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.
February 6, 2022: from the YeshivaWorld:
"Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana told kashrus supervisors in private conversations that he will be closing down the Rabbanut’s kashrus fraud department as part of his reforms, Yisrael Hayom reported.
"Kahana claims that the new body that will be established in its place will have broader authoritative powers but at this point, it is unclear who will be responsible for the new department.
"Sources in the Rabbanut and kashrus organizations fear that minimizing the Rabbanut’s power to enforce fraud violations will dramatically increase incidents of fraud, saying that any governmental organization will be subject to political and financial pressures.
"The Koshrot organization, which is leading the fight against Kahana’s reforms, stated: 'Replacing a professional appointment with a political appointment is exactly what we’ve warned of all along. We warned that competition in kashrus will raise prices and lower reliability. A reality in which there is no professional body in Israel responsible for kashrus fraud is a reward for kashrus violators.'"
February 6, 2022: from the Algemeiner:
"Israel’s justice minister approved regulations late on Saturday to sanction companies such as Ben & Jerry’s and its parent Unilever over their decision to boycott Israel by preventing them from taking part in state tenders and limiting other benefits.
"The move comes after Avi Zinger, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s Israel, urged the Israeli government last week to apply a 2011 anti-boycott law against Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, over the ice cream maker’s July decision to cease selling its products in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank.
"Zinger lamented that while many US states have in recent months applied their laws against the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign, and as a result have divested or ceased to invest funds in Unilever, in Israel 'not a single step has been taken to tackle a corporate giant that has decided to initiate a boycott of the State of Israel.'"
"The regulations, which still await approval by the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, will apply to companies that have called for boycotting Israel, or anyone participating in such a boycott. They were drafted by Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman before being presented to Sa’ar.
"Following the approval and passage of the legislation, Lieberman seeks to examine recent actions by Amnesty International and use the mechanisms proposed in the regulations in order to impose on the organization the restrictions set forth in the law.
"NGO Monitor remarked that Amnesty’s intention is to 'use sanctions, boycotts, arrests of Israeli officials to attack Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.'"
February 7, 2022 - from CoLive:
"he Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games invited Chabad Shliach Rabbi Shimon Freundlich to organize kosher food and supervision for the Jewish athletes, coaches, and journalists who are participating in the Olympics.
"The food is being prepared by the Beijing Xinhua Airport Catering Company under the direction of Executive Chef Zhang Chunjie at a commercial kitchen certified kosher near the Beijing Capital International Airport.
"Some 1500 meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner were prepared in compliance with and adherence to the highest Kosher standards as well as local and international requirements for food safety. Meals include the finest salmon to imported Glatt Kosher South American beef.
"One of the people already seen enjoying the kosher meals is Hailey Kops, a Modern Orthodox Jewish athlete from West Orange, New Jersey, who is competing for Israel at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
"Chabad of Beijing is also coordinating other Jewish services for those who request them."
February 1, 2022 - from Hamodia:
"The giant Osem food company gave in to pressure not to raise prices as planned for February 1, but to wait until after Pesach, when it said it would review the matter.
"The announcement followed a meeting of its senior executives with Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, in which they presented the reasons for the planned price increases, including higher costs of raw materials and shipping.
"The finance minister had been threatening action against major food producers and importers that were poised to raise prices at a time when Israeli consumers are still struggling with the financial effects of the pandemic, and as the price of gas and electricity go up.
"Liberman said the pricing moves 'raise concerns of the use of excess market power to rake in excess profits.'"
February 1, 2022 - from Arutz 7:
"As of Monday evening, more than 21,000 people have shared a post from the Facebook page of the Israeli TV program “Hazinor”, which calls for a boycott of pasta made by Israeli manufacturer Osem due to the high price difference between their pastas and pastas made by competing brands.
"The initiative by Guy Lerer, who hosts the show which airs on Channel 13, began after an announcement that Osem is expected to raise the prices of a variety of products, along with the fact that many company products are already sold at a higher price than the products of competitors.
"longside the text, the post showed a picture comparing pasta made by Osem, which sells for 5.90 shekels, to competing pastas from two other companies that sell for 2.50 shekels. The price of Osem pasta after Tuesday’s scheduled increase will stand at 6.90 shekels.
January 28, 2022 - from Jewish Press:
"As part of the government’s overall crackdown on crime in Israel’s Arab sector, two butcher shops in the cities of Nazareth and Kfar Qassem wer'black' slaughter.
"This was done as part of a joint operation conducted by the Central Unit for Enforcement and Investigations in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development together with forces of the Israel Police and the Tax Authority called Operation 'Safe Track.'
"'Black' meat or 'Black' slaughter refers to meats that are slaughtered and processed without the approval of regulatory agencies and not in keeping with health and safety standards. The animals are also not cared for in accordance with laws that protect them against cruelty.
"The meat itself is usually unfit for human consumption.
"In Nazareth, about 300 kg (1,000 pounds) of beef brought from the Palestinian Authority was uncovered, along with 160 kg of mutton with an unknown origin. Another half ton of beef and unsupervised mutton was found at a meat shop in Kafr Qassem.
"All of the meat was sent for destruction, and an investigation was opened against the butchers’ owners. The phenomenon of black slaughter, slaughter that is done illegally, has become a real health hazard in recent years.
"These kinds of crimes are not new. Over the years, raids of markets throughout Israel have uncovered meat being sold that was smuggled into Israel from areas of the PA and even from animals such as donkeys and sold as beef."
January 30, 2022 - from Hamodia:
"The Israeli finance and economy ministers have written to major food producers and importers imploring them to cancel plans for price increases, according to media reports on Sunday.
"Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman and Economy Minister Orna Barbivay wrote that this is not the time to seek more profits.
"'The crisis has yet to end, and neither citizens nor businesses have entirely recovered – some are still being negatively impacted by the current Omicron wave of the virus. The Israeli government is doing everything it can to help them survive this wave, but we need the cooperation of the other players in the game too.'
"The ministers also noted that until 2021, the shekel strengthened significantly against foreign currencies while inflation remained low, meaning that imported food items were cheaper for the companies to purchase, savings that were not passed on to consumers in Israel, where prices were and remain the highest in the world.
"Liberman indicated that there might be a price to pay if the companies go ahead with their plans.
"In recent weeks a number of food companies have announced higher price hikes, including Osem, and the importer Diplomat, which merchandises Starkist tuna, Pringles, and Heinz ketchup, among others.
"The consumer price index rose by 0.3 percent in December, notably for clothing and footwear (1.1 percent), housing (0.8 percent), furniture and household goods (0.7 percent), and food (0.5 percent). Fresh fruit and vegetables, by contrast, saw their prices drop (2.7 percent), and cultural events became 0.8 percent cheaper."
January 25, 2022 from The 5 Towns Central:
"Visitors to Florida are urged to be hypervigilant when ordering food from Uber Eats, after it was discovered that a number of restaurants listed in the app’s “kosher” section are not under a hashgacha.
"For instance, Motek Cafe is listed a kosher restaurant in the Uber Eats app. However, closer inspection reveals that the company isn’t certified as kosher.
"At the bottom of the eatery’s description there is a kashrus disclaimer.
"'We source only the highest quality grade “A” 100% Glatt kosher eat in all our dishes including chicken, beef, and lamb,” the disclaimer reads. “However, please note we are NOT a ‘certified’ kosher restaurant for various reasons, some of them being: we also serve dairy items on our premises; we do not have a separate kitchen, prep area, or utensils for dairy; we are open on the Sabbath and on most Jewish holidays.'"
"If you are traveling to Florida, or know of someone traveling to Florida, be aware of this issue so as not to be nichshol.
January 25, 2022 from The 5 Towns Central:
"Askonim in Florida are urging visitors to pay close attention when ordering food through the Uber Eats app, as multiple eateries listed in their 'Kosher' section are in fact Treif.
"'Most of the locals are already aware of this, but thousands of visitors coming from abroad are unaware,' said Reb Zalmy Cohen, an Askan in Florida.
"Reb Zalmy says he was actually recently invited to join out of town friends, and was shocked to find out they had ordered from a Treif restaurant.
"With mid-winter break drawing thousands to the Sunshine State, readers are encouraged to share this message with family and friends and prevent a potential Michshal."
Ed. notes:
This is true elsewhere as well.
Link to article by the Rabbi Goldberg of the Star-K: Delivery and Ride Apps – Halachically App-roved? is here.
January 24, 2021 from The Washington Post:
"It probably isn’t much consolation for Americans struggling with the highest inflation in 40 years, but they are not alone.
"In the European Union, prices are rising faster than at any time since the euro currency was introduced. The annual inflation rate in the United Kingdom hit 5.4 percent in December, the highest figure there in nearly 30 years. Canada’s consumer prices are rising twice as fast as before the pandemic.
"Even in Japan, where prices have been depressed almost continuously since the collapse of the late 1980s real estate bubble, the central bank in recent days revised upward its assessment of inflation risks for the first time in eight years. Among major economies, only China has a lower inflation rate today than in early 2020.
"Around the world, soaring prices are emerging as a feature of the pandemic-era recovery, prompting some central banks to pivot to inflation fighting.
"As factories around the world revive at different speeds, a mismatch between the goods that are being produced and those that customers want to buy is helping drive prices higher. Longer-term trends, such as increased protectionism, rising Chinese wages and the adjustment to a low-carbon economy, will put upward pressure on prices in the years ahead, according to research by the BlackRock Investment Institute.
"Snarled global supply chains, afflicting ports in Rotterdam and Shanghai as well as in Los Angeles, are driving up costs around the world. Increasing commodities costs, including food and energy, are doing likewise.
"Over the past year, global oil prices are up more than 55 percent. Nickel, used in automotive and aerospace plants, is up 27 percent. And coffee has almost doubled in price.
"Those bills are hitting customers everywhere, including in the United States. Over the past year, prices of imports — especially food, fuel and industrial parts — have risen by more than 10 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the largest one-year increase since 2007.
"In response, major U.S. companies are hiking retail prices. Procter & Gamble, maker of Tide laundry detergent and Bounty paper towels, told investors last week that higher commodity costs represented a $2.3 billion annual head wind while freight costs were up $300 million. The company said it had raised prices in all 10 of its product categories, boosting profits.
January 24, 2021 from The National Restaurant Association:
"Everything, from proteins to dish soap to fryer oil, packaging materials, and in some cases, even replacement parts for kitchen equipment, are in short supply. And, when a restaurateur can get his or her hands on those items, they can’t seem to get enough of them and are paying much higher prices for what they can get.
"in addition to shortages, restaurateurs say they are paying higher prices for different food items, but Founding Farmers’ Simons says he thinks prices will start to come down by 2Q of 2022."
January 23, 2022 from The TimesOfIsrael:
"Now free to switch overseeing agencies, food establishment owners say they’ll do so only if it’s good for business — and it often isn’t
"Until now, the chief rabbinate and local religious councils have been the only bodies that can issue kosher certificates, which costs businesses about $2.18-2.49 million a year.
"Now, however, with the first stage of the kashrut reform led by Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana taking effect, any restaurant, food store and factory can choose from among all religious councils nationwide to provide them with kashrut supervision, rather than only being able to use their local council.
"The reform will eventually enable private organizations to provide supervision services — with oversight by the rabbinate — starting in 2023.
"This is the long-awaited privatization of the kosher certification industry, a path paved by the religious Tzohar organization, which launched its own kosher certification agency in 2018. They took over from a grassroots group that first entered the industry years before, aiming to break the rabbinate’s hold.
"Tzohar can use the term ‘announcement,’ or ‘halachic,’ (which means according to Jewish law) in its certificates, but not the word ‘kosher.’ For the time being, that word belongs to the chief rabbinate alone.
"The organization will be able to use the word ‘kosher’ in their certificates in a year’s time, as part of the reforms."
January 10, 2022 from Nutrition Insight:
"The ban on titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a food additive has come into force across the EU this month, after it was deemed as “not safe” by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
"rance banned the use of the additive in 2020, leading companies such as Lonza to launch Vcaps Plus White Opal, its first commercially-available titanium dioxide-free semi-opaque capsule for food supplements. The move followed several lobby groups urging the European Commission to prohibit TiO2.
"The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety last year called for a uniform approach to screening nanomaterials like TiO2. The methodology proposed specific adaptations related to regulatory definitions, particle size measurements, dissolution properties and hazard identification.
"Also known as E171, TiO2 is used as a color in the nutrition industry, including as an opacifier in capsules. It is used in soups, sauces, sandwich spreads and processed nut products, among others, EUFIC notes. It is also used in candy, chewing gum, cake icing and white sauces. In cosmetic and skincare products, titanium dioxide is also used as a pigment, thickener and as a sunscreen ingredient.
"The ban came as a result of an EFSA review of the item. The body is responsible for the periodic re-evaluation of food additives that have been approved for use in the past.
"The review body noted it also did not have sufficient data to calculate a safe daily intake level of TiO2 and moved to its ban."
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