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.
November 20, 2020 - from FiveThirtyEight:
"We all thought we knew what kinds of places to avoid: the ballparks, the Sunday services, the packed train cars. If we didn’t want to catch COVID-19, we should stay away from crowds. That was the mantra. So we skipped the summer street parties and we did virtual church. We had a nice little evening at home, ordering takeout and maybe inviting our closest friends and family over."
"But now, with COVID-19 rates on the rise basically everywhere in the U.S., those small gatherings are being blamed for spreading the virus, and experts say they don’t want us to have Thanksgiving celebrations with people outside our household bubbles. But experts are always telling us not to do the fun stuff that nourishes our souls — like eating huge meals or festively increasing our drinking — while the darkness of winter encroaches from every side. Having 10 people around a Thanksgiving table can’t be that much of a risk to society, right? Surely you can’t have a superspreader event without, at least, enough people to field a football team?"
"That’s because no matter how much we try to pretend otherwise, COVID-19 is a disease you get from being around other people. Technically, the size of the group doesn’t matter, said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. What matters is the likelihood that one of those people comes to the table infected."
"That’s because no matter how much we try to pretend otherwise, COVID-19 is a disease you get from being around other people. Technically, the size of the group doesn’t matter, said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. What matters is the likelihood that one of those people comes to the table infected."
"Risks are multiplied by dozens of dinner parties across town, and then grow over time as those dinner party attendees interact with other people in stores, waiting rooms and other small gatherings in the following weeks. This is how you get exponential growth, and it’s why experts are warning you against gathering a few loved ones at home now, even though throughout the summer all you heard about was the dangers of parties and rallies and protests and festivals, attended by dozens or hundreds or thousands of people instead of just the handful who might come to your dinner table. When there were fewer cases, it took a big gathering to make it likely that someone there was infected. But the water rose and now it’s threatening to drown us."
"t might seem unfair to ask people not to see relatives and friends they’ve missed, not to let a college student travel home for Thanksgiving dinner, not to enjoy this small pleasure. It might seem inconsistent to have focused on the dangers of large gatherings all year and begin warning about small gatherings just as they feel the most valuable. But this is a new phase of the pandemic. There’s more virus, in more places, and avoiding it has become harder. Even knowing where you caught it is harder. 'The prevalence is so high in the community right now,' Shah said. 'You have to see and treat everybody as infected.'"
December 8, 2020 - from the editor:
Be Aware of Jewish sounding foods and restaurants that are not kosher. This alert is to remind people that as the holiday of Chanuka comes up, many non-kosher places produce "Jewish-sounding" food.
This alert is prompted by a new bar in Somerville, MA that calls itself the Maccabee Bar. When asked they said that none of our products are certified kosher. They have an item called the "Kosher Nostra".
December 8, 2020 - from the Food Ingredients 1st:
"Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Aleph Farms, an Israeli start-up growing real meat directly from cow cells under controlled conditions, to taste cultivated steak first-hand. Netanyahu has also directed for a body to be set up to serve the burgeoning cultivated meat industry, and make the country a 'powerhouse for alternative meat and alternative protein.'"
"Netanyahu’s visit, which included an overview of the production process and the company’s sustainability strategy, is part of a national policy plan to establish Israel as an alternative protein leader. Netanyahu is the first head of state to taste meat cultivated outside of a cow."
"The visit also included a presentation by Goldstein and Aleph Farms’ co-founder and CEO Didier Toubia, who shared the organization’s National Policy Plan – a detailed roadmap “for making Israel a global protein leader."
"ike many other countries, Israel faces food security challenges, having 85 percent of the locally consumed beef imported and not locally produced. "
"Aleph Farms, SuperMeat, MeatTech and Future Meat Technologies are some of the world’s leading cultivated meat companies, and all are headquartered in Israel. "
December 4, 2020 - from the The Guardian:
"Cultured meat, produced in bioreactors without the slaughter of an animal, has been approved for sale by a regulatory authority for the first time. The development has been hailed as a landmark moment across the meat industry."
"The 'chicken bites', produced by the US company Eat Just, have passed a safety review by the Singapore Food Agency and the approval could open the door to a future when all meat is produced without the killing of livestock, the company said."
"The cells for Eat Just’s product are grown in a 1,200-litre bioreactor and then combined with plant-based ingredients. Initial availability would be limited, the company said, and the bites would be sold in a restaurant in Singapore. The product would be significantly more expensive than conventional chicken until production was scaled up, but Eat Just said it would ultimately be cheaper."
"The cells used to start the process came from a cell bank and did not require the slaughter of a chicken because cells can be taken from biopsies of live animals. The nutrients supplied to the growing cells were all from plants."
"The growth medium for the Singapore production line includes foetal bovine serum, which is extracted from foetal blood, but this is largely removed before consumption. A plant-based serum would be used in the next production line, the company said, but was not available when the Singapore approval process began two years ago."
"The companies developing lab-grown meat believe this is the product most likely to wean committed meat-eaters off traditional sources. Vegan diets are viewed as unappealing by some, and plant-based meat replacements are not always regarded as replicating the texture and flavour of conventional meat. Meat cultivated in bioreactors also avoids the issues of bacterial contamination from animal waste and the overuse of antibiotics and hormones in animals."
"The small scale of current cultured meat production requires a relatively high use of energy and therefore carbon emissions. But once scaled up its manufacturers say it will produce much lower emissions and use far less water and land than conventional meat."
November 25, 2020 - from CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians:
Baby Spoons and Forks, Feeding Spoons and Placemat Feeding sets 4PCs have been recalled because the Eco Baby Spoon and Fork and Eco Feeding Spoon can break into small pieces, posing a choking hazard.
Consumer Contact: Contact Herobility toll-free at 866-510-5006 from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.herobility.com and click on the recall link on the homepage or go directly to https://herobility.com/en/recalls.
November 24, 2020 - from CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians:
Crock-Pot® 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cookers have been recalled because the recalled Crock-Pot multi-cooker can pressurize when the lid is not fully locked. This can cause the lid to suddenly detach while the product is in use, posing burn risks to consumers from hot food and liquids ejected from the product.
This recall involves Crock-Pot 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cookers, Model Number SCCPPC600-V1, which is shown on label on bottom of unit. The multi-cookers were manufactured between July 1, 2017 and October 1, 2018, with date codes K196JN through K365JN and L001JN through L273JN. The date code is engraved on one of the prongs of the electrical plug and on the bottom of the base.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Crock-Pot in pressure cooker mode, but may continue to use for slow cooking and sautéing. Consumers should contact Crock-Pot immediately to obtain a free replacement lid. Consumers who continue using the multi-cooker in pressure cooker mode while waiting for the replacement lid should be certain the lid is securely turned to the fully locked position by aligning the arrow on the lid with the lock symbol on the base.
ncidents/Injuries: Sunbeam Products has received 119 reports of lid detachment, resulting in 99 burn injuries ranging in severity from first-degree to third-degree burns.
Sold At: Walmart, Target and other retail stores nationwide and online at Amazon and other online retailers from July 2017 through November 2020 for between $70 to $100.
Consumer Contact: Crock-Pot at 800-323-9519 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at recall.crockpot.com for more information.
November 10, 2020 from the JTA
"In the midst of a kosher meat price war in Argentina, one of the world’s largest suppliers of kosher meat, a new batch of Israeli rabbis arrived to increase output in the midst of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic."
"The 87 rabbis who arrived last week will help the country double its exports of kosher meat in 2021, according to Argentina’s government. About 24,000 tons were exported last year."
"A similar group of nearly 100 rabbis came from Israel in June."
"Last month, Jewish businessman Roberto Goldfarb, who owns the Diarco market chain, began selling kosher meat locally for far cheaper than traditional prices, comparing the country’s kosher certification industry to a “mafia.” He was supported in a statement by the The Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, a branch of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly."
"But the country’s Orthodox chief rabbis blasted the statement, calling the Conservative groups “self-designated rabbinical institutions” and saying they do not set prices, only provide certification services."
"The cheaper kosher meat sold at Diarco supermarkets — in some cases less than half the traditional price — isn’t supervised by conservative rabbis, but by an Orthodox rabbi affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, Rabbi Yosef Itzjak Feigelstok."
November 10, 2020 from FDA:
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a draft guidance for voluntary sesame labeling to encourage manufacturers to clearly declare sesame in the ingredient list, when it is used as a “flavoring” or “spice” or when the common or usual name (such as tahini) does not specify sesame. This voluntary labeling guidance to industry aims to help consumers who are allergic or sensitive to sesame to avoid these products."
"Sesame has been identified as a food allergen that can cause reactions such as hives, vomiting, wheezing, and anaphylaxis. Sesame is not one of the eight major food allergens required by the 2004 Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) to be included in specific allergen labeling, but in most cases, it does have to appear in the ingredient statement. An exception is when sesame is part of a flavoring or spice. In those cases, it may be declared as simply “spice” or “flavor” on the label without requiring “sesame” to be included, so its presence may not be obvious to consumers. The FDA is recommending that manufacturers voluntarily declare sesame following the spice or flavor, such as, “spice (sesame)” or “flavor (sesame).” FDA is also recommending if a term is used for a food that is or contains sesame, such as tahini, sesame should be voluntarily included in parentheses following the ingredient."
"On October 30, 2018, FDA issued a notice requesting data and information on the prevalence and severity of sesame allergies in the United States and the prevalence of sesame-containing food in the United States that are not required to disclose sesame as an ingredient. Data and information received in response to the notice indicated that the reported prevalence of sesame allergies in the U.S. population appears to have increased, that sesame causes a relatively high frequency of severe allergic adverse events, and that allergic reactions to sesame may occur from products with undeclared sesame ingredients."
"The FDA does not have the authority to amend the eight major food allergens established by FALCPA; however, it has the authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require labeling for other food allergens not covered by the requirements in FALCPA. The FDA continues to assess allergens of public health importance, including potential science-based options to empower consumers with information about these allergens."
Voluntary Disclosure of Sesame as an Allergen: Guidance for Industry
November 9, 2020 from sfa feed:
"New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a single-use bag ban into law. The ban phases out both plastic and paper disposable bags and polystyrene foodservice items, and allows for plastic straws only upon request. The ban will take effect in May 2022."
"'Plastic bags are one of the most problematic forms of garbage, leading to millions of discarded bags that stream annually into our landfills, rivers, and oceans,' said Governor Murphy, in a statement. 'With today’s historic bill signing, we are addressing the problem of plastic pollution head-on with solutions that will help mitigate climate change and strengthen our environment for future generations.'"
November 9, 2020 from Jewish Press:
"The luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manama, Bahrain will become the first hotel in the Gulf kingdom to offer kosher certified food through the help of Orthodox Union (OU) Kosher."The "changeover will happen in November."
"Following the signing of the Abraham Accords, there has been a surge in interest from Jewish business and leisure travelers from Israel, North America and Europe in visiting Bahrain."
"The hotel and their new kosher kitchen which will be overseen by OU Kosher certifiers. Additionally, OU Kosher is helping the hotel identify a kosher culinary team member who will serve as a mashgiach, or kosher supervisor, when kosher meals are prepared on the premises. "
"The Ritz Carlton Manama is a five-star luxury resort is located in the exclusive Al Seef district in Manama, Bahrain."
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