products). According to reports provided to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), some companies have advertised “specials” for car washing services related to Passover, but instead, charged higher prices to customers. To protect New Yorkers from these practices, Attorney General James has previously sent letters to 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.
"nyone who is aware of businesses using discriminatory practices or believes that they were charged more for services because of their religion, race, or background is encouraged to file a complaint with OAG online or call 1-800-771-7755."
March 9, 2023 from the CPSC in conjunction with Heathy Canadians:
YETI soft coolers and gear cases have been recalled because the magnet-lined closures can fail and result in detached magnets, posing a risk of serious injury or death if ingested. When two or more high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or to another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death.
Consumer Contact: YETI toll-free at 833-444-3151 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Sunday, email at productrecall@yeti.com or online at https://www.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html or at www.yeti.com and click on “Product Recall” at the bottom of the page for more information.
This recall involves the YETI Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 1.0 and 2.0, Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler and SideKick Dry Gear Case. The products have a main-pocket closure lined with high-powered magnets, which are enclosed in a heat-sealed plastic strip. The M20 Soft Backpack Cooler measures about 18 inches wide and 18 inches high; the M30 Soft Cooler 1.0 and 2.0 is about 25 inches wide and 17 inches high; and the SideKick Dry Gear Case is about 11 inches wide and 7 inches high. The recalled coolers and gear cases were sold in a variety of colors and with the brand name YETI displayed on the front. A hang tag with the product name is attached to the coolers and gear cases.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and contact YETI to receive a full refund or replacement product. Visit www.yeti.com for instructions on returning the product free of charge for the choice of a suggested replacement product of equal or greater value or full refund in the form of a YETI gift card with an additional $25 value.
Sold At: Dick’s Sporting Goods, ACE Hardware, Academy Sports + Outdoors, YETI and other stores nationwide and online at www.yeti.com and www.amazon.com from March 2018 to January 2023 for about $50 for the SideKick Dry Gear Case, $325 for the Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler and between $300 and $350 for the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 1.0 and 2.0.
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