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, 2021 from The JTA:
"More than three years after a similar push was denied, kosher and halal food has been made available regularly at the headquarters of the British parliament, where about 11,000 people work, hundreds of them Jewish or Muslim.
"The launch on Tuesday follows a push that two Labour lawmakers — Charlotte Nichols, who is Jewish, and Zarah Sultana, who is Muslim — began in 2019, the Jewish News of London reported.
"The move was approved in 2020 but implementation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down parts of the British parliament in London, according to the Jewish News.
"The kosher meal provider is 1070 Kitchen, a catering service based in London under the supervision of that city’s rabbinical court. Its name refers to the year in which the first written record of Jewish settlement in England was authored."
October 12, 2021 - from Courthouse News
"An appeals panel said the availability of kosher snacks and dairy products from a commissary is insufficient to satisfy federal standards for Jewish inmates that require specific meals on the Sabbath and other holidays.
"The Michigan Department of Corrections cannot use a one-size-fits-all vegan meal option for inmates with religious dietary needs and instead must provide Jewish inmates with kosher meals and specific dairy products, the Sixth Circuit ruled Tuesday.
"The decision upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the prisoners, who filed a class action in 2013 and prevailed on their claims that snacks provided by a prison commissary did not meet Jewish dietary requirements.
"The MDOC initially contested the sincerity of the beliefs held by lead plaintiffs Gerald Ackerman and Mark Shaykin, but after a bench trial a federal judge granted them relief and ordered the prison system to provide kosher meals and cheesecake on the holiday of Shavuot.
"The MDOC appealed to the Sixth Circuit and the case was argued before a three-judge panel in April.
"Tuesday's decision was unanimous, and held the MDOC must accommodate the sincerely held beliefs of Jewish inmates under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA."
October 12, 2021 - from Globes
"Although open seven-days a week worldwide, Franchisee Electra Consumer Products says the store will only operate six-days a week in Israel, remaining closed on Shabbat.
"Electra Consumer Products (TASE: ECP) has signed a 20-year franchise agreement with the US-based international convenience store chain 7-Eleven to operate the brand in Israel, with an option to extend the agreement for a further 50 years.
"Electra Consumer Products plans to invest NIS 60 milion in opening stores throughout Israel, according to the memorandum of understanding that both sides signed in November 2020.
"Electra Consumer Products plans to open 300-400 7-eleven convenience stores around Israel with the first store scheduled to open in Tel Aviv next year.
"Electra Consumer Products already owns control of the Yeinot Bitan supermarket chain. Electra Consumer Products CEO Zvika Shwimmer told "Globes," "We have 140 branches of Bitan and Mega in the cities and we are now entering another sector - convenience stores which will be located in gas stations and city centers. We will be in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beersheva and towns in the Arab sector, in neighborhoods in busy commercial areas, in hospitals, in universities, and more. We will be a strong player in malls. We have received thousands of enquiries from franchisees and grocery store owners who want to convert their stores. One advantage is that we will have a joint loyalty club for Yeinot Bitan and 7-Eleven.
"Although the stores are open seven days a week worldwide, Electra Consumer Products says the stores will remain closed on Shabbat (Friday night-Saturday) leaving the field open for rivals like AM:PM, and Yellow.
"Electra Consumer Products will also import 7-Select, the chain's private label products, with an emphasis on coffee products."
October 4, 2021 - from FDA
FDA has tested certain artnaturals scent free hand sanitizer labeled with “DIST. by artnaturals Gardena, CA 90248” and found unacceptable levels of benzene, acetaldehyde, and acetal contaminants. The agency urges consumers not to use this contaminated product and has added artnaturals hand sanitizer products to the list of hand sanitizers consumers should not use.
To date, artnaturals has not responded to multiple FDA attempts to discuss the contaminated hand sanitizers, including identification of the manufacturer, possible recalls, and the scope of the contamination. Therefore, as of October 4, FDA is urging consumers not to use any artnaturals hand sanitizers.
Benzene may cause certain types of cancer in humans. Animal studies show acetaldehyde may cause cancer in humans and may cause serious illness or death. Acetal can irritate the upper respiratory tract, eyes, and skin. While the exact risk from using hand sanitizer containing benzene, acetaldehyde, or acetal is unknown, FDA recommends consumers do not use products contaminated with unacceptable levels of benzene, acetaldehyde, or acetal.
Consumers who have products on this list of hand sanitizers should immediately stop using the product and dispose of it, ideally in a hazardous waste container. Do not pour these products down the drain or flush them. Contact your local waste management and recycling center for more information on hazardous waste disposal.
October 3, 2021: from the Algemeiner:
"Jewish organizations opposed to Belgium’s recently reaffirmed ban on religious slaughtering have been joined by two of the country’s major Muslim organizations."
"Belgium’s Constitutional Court last Thursday upheld the country’s ban on all slaughter of animals that are not stunned beforehand. Both Jewish and Muslim religious dietary laws do not allow for stunning the animal, meaning the ban effectively makes both kosher and haram slaughter illegal."
"The Brussels Times reported Sunday that the Executive Council of the Muslims of Belgium (EMB) and the Coordinating Council of the Islamic Institutions of Belgium are considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the issue."
"The organizations stated that 'the current religious slaughter techniques constitute a fully-fledged alternative to stunning and are perfectly compatible with the requirements of public health, food safety, and animal welfare.'"
"They asserted that the ban is intended to assuage the sensitivities of consumers, and has no real-world benefits."
Following the court’s ruling, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), said that while his group was 'disappointed with today’s judgement, we are certainly not surprised as it upholds the status quo in Belgium.'"
"The ruling, he said, 'brings Belgium into line with those few other countries whose bans on shechita date from the Nazi era.'"
"World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald Lauder said that the decision was 'a continued maneuver to discriminate against Belgium’s Jewish and Muslim citizens.'”
"'By prohibiting religious slaughter without stunning, the Belgium Constitutional Court has placed a potentially terminal obstacle to continued Jewish communal life in Europe,' he asserted."
From October 1, 2020 but still relevant: from The JTA:
" Sukkot, the harvest festival that Jews celebrate each fall, would seem to be designed for the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, it’s typically observed outdoors in temporary structures, allowing for more of the fresh air that is considered one of the easiest ways to reduce transmission of the coronavirus."
"That’s making the large public sukkahs erected in parks, synagogues and streets in many observant communities especially exciting this year. After months of holiday celebrations that have been hampered by pandemic restrictions, Sukkot offered the prospect of a reprieve."
"But public health experts say it’s important not to be lulled into a false sense of safety during Sukkot just because you’re not inside."
"'While technically outdoors, sukkahs are enclosed much more than a typical outdoor setting,' Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt wrote recently in a message to his community published by 5 Towns Central addressing questions about the High Holidays. Glatt is the chief of infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau on Long Island, as well as an assistant rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere, a large Orthodox synagogue in Long Island’s Nassau County."
"When considering socializing in a sukkah, doctors say the same precautions that apply to other social gatherings should be applied: wearing a mask and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance — a challenge in the structures that often are not that much wider across than that."
"'The general rules for mixing [families] at meals apply just as well to a sukkah,” Glatt wrote about sharing meals in a sukkah. “I would be concerned with mixing unless there was adequate separation (at least 6 feet if not more) between family units.'"
September 13, 2021: from The DailyMail:
"Halal and kosher meat will have to be labelled in a victory for animal welfare campaigners."
"As part of the proposed law, all meat will have to be marked with how the animal was killed."
"Animals slaughtered to be compliant with kosher and halal rules are often killed without being stunned first and have their throats slit."
"At the moment, it is not compulsory to label meat as halal, so campaigners have argued that those who eat the products and care about animal welfare should be able to make the choice to buy meat killed in a more humane way."
"The Bill is currently in the early stages and is the subject of a public consultation. But ministers have privately said they aim to bring in the law – and that it is supported by the majority of the British public."
"The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF), which the Prime Minister's wife Carrie Johnson has long been a patron of, has been calling for this policy change for years."
"Under new laws, there will also be stricter animal welfare labelling requirements – with how the animal was reared and cared for prominently displayed on the packaging."
"This is part of a raft of legislation under the Animal Welfare Bill including plans to ban boiling lobsters alive and outlawing the sale and import of 'cruel' animal products such as fur and foie gras."
"Halal meat is worth around £2.6billion a year in the UK, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
"It accounts for around 20 per cent of all lamb and mutton sold, despite Muslims only comprising around 5 per cent of the population."
"This is because 'halal consumers eat more meat per capita than the general population', says the AHDB."
"About 42 per cent of all halal meat is not stunned before slaughter, according to the Food Standards Agency."
"Slaughter of kosher livestock – the method is known as shechita – is a small percentage of all animals killed accounting for only 0.5 per cent of all cattle, 0.1 per cent of sheep, 0.3 per cent of chickens."
Another article from a Jewish point of view is Government’s misguided agenda on kosher meat labelling leaves a bad taste from the Times of Israel on September 24, 2021.
August 18, 2021 - from CPSC.
Gas One propane adapter hoses have been recalled because the hose can swell during use causing gas to leak, posing a fire hazard.
This recall involves Gas One 50140 propane adapter hoses which are designed to be used with propane gas tanks. The hoses include the following model numbers: 50140-08, 50140-012, 50140-05GA, 50140. The recalled propane adapter hoses are part of manufacturer batch numbers Pearl River 3Q20 and Pearl River 4Q20 which i s stamped on the hose.
Consumers should immediately stop using the adapter hose and contact Gas One to obtain a free replacement hose.
Sold At: Online at www.amazon.com, www.ebay.com, www.gasone.com www.homedepot.com and www.walmart.com from December 2020 through February 2021, for between $9 and $18.
Consumer Contact: Gas One at 800-698-5070 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at info@pricezoneusa.com or online at www.gasone.com and hover over “Read” at the top of page and then click on “News” or at www.gasone.com/pages/contact for more information.
September 17, 2021 from cRc:
Until 2017, the cRc recommended certain readily available fencing material (commonly sold in Home Depot) to be used for schach and provided detailed instructions on how to place them on the sukkah. However, based on feedback from consumers on the sturdiness of those materials and how they were being used, we stopped issuing those recommendations [and also stopped researching these types of products] because we determined that there is a reasonable chance that some people will end up not having kosher schach for their sukkah.
We suggest that consumers use traditional schach material such as bamboo poles, tree branches, or mats specifically certified for sukkah use.
For the TSA notice click here.
For the CBP notice click here.
To download a copy of the handout click here.
"As in past years, Agudath Israel of America’s Washington Office has worked closely with agencies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help avoid potential problems for travelers carrying arba minim."
"Both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have notified their respective field personnel about the upcoming Sukkos holiday and the increased level of travel by persons of the Jewish faith, many of whom will be carrying arba minim. The agencies have also made this information available to the public – the TSA notice here and the CBP notice here.
"The notifications, which have been sent out to federal officials at airports and border crossings, emphasize the religious significance of these items and outline the rules and procedures that would help allay possible security and health issues that are of concern to the federal government. Prior to these agency steps, lack of familiarity regarding Sukkos and the arba minim had led to numerous incidents each year of inadvertent mishandling and mistreatment — including denial of entry — of these ritual objects."
"The TSA Notice makes clear that the arba minim carried in airports, through security checkpoints or on aircraft, are not on the “prohibited items list” and provides instructions for travelers needing “special accommodations” in regard to checkpoint screening. The CBP Guidance sets forth detailed information regarding the inspection process for personal sets of arba minim brought into the United States from foreign countries at select ports of entry and points out that the agency is 'committed to treating all travelers, including travelers who may be observing Sukkot, with respect and dignity at all U.S. ports of entry.' "
"We are gratified by the ongoing sensitivity of these agencies to the religious concerns of our community,' said Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudath Israel’s Vice President for Government Affairs and Washington Director. 'They are taking meaningful and appropriate steps to accommodate our religious needs.'"
"He also thanked his colleague Rabbi Ariel Sadwin for serving as the main Agudah point of contact with those federal agencies related to the annual guidance."
"Agudath Israel of America once again produced a one-page handout that travelers can print out – or save to their phones – to familiarize themselves with the rules before traveling."
"Please note that Covid-19 and Delta and other variants may impact your travel plans. Please familiarize yourself with the health precautions your destination requires before arranging any sort of travel."
Information for these travling from Canada to the United States or into Canada for Sukkot is here.
August 23, 2018 from the Yeshiva World:
The Israeli "Ministry of Agriculture reminds travelers that one may not bring arba minim into the country for Sukkos."
"As in past years, agents assigned to border control will offer a person bringing arba minim with a personal (non-commercial) product made in Israel, including hadassim, aravos, and of course, a lulav. It should be noted that the passengers are permitted to bring one esrog per passenger."
"The Ministry of Agriculture makes it clear that those interested in bringing the arba minim to Israel in advance should contact the Plant Protection & Inspection Services of the Ministry of Agriculture."
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