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Food News


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.

Newer news

USDA and FDA Announce a Formal Agreement to Regulate Cell-Cultured Food Products from Cell Lines of Livestock and Poultry

March 7, 2019 from the FDA:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a formal agreement to jointly oversee the production of human food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.

Under the formal agreement, the agencies agree upon a joint regulatory framework wherein FDA oversees cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation. A transition from FDA to FSIS oversight will occur during the cell harvest stage. FSIS will oversee the production and labeling of human food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.


USDA, FDA to Split Lab-grown Meat Oversight

Beyond Meat expands plant-based meat offerings with ground beef optionNovember 20, 2018 from the Specialty Food News and BeefMagazine.com:

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry, according to the agencies. An agreement between the agencies allows FDA to oversee cell collection, cell bank and cell growth, and differentiation, while USDA will oversee the production and labeling of food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry."
"The administration does not believe new legislation is needed because the agencies have the statutory authority necessary to appropriately regulate cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W767

Mislabeling an issue for species not covered under SIMP, US study by Oceana finds

March 7, 2019 - from Oceana and SeafoodSource:

"Oceana launched a new investigation to study whether seafood fraud persists in the U.S. seafood market. Between March and August 2018, Oceana collected more than 400 samples of seafood not covered in the Seafood Import Monitoring Program from 24 different states and the District of Columbia. One in every 5 of the fish tested were mislabeled. Seafood fraud continues to cheat consumers, weaken ocean conservation efforts, and undermine honest fishermen and seafood businesses."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W824

July 9.,2018 from the Haaretz:

"The state told the High Court of Justice on Sunday it had plans to post “kashrut security guards” at hospital entrances to ensure that no hametz (leavened food) is brought into the facilities during the Passover holiday."
The plan was revealed during a hearing on petitions against regulations that ban hametz at hospitals during Passover. When the justices said that it wasn’t possible to turn hospital security guards into enforcers of kashrut policy, the state’s attorney replied: 'There is a desire and an intent to create kashrut security guards.' "
"In the context of Passover, there is a sweeping ban on bringing any food at all into the hospital during the holiday; only food supplied by the hospital may be eaten at the facility."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W823

Sugar Reduction in the News

March 6, 2019 - Beverages containing sugar have been seen as one of the causes of the obesity epidemic. Governments have been taxing beverages as a way to reduce this. Depending on how the regulations are written, companies have been adding grape juice as a sweetener to reduce the tax impact on their products. This has happened in England which has resulted in quite a few products losing kosher certification. Som municipalities in the US are or thinking about taxing sugar sweetened beverages.

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W822

Canadian Kashrut body gets major federal grant for food safety

March 5, 2019 from CJNews
"The Jewish Community Council of Montreal, which certifies kashrut under the MK heksher, will receive a $695,000 federal grant toward its initiative to enhance food safety."
"Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather announced on March 4 that the money will come from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriAssurance Program. The program provides aids to not-for-profit organizations, to help industry develop standards and systems to support verifiable health and safety claims about Canadian agricultural and agri-food products, Housefather explained."
"Specifically, the funding will allow the council to better assist small- and medium-sized businesses to meet international food safety standards, including expanding information about nutrition and possible allergens."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W821

Bumble Bee, US Foods and Bumble Bee, Sysco settle tuna price-fixing lawsuit

February 15, 2019 from undercurrent news February 26, 2019 and Undercurrent News
Bumble Bee Foods has separately settled tuna price fixing lawsuits by Sysco Corp and US Foods.
"This comes after StarKist Co. -- which, like Bumble Bee, has agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing in the Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal probe of the sector -- entered into a settlement agreement with Walmart to resolve price-fixing claims at the end of January. "
"ivil lawsuits from dozens of wholesalers, retailers and individuals across the US allege that the plaintiffs were overcharged by a long-running price-fixing conspiracy involving Thai Union Group's Tri-Union-Seafoods, owner of the Chicken of the Sea brand, Bumble Bee and StarKist. "
"The civil lawsuits began in 2015 amid an investigation into alleged price-fixing in the US tuna sector that spun out of the department's antitrust review of Thai Union's attempt to acquire Bumble Bee."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W820

EU court rules halal meat cannot get organic label

February 26, 2019 from AP
"The European Union’s top court has ruled that the EU organic food logo cannot be used on meat derived from animals that have been slaughtered in accordance with religious rites without first being stunned."
"The EU Court of Justice said Tuesday that such labelling aims to ensure products have been obtained in observance of the highest standards in animal welfare. The court says the stunning technique significantly reduces animal suffering."
"A French animal welfare association brought the case in 2012, arguing that halal beef shouldn’t be labeled organic."
"The ruling states that the practice of ritual slaughter— as part of which an animal may be killed without first being stunned— is authorized by an exception to the general rule in the EU to ensure observance of the freedom of religion."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W818

Israel - Thousands of Illegal Eggs Confiscated

February 6, 2019 from Hamoodia
"Border Police on Tuesday confiscated a large shipment of “illegal eggs” – eggs raised in henhouses in the Palestinian Authority and smuggled into Israel. The catch nabbed by authorities amounted to over 4,000 eggs, which were slated for sale in central Israel. The eggs were being transported from the PA village of Barta’a to Umm el-Fahm, to where they were to be boxed and distributed."
"The eggs were hidden in a vehicle that attempted to pass through an IDF checkpoint Tuesday. After inspection, officials decided to check a little more closely, as something didn’t seem right about the truck – and using advanced technological methods, they discovered the hidden eggs. The vehicle was confiscated, the eggs were destroyed, and the driver arrested. Police said that, besides harming Israeli farmers, the eggs were potentially dangerous, as the chickens were raised in an unsanitary environment and the eggs handled without the safety measures standard in Israel."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W817

RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association call made to end non-stun slaughter in UK

February 6, 2019 from Farminguk.com
"The RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association have joined forces to call on the government to repeal a legal exemption that permits animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning."
"In an open letter to Defra Secretary Michael Gove, the BVA and the RSPCA urge the UK government to change legislation in England which currently allows non-stun slaughter for religious purposes."
"The RSPCA and BVA are calling for the following: "


"The letter follows a recent, high profile decision to ban the slaughter of animals without prior stunning in the Flanders region of Belgium which came into force at the start of the year."
"Belgium joins several other European countries, including Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark in making this decision, demonstrating that a full ban on non-stun slaughter is possible within EU law."
"The most up-to-date FSA figures show that between October 2017 to September 2018, over 120 million animals were slaughtered without pre-stunning, including 118 million meat poultry (11% of the total number of poultry slaughtered), 3 million sheep and goats (25% of the total number of sheep and goats slaughtered) and 24,000 cattle (1% of the total number of cattle slaughtered)."
"All animals slaughtered under the Shechita (for Kosher) are non-stunned, however, between two thirds and three quarters of meat labelled Halal is from animals that have been pre-stunned."

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The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W816

Climate Disrupts Olive Oil Supply

January 17, 2019 Olive Oil Times
"European Union olive oil producers fared poorly this year. Spain, the notable exception, is well poised to make up the difference in the export market."
"According to the latest estimates released by the European Commission, Spanish olive oil production is projected to reach 1.76 million tons in the 2018/19 season, up from 1.39 million tons the preceding season."
"Spain is expected to export 1.22 million tons this season, up almost 40 percent from the 2017/18 season. This is largely in response to the sharp decrease in production in other countries, such as Greece and Italy."
"Spain’s production will make up three-quarters of total EU olive oil production in the 2018/19 season, and more than half of the worldwide production."
"Ironically, Spanish olive oil producers have climate change to thank for the successful harvest season."
"The most important olive oil producing countries outside of the EU are also seeing a drop in figures. Tunisia and Turkey are expected to fall by around 50 percent and only Morocco will increase its production, reaching about 50 percent more than the previous season."
"According to the latest figures from the International Olive Oil Council, worldwide olive oil production for the 2018/19 season is expected to reach 3.451 million tons, down slightly from 3.653 million tons in the 2017/18 harvesting season."


International Shortage of Olive Oil to Be Compensated by Spain

December 29, 2018 from the Specialty Food News:

"A particularly bad year for olive harvests in some parts of the world is disrupting the olive oil supply chain and will likely have an impact on retailers’ pricing and assortments in the year ahead, according to suppliers."
"This year Italy reportedly suffered a sharp decline in olive production, with the harvest down an estimated 38 percent or more compared with last year, according to reports in the Olive Oil Times. Some other major olive-growing regions, including parts of Greece, also had a down year due to a combination of fly infestations and climate fluctuations."
"The burgeoning California olive industry, meanwhile, also had an extremely weak harvest after warm weather in February was followed by a cold snap. Some farms had no olives at all, according to reports. That has led to a new packaging claim from olive oil producer California Olive Ranch that its oils are “Crafted in California,” even though the olives have been grown in other countries. California Olive Ranch has partnerships with producers in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Portugal, for example, that supply certified extra virgin olive oils, the company says on its website."
"The global olive harvest down an estimated 5.5 percent."

The previous item can be cited with the URL: https://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W784
Older news

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