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.
January 15, 2026 from the CPSC :
Self-Feeding Pillows are hazardous because it holds the bottle at an unsafe angle while keeping it fixed in place so the infant cannot pull away. This can lead to aspiration of milk or formula, posing a risk of suffocation.
Consumer Contact: Greatale by email at greatale-recall@outlook.com.
Description: This recall involves Greatale self-feeding pillows. The recalled self-feeding pillows are made of stuffed fabric and have an elastic sleeve to hold a bottle in front of an infant’s face. They were sold in white with angel wing shaped decorations. “Greatale” is on a label sewn into the seam of the pillow.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled self-feeding pillows and contact Greatale for a full refund. Consumers will be instructed to cut the self-feeding pillow with scissors and submit a photo of the destroyed recalled product, including the product’s tag, to greatale-recall@outlook.com. If the product’s tag was previously removed, consumers can demonstrate eligibility by providing their Amazon proof of purchase in the email.
old Online At: Amazon.com from September 2024 through July 2025 for between $10 and $20.
January 15, 2026 from the CPSC :
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Miocololy self-feeding pillows because they hold a bottle at an unsafe angle while keeping it fixed in place so the infant cannot pull away. This can lead to aspiration of milk or formula, posing a risk of suffocation.
The self-feeding pillows were imported and sold by Miocololy-US, of China. About 2,380 self-feeding pillows were sold online at Amazon.com from October 2024 through November 2025 for between $15 and $25. Miocololy-US has not agreed to recall the self-feeding pillows or offer a remedy to consumers.
The self-feeding pillows are made of stuffed fabric and have an elastic sleeve to hold a bottle in front of an infant’s face. They were sold in pink and gray and may have been available in other colors.
Sold At: The self-feeding pillows were sold online at Amazon.com from October 2024 through November 2025 for between $15 and $25.
January 15, 2026 from the CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Yiiektily self-feeding pillows because they hold a bottle at an unsafe angle while keeping it fixed in place so the infant cannot pull away. This can lead to aspiration of milk or formula, posing a risk of suffocation.
The self-feeding pillows were manufactured by Shenzhenshibeichenghangkeijiyouxiangongsi and sold by Yiiektily on Amazon.com. About 4,400 self-feeding pillows were sold from April 2024 to July 2025 for between $12 and $19. Yiiektily has not responded to CPSC’s request to recall the self-feeding pillows and offer a remedy to consumers.
Sold At: The self-feeding pillows were sold by Yiiektily on Amazon.com from April 2024 to July 2025 for between $12 and $19.
January 15, 2026 from the CPSC
he U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Ourkiss self-feeding pillows because they hold the bottle at an unsafe angle while keeping it fixed in place so the infant cannot pull away. This can lead to aspiration of milk or formula, posing a risk of suffocation.
The self-feeding pillows were manufactured by Shenzhenhaipengyuntudianzishangwuyouxiangongsi and sold on Amazon.com by Ourkiss. About 370 self-feeding pillows were sold from June 2024 to July 2025 for between $14 and $18. Ourkiss has not responded to CPSC’s request to recall the self-feeding pillows and offer a remedy to consumers.
The self-feeding pillows are made of stuffed fabric, with arms that wrap around the infant’s neck and attach to a pillow with a hook and loop fastener on each side. An elasticized mesh pocket holds the bottle at an angle in front of the infant’s face. They were sold in gray and may have been available in other colors.
January 15, 2026 from the CPSC :
Frigidaire-brand Minifridges, model EFMIS121, with limited serial numbers have been recalled because the minifridges’ internal electrical components can short circuit and ignite the surrounding plastic housing, posing fire and burn hazards.
Consumer Contact: Curtis International Ltd. toll-free at 888-727-0198 from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET, Monday through Friday, email at recall@curtiscs.com, or online at www.recallrtr.com/minifridge for more information.
Description:
This recall expansion involves Curtis International 6-can minifridge model EFMIS121. This is in addition to certain minifridges with model numbers EFMIS129, EFMIS137, EFMIS149 and EFMIS175 that were previously recalled. “Frigidaire” is printed on the front of the units. The model and serial numbers are on a label on the back of the minifridge. This recall includes only the serial numbers identified below. The minifridges were sold in red at Target stores.
Model Number: EFMIS121
Serial Number: Between A2001 to A2310
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled minifridges and follow the instructions to register for a refund at www.recallrtr.com/minifridge. Consumers should unplug and cut the power cord and write “Recall” using a permanent marker on the front door of the unit. Consumers should dispose of the recalled minifridges in accordance with local and state regulations.
Incidents/Injuries: Curtis International has received at least six reports of the model EFMIS121 minifridges catching fire, with property damages.
Sold At: Exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from January 2020 through October 2023 for around $30.
January 12, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"In a major development for the kosher food service industry, S. Bertram Foods, which owns familiar brands like B’gan, announced Monday the acquisition of Dependable Foods, also one of the largest and most well-known kosher food distributors in the tri-state area.
"The acquisition marks the end of an era for Dependable, owner of the Masbia brand and many others, which has served the community for 30 years. In a letter sent to customers Monday, Dependable management announced that the company will be ceasing operations
"The email says that Tuesday, Jan 13, will be the last day to place orders, and that the following day will be the last for deliveries.
"Coinciding with this acquisition, Bertram, another major player in the kosher food industry, announced it is relocating its warehouse to a new state-of-the-art facility in Eatontown, NJ.
"To facilitate the move and the integration of Dependable’s operations, Bertram announced a brief pause in service; Friday, Jan 16 and Sunday, Jan 18, with full service restored o Monday.
"As part of the transition, Bertram intends to keep the popular Masbia line of products previously distributed by Dependable, according to social media reports."
January 10, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"As a powerful winter storm swept across Israel, widespread power outages struck many communities on Friday afternoon and Friday night, creating significant halachic questions with the onset of Shabbos.
"One such incident occurred in central Petach Tikva, where repeated electricity failures left residents uncertain whether they would be permitted to benefit from power restored during Shabbos by the Israel Electric Corporation. Numerous residents turned to the city’s mara d’asra, the prominent posek Rav Bentzion Hakohein Kook, seeking guidance.
"Just minutes before candle lighting, Rav Kook published a detailed halachic ruling addressing the permissibility of using electricity that is restored on Shabbos, even when the repair work is carried out by Jewish workers.
"In his written psak, Rav Kook explained that in today’s reality, repairing electrical outages involves an element of pikuach nefesh. He noted that in nearly every neighborhood there are individuals whose lives depend on electrically powered medical devices, such as oxygen machines and similar equipment. Rav Kook testified that he personally knew of multiple cases in which power outages — on both weekdays and Shabbos — posed immediate danger to life, and recalled a tragic instance in his own neighborhood in which a patient connected to an oxygen machine passed away as a result of a power failure.
"Since it is impossible for the electric company to repair the system only for those in medical danger, and the restoration necessarily benefits the entire grid, Rav Kook ruled that it is permitted to benefit from the electricity once power is restored. He emphasized that this does not fall under the prohibition of benefiting from melachah done on Shabbos, and is comparable to classic cases discussed in Shulchan Aruch where an action performed for the sake of a dangerously ill person may also benefit others.
"Addressing concerns related to food preparation, Rav Kook ruled that pots may remain on the stove even if they cooled during the outage, and that the food — including soup — does not become prohibited. Since the electric company’s work is focused on the central power system and not on the individual pot or flame, and the food was fully cooked before Shabbos, there is no issue of bishul or initial placement on the fire on Shabbos.
"Regarding a hot plate that shut off due to the outage, Rav Kook ruled that it is permissible to transfer a pot to another hot plate via a non-Jew. If done by a Jew, he cited the position of his rebbi, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, that this is permitted only under two conditions: first, that the original hot plate is still somewhat warm, enough that it could heat food; and second, that the neighboring hot plate is covered or reduced in heat, such as with thick aluminum foil, multiple layers of thin foil, or an inverted pan — adjustments that may be made on Shabbos. He noted that some authorities are lenient even without these conditions.
"Rav Kook concluded his ruling with a heartfelt tefillah that the tranquility of Shabbos not be disturbed, and expressed hope that in the future all Jews will merit the use of electricity produced without any desecration of Shabbos."
December 19, 2026 from Green Queen:
" warned of lax regulation in Brazil compared to Israel’s strict veterinary oversight. Additionally, there is concern about harming the livelihoods of some 6,000 families in peripheral communities, from the north to the Gaza periphery.
"A senior Rabbinate official summarized: 'Attempts to introduce poultry from countries with weak halachic supervision constitute a breach that cannot be tolerated. We will continue to stand firm against business attempts to undermine kosher standards. We will ensure that every chicken on Israel’s supermarket shelves is kosher, without compromise.'
"Swiss biotech plant The Cultured Hub is broadening its horizons with a move into future-friendly coffee and chocolate ingredients.
"Located in The Valley in Kemptthal, the platform has initially been focused on scaling up cellular agriculture products like cultivated meat and microbial proteins; it has now expanded its infrastructure and expertise to ingredients derived from plant cell culture technology.
"This involves growing plant cells in bioreactors by feeding them on sugar, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, eschewing the need for agricultural inputs like water or soil and ensuring a consistent, climate-resilient supply.
"The Cultured Hub will leverage the technology to help manufacturers produce cell-based cocoa, coffee and citrus ingredients, which face a host of supply chain and price pressures globally in the face of climate change.
"The hub’s expansion comes amid rising commodity prices, climate volatility and pressure on farm systems, issues exacerbated by growing demand for high-value ingredients.
"Cocoa stocks are the weakest in a decade, driving prices to all-time highs, and the cost of coffee has reached levels never seen before, with the area suitable for growing the crop shrinking. In both industries, a large share of trees are threatened due to the climate crisis.
"Some companies are looking to replicate these commodities by creating plant-based alternatives through fermentation and food tech, whereas plant cell culture can produce cocoa and coffee compounds, all minus the environmental challenges. According to The Cultured Hub, it’s a promising approach that enables controlled, year-round production independent of farmland, weather or disease.
"That said, plant cell culture remains an emerging field hindered by high costs, thanks to sterile bioreactors, energy-intensive controlled environments, and the complexity of plant cell biology. Scaling up from flasks to pilot systems is technically demanding and often beyond the reach of early-stage startups."
November 13, 2025 from Israel National News:
"The Supreme Court ruled that the Chief Rabbinate Council is the authorized body to decide on the issue of importing poultry from Brazil and refrained from issuing an interim order against the Rabbinate’s position.
"The decision was made during a hearing on a petition submitted by Baladi, a company which sought to operate large-scale slaughtering operations in Brazil and import the poultry to Israel.
"The panel of judges, headed by Daphne Barak-Erez, Noam Sohlberg, and Ruth Ronen, ruled that the Chief Rabbinate Council must convene within 45 days and issue an official decision to be submitted to the court by February 23, 2026.
"In the petition, the company argued that the Chief Rabbinate was blocking the import solely for kashrut reasons and requested that the Supreme Court authorize bypassing the Rabbinate’s authority. However, the court chose to leave the decision in the hands of the Chief Rabbinate Council.
"The ruling was received with relief among kosher certification authorities. According to senior industry sources, 'The Supreme Court understood that new, more lenient standards cannot be imposed on kashrut authorities and returned the decision to the halachic decisors.'
"The Rabbinate’s import department emphasized that its position remains firm. “We firmly maintain that importing poultry from Brazil would severely harm the entire kosher poultry system in Israel. This move could result in Jews consuming meat with questionable kosher standards. Our refusal stems from serious responsibility: it would lead to Jews being served poultry that does not meet minimal kashrut standards."
"Kashrut experts say there are significant differences between the controlled slaughter in Israel and that proposed abroad. “While Israel operates a strict, continuous supervision system under close oversight, the standards in Brazil are far from the level of control practiced here."
"Beyond kashrut concerns, health and economic considerations were also raised during the hearing. Industry sources warned of lax regulation in Brazil compared to Israel’s strict veterinary oversight. Additionally, there is concern about harming the livelihoods of some 6,000 families in peripheral communities, from the north to the Gaza periphery.
"A senior Rabbinate official summarized: 'Attempts to introduce poultry from countries with weak halachic supervision constitute a breach that cannot be tolerated. We will continue to stand firm against business attempts to undermine kosher standards. We will ensure that every chicken on Israel’s supermarket shelves is kosher, without compromise.'
"The Chief Rabbinate Council is expected to convene in the coming weeks to discuss approving the import department’s decision to ban imports from Brazil."
January 1, 2026 from the Fox Business
"The U.S. is backing off proposed tariffs that threatened to deal a major blow to Italy's pasta industry, reducing duties on several leading producers.
"After an investigation into allegations that Italian pasta was being sold in the U.S. at unfairly low prices, officials found exporters had addressed many concerns, prompting a rollback of proposed tariffs on 13 companies, a U.S. Department of Commerce official told Reuters.
"Pasta maker La Molisana’s proposed tariff was cut to 2.26%, while fellow producer Garofalo’s was lowered to 13.98%, according to Reuters.
"The remaining 11 pasta makers — Agritalia, Aldino, Antiche Tradizioni di Gragnano, Barilla, Gruppo Milo, Pastificio Artigiano Cav. Giuseppe Cocco, Pastificio Chiavenna, Pastificio Liguori, Pastificio Sgambaro, Pastificio Tamma and Rummo now face a 9.09% tariff, the New York Post reported.
"The U.S. had previously proposed duties of up to 92% on Italian pasta makers, on top of a 15% tariff applied to most European Union imports, Reuters reported.
"The final rates are expected to be announced March 12, though it could be extended by up to 60 days, according to Reuters."
November 10, 2025 from the Wall Street Journal:
"Your favorite Italian-origin fusilli and macaroni are poised to disappear from U.S. supermarket shelves.
"Italy’s biggest pasta exporters say import and antidumping duties totaling 107% on their pasta brands will make doing business in America too costly and are preparing to pull out of U.S. stores as soon as January. The combined tariffs are among the steepest faced by any product targeted by the Trump administration.
"The U.S. Commerce Department has announced a 92% antidumping duty on pasta made in Italy by La Molisana and 12 other companies, which import the bulk of pasta from Italy to the U.S. That is on top of the Trump administration’s 15% tariff on imports from the European Union.
"The Commerce Department acted after a long-running probe into pricing practices for the product that goes into everything from spaghetti Bolognese to mac and cheese. The severity of the decision has stunned one of Italy’s most iconic industries and has escalated into a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Rome, which is determined to combat the tariff.
"Antidumping probes into Italian pasta makers are nothing new. The Commerce Department has been inspecting them since the mid-1990s, when it found that many importers were flooding the U.S. with pasta priced below normal market prices in a bid to undercut their U.S. competitors.
"American pasta makers have regularly filed antidumping complaints against Italian imports since then. Reviews by the Commerce Department have often found one or more Italian companies guilty of underpricing their pasta.
"But the penalties were usually small. Italian makers shrugged and saw it as part of the cost of doing business in the U.S.
"This is the first time that so many of them face potentially trade-killing tariffs.
"The latest government review was triggered, as in the past, by a complaint from U.S. companies: 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, which owns Ronzoni pasta, and Winland Foods, which is behind brands including Mueller’s and Prince.
"People with knowledge of the case also say the Commerce Department assigned new analysts to scrutinize the filings who had little understanding of Italian accounting practices, leading the agency to view the companies as noncooperative. The Trump administration didn’t respond to questions about the analysts on the case."
Ed. note: Italian pasta is yoshon.
December 30, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"Spain’s Ministry of Finance announced a ban on the import of products from hundreds of Israeli locales in Judea, Samaria, eastern Yerushalayim and the Golan, becoming the first major E.U. member state economy to implement such a measure.
"The ban was set to become effective today, the ministry said, adding this was the result of a September decree 'adopting urgent measures against genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian population.'
"The decree 'prohibits in its Article 3 the importation into Spain of products originating from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,' according to the statement.
"To be applied, the ministry is to “approve the list of localities and postal codes corresponding to the Israeli settlements,” the text reads. With the announcement, the measure “is approved” and “will take effect the day after its publication” in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (“Official State Gazette”), the text read.
"Slovenia, one of the E.U.’s smallest economies with about 2 million citizens, announced a similar ban in August, becoming the first E.U. member to boycott Israeli products. Legislation to effect a ban is being worked on in Ireland’s parliament.
"Enfoque Judio, a reputable Spanish-Jewish news site, confirmed the authenticity of the document published. It noted in its reporting that the inclusion of the Golan Heights in the ban lies outside of the approved September decree."
"Israel exports roughly $850 million in goods to Spain annually, according to the Israel Export Institute, roughly half the volume that Israel imports from Spain. Products from Judea, Samaria and the Golan are believed to account for a small fraction of the Israeli exports to Spain."
January 1, 2026 from WHEC:
"New York State has banned foam containers used for cold storage. The law prohibits food services, manufacturers, and distributors from using polystyrene foam containers for items like cold foods and drinks.
"This comes after a long-standing public concern over the foam’s environmental impacts, such as its slow biodegradability, contributing to microplastic pollution. Foam packaging is a contributor to littering, leading to negative impacts on wildlife, waterways, waste streams, communities, and natural resources.
"For more information on the state law, visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website, here.
December 21, 2025 from KTLA:
"New laws go into effect every year, but few have as broad an impact on California consumers as the state’s full ban on plastic grocery store bags, which takes effect Thursday.
"Shoppers are already seeing the impact – as grocery stores and pharmacies phase out single-use bags, which generally aren’t recycled and contribute significantly to global plastic pollution.
"California’s first attempt at banning single-use plastic bags in 2014 was a misfire as a loophole allowed stores to provide thicker plastic bags that were supposed to be reused.
"Now, under SB 1053, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024, those thicker plastic bags will also be banned, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The law applies to grocery stores, big-box retailers with pharmacies, convenience stores, food marts and liquor stores.
"Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags to stores, but only paper bags, which are recyclable, will be available. Stores that don’t comply could face stiff fines."
| The information posted is from secondary sources. We cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the information. |
| Comments to webmaster@kashrut.com
© Copyright 2026 Scharf Associates |
|
|||||||||||