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.
October 19, 2020 from the Kosher Today
"Israel continued to experience shortages of beef and lamb during the recently concluded holidays despite the absence of its traditional robust tourism during Sukkot. These shortages are expected to be compounded in the future by Poland’s move to prohibit exports of its $1.8 billion kosher and halal market."
"Poland and South America were key sources for Israeli meat importers but the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the shutdown of some plants in South America.
"Small kosher markets in Europe also import meat from Poland and are extremely concerned about their future supply. Poland’s senate recently passed a law that will end its $1.8 billion kosher and halal meat export industry in 2025.
"Poland’s small kosher market will not be affected. Poland has about 20,000 Jews and a similar number of Muslims. The bulk of its many kosher and halal slaughterhouses produce meat for export. "
"Originally intended to go into effect in 2022, Polish farmer and meat producer unions successfully fought to have the law postponed in connection with the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic."
"Israeli importers are aggressively searching for alternative sites for kosher slaughter in such countries as Romania."
October 18, 2020 from the Washington Post
"A federal judge on Sunday formally struck down a Trump administration attempt to end food stamp benefits for nearly 700,000 unemployed people, blocking as 'arbitrary and capricious' the first of three such planned measures to restrict the federal food safety net."
"In a scathing 67-page opinion, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of D.C. condemned the Agriculture Department for failing to justify or even address the impact of the sweeping change on states, saying its shortcomings had been placed in stark relief amid the coronavirus pandemic, during which unemployment has quadrupled and rosters of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have grown by more than 17 percent, with more than 6 million new enrollees."
"The rule at issue in this litigation radically and abruptly alters decades of regulatory practice, leaving States scrambling and exponentially increasing food insecurity for tens of thousands of Americans".
"Howell’s ruling granted summary judgment to a coalition of 19 states, D.C., New York City and private groups that sued to stop the new rule, finalized in December, to eliminate states’ discretion to waive work requirements in distressed economic areas."
"Howell temporarily enjoined the proposal on March 13, the same day President Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency. Congress then waived the requirement for the duration of the emergency as part of economic relief legislation, and the Trump administration suspended its planned April implementation date."
"However, the Agriculture Department appealed the judge’s earlier order, and absent court intervention the rule would have taken full effect at the end of the state of emergency. Spokesmen for the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment."
"Attorneys general from D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New York, California and numerous other states alleged that the change — to slash nearly $5.5 billion from food stamp spending over five years — would require “drastic cuts” for adults without children, ignored local labor market conditions and was based on no evidence."
"Able-bodied adults without dependents, between the ages of 18 and 49, can receive benefits for a maximum of three months during a three-year period, unless they are working or enrolled in an education or training program for 80 hours a month."
"States have been able to waive this time limit to ensure access to food stamps during the ups and downs of reentering the workforce. Before this rule, counties with an unemployment rate as low as 2.5 percent were included in waived areas."
"The new rule would have tightened the criteria for states applying for such waivers, making 6 percent the minimum unemployment rate for a county to receive a waiver."
"Two other proposed rule changes, not yet final, aim to cap deductions for utility allowance and to limit access to SNAP for working poor families."
"A study by the Urban Institute indicated the combined impact of these rules would cut 3.7 million people from SNAP in an average month. Benefits would be reduced for millions more, and 982,000 students would lose automatic access to free or reduced-price school meals."
October 18, 2020 from the Hamodia
"New York’s plastic bag ban, which first went into effect on March 1, and was on pause for seven months due to COVID and a pending lawsuit by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., goes back into effect Monday, following a seven-month pause. In August, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that the law could go into effect on October 19th. DEC agreed in court to provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to commencing enforcement."
"The DEC asserts that New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually, which are generally used for an average of 12 minutes, with approximately 85% of the plastic ending up in landfills, recycling machines, waterways, and on the streets."
August 21, 2020 from the Gothamist
"A lawsuit against New York's statewide plastic bag ban was struck down by the state Supreme Court."
"The ban for single-use plastic bags went into effect on March 1st, but the pandemic delayed enforcement of the environmental measure. At the time, some stores even banned customers from bringing in their own reusable bags. Enforcement began again in mid-June."
"A number of groups, including a plastic manufacturer and the Bodega Association, sued earlier this year, claiming the law was "unconstitutional and inconsistent," in addition to causing them financial harm, especially during the pandemic."
"State Supreme Court Justice Gerald W. Connolly said that state's ban was legal, but did take issue with the state's exemption that allows retailers to offer thicker plastic bags. Environmental advocates had worried that the carve-out, or "loophole," would encourage stores to make bags of 10-mil thickness (one mil is one-thousandth of an inch; 10 mils is one-hundredth of an inch, or about 10 pieces of paper thick). According to Bloomberg Law, 'Connolly... agree[d] that the department went beyond its authority in setting the minimum thickness for acceptable bags at 10 mils, calling the action 'invalid'... California set its minimum thickness at 2.25 mils.'"
"He did write, "It remains, of course, within the province of the Legislature to enact legislation to the extent it seeks to expand the list of 'exempt bags.'""
October, 2020 from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has produced a factsheet which "shows the spectrum of restrictions on ritual slaughter in Europe, and provides information on the impact that such regulations have on religious freedom in select countries. Pursuant to international human rights law, religious freedom extends to the observance and practice of religion or beliefs, including dietary regulations. European Union laws and regulations require stunning before slaughter to protect this right, but countries are authorized to make their own regulations concerning “slaughtering in accordance with religious rituals.” While a majority of European countries either have no restrictions on ritual slaughter or offer exemptions to religious groups whose dietary laws mandate that animals are uninjured (unstunned) prior to killing, nearly a third of European countries limit the practice, causing individuals to abandon deeply held religious practices and imply a message of exclusion to all those who seek to follow their religion’s dietary laws."
A link to the factsheet is here
October 14 2020 from the JTA
" Poland’s senate passed a law that will end its $1.8 billion kosher and halal meat export industry in 2025. Religious communities will still be able to slaughter meat without prior stunning, as is required by Jewish and Muslim law, as long as the meat is not for export."
"A vote Wednesday approved the law that was introduced last month in the government’s lower house and was originally intended to go into effect in 2022."
"Poland has about 20,000 Jews and a similar number of Muslims. The bulk of its many kosher and halal slaughterhouses produce meat for export. Critics say that killing animals without stunning them is cruel; proponents of the practice say it is relatively painless."
"Polish farmer and meat producer unions successfully fought to have the law postponed in connection with the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic."
"Poland is a major provider of kosher meat to the rest of Europe and beyond."
October 7, 2020 from the In Fleum
"When the European Union condemned Poland’s authorities for demonizing gays and lesbians, the nation’s governing coalition defiantly stood collectively. When state media was accused of spreading hate speech that fueled violence, the governing events dismissed issues. And when protests erupted towards efforts to regulate the judicial system, they pressed forward regardless."
"Then got here the minks."
"Proposed laws that will ban the farming of minks, semiaquatic mammals prized for his or her fur, and put in place a spread of protections for different animals, opened deep divisions within the coalition that just about introduced down the federal government."
"It took the intervention of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the top of the dominant Legislation and Justice Get together, to quell the rebellion for now by taking up a proper position that allowed him to behave as a buffer between opposing factions."
"The invoice, which gained momentum after a documentary aired on Polish tv displaying minks residing in deplorable circumstances on one farm, has widespread public assist and the leaders of the nation’s foremost opposition social gathering assist the laws."
"However in championing animal rights, Mr. Kaczynski sees a chance."
"The problem additionally appears private for Mr. Kaczynski, who has lengthy been recognized for his affection for animals. When his beloved cat, Alik, died, it was nationwide information. The 71-year-old, who shuns practically all requests for interviews exterior of supportive media shops, even went on TikTok to put up a video promoting the #StopFurChallenge."
"Mr. Ziobro’s opposition to the ban on mink farming displays the trade’s deep roots in Poland. The nation is house to the most important mink farms left in Europe and the third largest on the planet. The invoice, which continues to be being debated, requires the fur farms to be closed in a yr."
"The legislation would additionally finish using wild animals in circuses, prohibit the tethering of canine on chains — a typical follow within the countryside — and prohibit the ritual slaughter of animals for meat."
"The invoice can also be opposed by the meat trade, which says its export enterprise to markets with halal and kosher necessities could be badly hit."
"Jacek Zarzycki, president of the Polish Affiliation of Beef Cattle Breeders and Producers, stated that if the invoice had been handed, his members may lose 30 % of their earnings."
October 1, 2020 from the FDA
Ashtel Studios has announced a voluntary recall of all lots of licensed hand sanitizer packaged in .84 oz containers resembling food and drink pouches labeled with various children’s characters listed in the table below to the consumer level. The products are being recalled because they are packaged in containers resembling food and drink pouch. The recall does not affect any other Hand Sanitizer products from Ashtel Studios.
|
Product |
Size |
NDC |
|---|---|---|
| PAW Patrol Hand Sanitizer | 0.84 FL. OZ (25 mL) | 70108-042-01 |
| JoJo Siwa Hand Sanitizer | 0.84 FL. OZ (25 mL) | 70108-044-01 |
| Hot Wheels Hand Sanitizer | 0.84 FL. OZ (25 mL) | 70108-045-01 |
| Barbie Hand Sanitizer | 0.84 FL. OZ (25 mL) | 70108-046-01 |
| Trolls Hand Sanitizer | 0.84 FL. OZ (25 mL) | 70108-047-01 |
| Minions Hand Sanitizer | 0.84 FL. OZ (25 mL) | 70108-043-01 |
The product is intended to be applied topically to help reduce bacteria on the skin that could cause diseases when soap and water are not available and is packaged in 0.84 oz pouches. The product can be identified by examples of the products pictured below. Product was distributed to selected retailers in the United States and Canada.
Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Ashtel Studios, 866-Ashtel-1, 909-434-0911 (international) from 9:00 am-5:00 pm PST
Company Contact Information: Consumers: Ashtel Studios, 866-Ashtel-1, 909-434-0911 (international)
Ed. note: Additional information will be added as it becomes available.
This list is non-complete. Contact the restaurant to confirm.