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.
The following news is from the Beverage Daily on September 13, 2013.
Researchers at University of California, Davis have developed chemical fingerprints for 60 US whiskeys. The chemical signatures reflect grains, barrels, aging and other factors involved in distilling. This can help discourage and detect fake products. The compounds important in differentiating between whiskeys are oak-related polyphenols, fatty acids and flavnoid glycosides.
The following safety alert from the CPSC, on August 28, 2013.
Vitamix 64-ounce Low-Profile Container has been recalled because the blade can break, creating a laceration hazard to consumers. The recall involves Vitamix 64-ounce Low-Profile containers with blade part number 103208 A and blade date codes 03-12 (March 2012) through 07-13 (July 2013). The blade part number and date code are laser etched onto the top of the blade at the bottom of the container. The clear, plastic, 64-ounce container with black plastic handle and lid was sold with Vitamix blender models 7500, Professional Series 300, Professional Series 750 and individually. Replacement blades with part number 104602 A are not affected. Major retailers nationwide and online at vitamix.com from April 2012 to August 2013 for about $529 to $749 with different model base or $149 for the container alone. Products were also sold through show demonstrators, who demonstrate products at retail outlets, consumer shows, fairs and other venues.
Consumers can call Vitamix toll-free at (888) 350-4386 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays or online at www.ContainerBladeRecall.com for more information or by going to www.vitamix.com, then clicking on the "Customer Service" link at the bottom of the page, and clicking on the link for "Voluntary Recall on Vitamix Containers."
The following news story is from the New York Times on August 28, 2013.
The FDA has found that in a study of imported foods that more than 7% spices were contaminated with salmonella. This rate is twice that of other imported foods. About 14% of the spices from Mexico contained salmonella and about 9% of the spices from India contained salmonella. India ships more than four times the amount of spices to the US than Mexico. "Nearly one quarter of the spices, oils and food colorings used in the United States comes from India." Salmonella is killed by cooking, but many spices such as black pepper are placed on-to food after cooking, so the salmonella remains. Spices have a long shelf life, and it takes only a few salmonella organisms to make someone sick. The FDA and Indian officials are working with farmers to reduce the levels of contamination.
The following news story is from the Washington Post and naturallygrown.org posted on August 27, 2013.
"Certified Naturally Grown" is a term being used by small farms that follow organic cultivation practices for their products, but do not want to seek certification as organic by the Federal Department of Agriculture because of the paperwork and cost. About 700 farms nationwide are Certified Natually Grown and about 1300 farms are certified organic out of 2.2 million farms. "Farmers who participate in Certified Naturally Grown rely on peer inspection by other farmers to ensure they follow organic practices, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and using cover crops and rotation for healthy soil."
The following news story is from the FoodNavigator.com and theaustralian.com.au on August 26, 2013.
"Tests carried out by the Britsh Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), the scientific arm of Defra, the UK environment and food ministry, along with overseas studies suggest that much of the honey labelled as manuka in the UK has nothing to set it apart from ordinary honey - except the price."
"Research by the main honey producers' organisation in New Zealand - from where almost all the world's manuka honey comes - revealed that 1,700 tons of manuka are produced there each year, compared with the estimated 1,800 tons of "manuka" honey sold in the UK alone. As much as 10,000 tons are sold worldwide, suggesting widespread fraud." "More manuka is sold in the UK alone than the total actually produced. The same applies to China, America and so on."
Manuka honey is produced by bees whose hives are placed near flowering wild manuka bushes that grow on New Zealand's northern Island. Manuka honey has been found to have anti-microbial properties.
The following news story is from the Arutz 7 on August 22, 2013.
Several Egyptian factories had sold kosher food to Israel. Kosher agencies had continued to send mashgichim into Egypt. The current turmoil in Egypt has caused them to stop sending the mashgichim until the Egyptian situation improves.
The following news story is from the FoodNavigator.com on August 20, 2013.
Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz had a chef develop a high protein bar that uses crickets and are talking with a manufacturer to produce the product commercially. Whole crickets are ground and added to other ingredients including chocolate that hides the insect taste.
The following safety alert from the CPSC, on August 15, 2013.
Chefmate 2-Quart Tea Kettles have been recalled by Wilton Industries Inc., Woodridge, IL because steam can travel up the handle, or water can spill from the spout, posing a burn hazard to the consumer. In addition, the leaking steam can cause the kettle to fail to whistle. If water completely evaporates from the kettle, the aluminum bottom can melt onto the stove and pose a burn hazard.
This recall involves Chefmate 2-quart tea kettles sold with a black enamel finish and a solid black resin handle. The Chefmate logo is stamped on the bottom of the aluminum tea kettle.
This product was sold at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from January 2006 through May 2013 for about $9.
Consumers can contact Wilton Industries toll-free at (866) 255-9237 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT Friday or online at www.wilton.com and click on Recalls for more information
The following safety alert from the CPSC, on August 15, 2013.
Black & Decker® Spacemaker™ 12-Cup Programmable Under-the-Cabinet Coffeemakers has been recalled because The coffee pot handle can break, causing cuts and burns to the consumer.
The recalled coffee maker is designed to mount under a cabinet. It is available in white or black and has the words "BLACK & DECKER® SPACEMAKER
Consumers should immediately stop using the coffeemakers and contact Applica
Applica Consumer Products toll-free at (866) 708-7846 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.aprecall.com.for a full refund of the under-the-counter coffeemaker.
The coffeemakers were sold at True Value Hardware Stores nationwide from July 2008 to June 2013 for about $50 to $80.
The following information is from the PressTelegram on August 14, 2013.
The FDA has released new rules for companies that are importing food products from abroad. "Domestic importers for the first time would have to vouch for the food-safety practices of their overseas suppliers." "If adopted, they would create a “foreign supplier verification program," in which U.S. companies, for the first time, would have clear legal responsibility for making sure their overseas suppliers meet U.S. safety standards. They also would establish a system in which the FDA could authorize foreign governments and private companies to accredit third-party auditors, who then could inspect overseas manufacturers that have a troubled history or whose products are deemed “high risk."
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