K A S H R U T . C O M_©

August 20, 2025, re-confirmed July 8, 2026, July 30, 2026: from the OU

Skittles (various sizes and varieties), Mars Wrigley
Issue: Clarification of Skittles Kashrut Status At this point, some Skittles are certified kosher pareve even when not bearing the OU symbol - others are not. To determine if you have a certified product, please look at the ink-jetted codes printed on the package. 1. If the production code contains "YRV" in it, or it 2.Contains "WAC" and has a best-buy date of June 2026 or later then those products are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. Eventually, the OU symbol will appear on the packaging.

From the OU, Skittles Pop'd are currently not certified as kosher.

July 30, 2026 from FDA:

Publix is recalling all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries because they may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O145:H28 (E. coli O145). E. coli O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that can cause illness characterized by severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (which may be bloody) and vomiting. While most healthy individuals recover within a week, some infections may result in a serious complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), particularly in young children, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The recalled product was shipped to Publix retail stores throughout 8 states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. As of the end of June 2026, Publix immediately conducted an internal stop sale of frozen GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries. These products remain unavailable for sale.

Customers who have purchased the following frozen GreenWise products are reminded not to consume them, and the product(s) should be discarded or returned to Publix for a full refund.

• GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06453
• GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12053
• GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06753
• GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12153

Customers who have additional questions or concerns should contact Publix Customer Care at (800) 242-1227 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. For more information about the ongoing outbreak investigation, please refer to the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/blueberries-07-26/index.html.

July 5, 2026 from Food Safety News:

"Frozen blueberries sold at Publix grocery stores have been recalled because of contamination with E. coli O145:H28. Twelve people have fallen ill.

"On July 3, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. the Chilean grower-packer that sells under the Comfrut brand announced the recall of its 10-ounce GreenWise Organic IQF (individually quick frozen) Blueberries after the product tested presumptively positive for E. coli O145:H28, a Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC). The frozen berries were distributed exclusively to Publix stores across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

"The recall covers a single lot – code 6040 01 -with a Best By date of Feb. 9, 2028. According to the company, the recall was prompted by reports of consumers who fell ill after eating the berries, and the notice states there have been 12 confirmed cases of stomach illnesses between May 11 and June 5, 2026 linked to E. coli O145:H28."

July 3, 2026 FDA alert is here.

• July 28, 2026 from the KLBD:
  The KLBD Update 4 (2026) is now available to download here
• July 28, 2026: Welcome to Britain! If you are here as a tourist, we can help make finding kosher food a lot easier at Just Arrived In The UK?:
• July 28, 2026 Israeli Produce
  Israeli Carrots, Dates, Mangos, Lychees and Potatoes are currently on sale in UK supermarkets and greengrocers.
  Terumah and Ma’aser should be taken from all fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in Israel. For guidance click here.

• July 24, 2026: Investigation of 9-State Outbreak of Cyclospora Illnesses: Iceberg Lettuce (July 2026) from the FDA.
• July 22, 2026: What Are the Methods That Don’t Destroy Cyclospora? at Food PoisoningBulletin.com.
• July 20, 2026: full list of items included in Taylor Farms lettuce recall is here on USA Today.
• July 18, 2026: Taylor Fresh Foods Recalls Iceberg Lettuce from Central Mexico Because of Possible Health Risk recall lists detailed information of all of the recalled products here
• July 18, 2026: Cyclospora-Linked Lettuce Was Sent to 27 States, Including to Walmart and Jack in the Box from e Consumer Reports

  "Given the lack of details provided by Taylor Farms, CR’s experts advise consumers in those states to discard all iceberg lettuce out of an abundance of caution

  "Taylor Farms, one of the country’s largest producers of salad greens, said Friday that it is recalling from the U.S. market all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico after health officials identified a farm in the region as a potential source of the outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across the U.S. this summer.

  "The recalled iceberg lettuce products were sent to Walmart stores, Jack in the Box restaurants, and major food service distributors, including Sysco, in 27 states between June 29 and July 16. The states that received the implicated lettuce, which the Food and Drug Administration said was being recalled due to possible contamination with the parasite cyclospora, were: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

  "The list of implicated products includes Walmart’s house-brand Marketside, a Walmart spokesperson confirmed. The company has removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select Walmart stores in the 27 states implicated by the recall, spokesperson Rachael Simmons told CR. The removed products are 12- and 24-ounce bags of Marketside Bagged Iceberg Salad (UPC: 681131328944 and 681131328951, respectively) and 8- and 16-ounce bags of Marketside Bagged Shredded Iceberg Salad (UPC: 681131328968 and 681131532099). The products have “best by” dates ranging from July 18 to Aug. 3, 2026.

  "The recall notices posted by Taylor Farms and the FDA are notably sparse on the essential details consumers need to easily identify affected products. The recall notice does not list the full brand names of the implicated products, and instead lists only what appear to be the abbreviations used internally by Taylor Farms to identify brands.

  "Walmart’s Marketside house brand, for instance, was listed as “MKTSD” and Sysco, the U.S.’s largest food distributor, was listed as “SY.” Jack in the Box was listed as “JB.” All three companies confirmed that their products were part of the recall after being contacted by Consumer Reports. CR is working to confirm the identities of the five additional brands whose names are abbreviated in the recall notice. Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to CR’s questions about the identity of these brands.

  "Given the lack of details, CR’s food safety experts advise consumers in the 27 states where Taylor Farms’ products were distributed to discard all iceberg lettuce out of an abundance of caution."

  FDA recall is here

• July 17, 2026 from Medpage today:

  "Skip bagged salads, salad kits, and boxed salads from the grocery store, and avoid them at restaurants and fast food places, too. Michigan's warning on July 13 (unusual to go public before the FDA) is a strong signal of what they're seeing. Whole heads of lettuce are fine if you strip the outer 2-3 layers, since that's where contamination is most likely to sit."

  "Michigan's investigation has yet to pinpoint a company or rule out other foods. Two dozen other states are still under active investigation. So avoiding other foods is reasonable. In previous outbreaks, the culprits were raspberries, fresh herbs (basil, cilantro), onions, and snap/snow peas. I would still avoid these, especially if you're high risk (pregnant, older, or immunocompromised).

  "Stick to produce you can peel or cook. (If you have frozen berries from January, you should be in the clear as this outbreak likely started in May.)

  "Cooking food to an internal temperature of 158°F is the only thing known to kill Cyclospora. This means sautéing raw spinach for about 1.5 minutes. (Turn your salad into a stir fry!)

  "Microwaving doesn't work as well because heat spreads unevenly; research shows 45 seconds wasn't enough to kill Cyclospora, so go longer and check that every part, not just the surface, is steaming hot."

• July 20, 2026 from Washington Post
  "FDA retracts test result but still links Taylor Farms lettuce to cyclosporiasis
  The FDA said a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce showed a false positive, but the sample was not part of the original recall."

• July 20, 2026 Food Safety Tech

  "Lettuce is Not The Only Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Being Investigated.
  New York City health officials traced a much smaller cyclosporiasis outbreak in April, one of multiple case clusters the city’s epidemiologists have pursued this year, led to cilantro."

  ---

  Ed. note: This posting is for information purposes only. The editor does not know if the recalled products are certified as kosher.

July 22, 2026 – from the FDA

Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. is voluntarily recalling 1,589,577 dozen white shell eggs and brown cage free shell eggs produced in Texas because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.

The eggs were produced and distributed from farms in Texas between June 6, 2026 and July 3, 2026, with sell by or best by dates between July 20, 2026 and August 17, 2026. The eggs were shipped to foodservice and retail customers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. They were available to consumers at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi, and other smaller retail outlets. No other Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. products are part of this recall.

The recalled eggs will have an identifying code number printed on the left or right sides of the carton in date-coding ink only. Only codes P-1950 or 0840962 with a Julian Date between 157 and 184 printed on the side of the carton are recalled. Examples of this identifying plant and date information on retail cartons are included here

Midwest Poultry Services identified the issue on its two Texas farms through proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis. Midwest Poultry Services is not distributing fresh eggs produced on its Texas farms at this time.

Consumers who purchased products associated with this recall are urged to avoid consumption and return the product to its original place of purchase for a full refund. Any questions can be directed to the company by calling 574.405.9531 during normal business hours which are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Eastern time.