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.
September 29, 2025: Guidelines for Bringing Arba Minim into Canada from the MK is Jewish Community Council of Montreal
MEETING WITH BORDER OFFICIALS: To prepare for the Yom Tov travel season, members of the Jewish Community Council met with border officials at ground and airport border crossings to ensure they are properly informed in terms of Arba Minim (Four Species). We also provided them with the dates on which more traffic is expected.
People who are traveling with Arba Minim should declare them at the border post.
CROSSING THE BORDER WITH ARBA MINIM: Arba Minim may be brought through the border for personal use only. Once these items have been cleared and determined to be free of pests and/or diseases, they will be released. Members of border inspection are sensitive to the handling of these items, and will ensure that the passenger himself opens, unwraps and rewraps the Arba Minim. In order to avoid delays, the Arba Minimshould be easily accessible.
AVOID DELAYS: Border officials have asked us to remind all travelers to have their travel documents well prepared and up to date. Non-citizens who are traveling by car with birth certificates and not passports should please ensure to carry the originals or a clear, legible copy. Please be aware that inspectors will process passengers as quickly as they can, but delays could occur with unclear documentation.
Note: If not all passengers in the vehicle have a Nexus card, please proceed through the regular lane. Do not let the non-Nexus card travelers off to cross the border by foot.
September 25, 2025 from Chaim V'Chesed:
"As the Sukkos holiday approaches, Chaim V’Chessed has issued a general travel advisory for the upcoming holiday travel season, available here. Now, we are pleased to provide important information regarding bringing Arba Minim into Israel and other countries.
"Earlier this month, Chaim V’Chessed representatives were in contact with Shlomit Zioni, Director of Plant Protection at the Ministry of Agriculture, who clarified the rules for travelers to Israel: Travelers to Israel are permitted to bring one esrog into the country. The other species of the Arba Minim – lulav, hadassim, and aravos – are not allowed. Travelers arriving with these species will have them confiscated. However, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide a replacement set.
"For those traveling to the United States with Arba Minim, Agudath Israel of America has published a helpful guide, see here. Similarly, travelers bringing Arba Minim into Canada can review the official rules here.
Information and links from Aguda.
The following petition was submitted to the USDA on August 21, 2025 posted here.
"Petition Summary: The petition requests that FSIS either (1) define “Zabiha Halal” as hand-slaughtered without stunning, in accordance with widely accept standards; or (2) require the use of 'Zabiha Halal' to be certified by a third-party certifying organization that publishes their definition on a public website."
An article on this petiton was published on September 25, 2025 in Food Safety News:
Relevant information as to the current standards: August 20, 2025 from USDA:
"Knowledge Article: Do I need to submit a label for a Halal, Zabiha Halal, or Kosher product that bears a foreign language for sketch approval?
Answer: "No. When any foreign language (such as Arabic or Hebrew) is on a label, sketch approval is not required but direct translation of all foreign language must be included as part of the label record. However, when the label states that the food has been "Certified" Halal, Zabiha Halal, or Kosher, the name of the organization doing the certification needs to appear on the label, and these "certified" claims are special claims that need to be submitted to FSIS for review and approval before they can be used on labels. The label application to FSIS needs to include documentation that demonstrates that the certifying organization's standards are met. For example, Company AZ submits a label for a Halal product labeled as "IFANCA Certified." FSIS would require Company AZ to submit confirmation from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) that Company AZ's product meets the IFANCA requirements for certification."
Ed. note: Any decisions regarding this petition will have relevance to kosher as well. Comments to the new petition are still being accepted on here.
September 25, 2025 from the CPSC in Conjunction with the Government of Canada:
Oster French Door Countertop Ovens have been recalled because the oven’s doors can unexpectedly close, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: Sunbeam Products Inc. toll free at 800-334-0759 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at https://recall.oster.com or www.oster.com and click on “Product Recalls” at the top of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves Oster French Door Countertop Ovens with model numbers TSSTTVFDXL, TSSTTVFDDG, TSSTTVFDMAF and TSSTTVFDDAF. The recalled ovens have a spring-loaded bilateral door made of glass with metal handles. A label on the backside of the oven identifies the model number. In addition, the original packaging has information identifying the model number. The four models differ in cooking options (e.g., air fryer) and control types (analog dials or digital push-button controls). “Oster” is engraved on the front bottom right of the oven.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled countertop ovens and contact Sunbeam Products Inc. to receive a free repair kit. The repair kit will include a clip-on device that provides additional holding force to help keep the doors in the open position when reaching in the oven, along with repair instructions and a QR code link to an installation video. The repair kit does not require any tool to install.
Sold At: Bed Bath and Beyond, Costco, Walmart and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Overstock.com from August 2015 through July 2025 for between $140 and $250.
September 18, 2025 from the CPSC :
Ambiano Cotton Candy Makers have been recalled because the heating element can cause sugar to ignite, if a consumer uses the product without the included sugar receptacle, posing a fire hazard.
Consumer Contact: ALDI toll-free at (800) 325-7894 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, online at https://help.aldi.us/contact-form-product, by email to Wuensche USA at service@801service.net, or by going to aldi.us and clicking on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves all Ambiano Cotton Candy makers with model number 836098. The Cotton Candy makers have a red or teal base with a clear plastic cover. “Ambiano” and the model number are printed on the cotton candy maker’s packaging and the bottom of the unit.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cotton candy maker and contact Wuensche or ALDI for a refund. Consumers can either return the fully intact cotton candy maker to any ALDI retail location for a full refund or submit a photo of the cotton candy maker with the unplugged power cord cut and a photo showing the model number 836098 and date code 08/2024 via email to Wuensche at service@801service.net.
Sold At: ALDI retail stores nationwide between August 2024 and September 2024 for $15.
September 18, 2025 from the CPSC :
Tabletop Fire Pits have been recalled because alcohol fuel can splash or leak out of the fire pit reservoir during use and/or ignition, causing a flash fire that can spread and create larger hotter flames that can escape the unit, presenting risk of serious burn injury from flame jetting and fire hazards.
Consumer Contact: Five Below toll-free at 844-452-3569 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at Recalls@FiveBelow.com, or online at https://www.fivebelow.com/info/five-below-recalls-tabletop-fire-pit or https://www.fivebelow.com/ and click on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves two models of tabletop fire pits, one with a smooth black base and one with a beveled gray base. Both include a stainless-steel fuel cup, a lid and a flame cover. The smooth black fire pits come in blue, yellow and white box packaging with “Tabletop Fire Pit” printed in white lettering on the front of the box, and UPC “1922343012788” and tracking number “FO031124” printed on the back. The beveled gray fire pits come in green box packaging with “Outdoor”, “Easy Modern” and “Cement Tabletop Firepit” printed on the front of the box, and UPC “1922346316838” and tracking number “FO011925” printed on the back.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled tabletop fire pits and contact Five Below to receive a full refund equal to the purchase price or $5. Consumers who return the fire pit will receive a refund in the original form of payment, cash or store credit. Consumers can also send to Recalls@FiveBelow.com a photo of the fire pit with their name and date written on the product in permanent marker and receive a refund in the form of a check or store credit. Consumers should dispose of the recalled fire pits. Proof of purchase (receipt) is not required to receive a full refund.
Five Below has received one report of flames escaping from a tabletop firepit. No injuries have been reported.
Sold At: Five Below stores nationwide and online at fivebelow.com from April 2024 through August 2025 for between $2.50 and $5.
September 12, 2025 - from the FDA:
Three additional cookware products that may leach lead into food when used for cooking or food storage have been added to the table here. FDA’s collection and sampling of cookware products remain ongoing. The complete list of products can be found in the table here. Other cookware products may also be affected. FDA will continue to update this table with additional products as new information becomes available.
August 29, 2025 from Food Safety News:
"The CDC has officially confirmed that is no longer tracking six of eight pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses.
"In communication with Food Safety News a spokesperson with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the agency will only track Salmonella and shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) moving forward.
"An unnamed CDC source recently told NBC News that FoodNet — the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network — activities were cut because of inadequate funding.
"Craig Hedberg, a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota and co-director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety told the Center of Excellence, told the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy that the cuts to FoodNet put the nation in danger of more foodborne illnesses.
"Alvarado told Food Safety News that while FoodNet will continue surveillance for Salmonella and STEC, two of the six pathogens FoodNet will no longer track — Campylobacter spp. and invasive Listeria monocytogenes — are top causes of “foodborne illnesses and related to hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.”
"He also said there are two other pathogens included in the government’s Healthy People 2030’s goals to reduce foodborne illnesses that will no longer be tracked. FoodNet has played a crucial role in the CDC’s ability to track and investigate foorborne illness outbreaks.
"The CDC’s own estimates, based in part on FoodNet data, show that Campylobacter — which is no longer tracked — alone caused 1.9 million foodborne illness cases in the United States in 2019, beating out Salmonella and STEC. Salmonella, Campylobacter, norovirus, Listeria, and STEC caused the most deaths.
"FoodNet is a joint effort between CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and 10 state health departments. Although state health departments are no longer required to track the six pathogens cut from FoodNet, they can continue to conduct surveillance for those pathogens at their own expense.
"The Maryland Health Department told NBC News it would continue reporting for all eight pathogens regardless of changes to FoodNet. On the other hand, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it would need to scale back surveillance for some pathogens if funding is decreased in Fiscal Year 2026."
August 25, 2025 - from the FDA:
AUDIENCE: Consumer, Patient, Health Care Professional, Pharmacy, Dermatology
ISSUE: DermaRite Industries is expanding the voluntary recall initiated on July 16, due to potential microbial contamination identified as Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC). Out of an abundance of caution the recall has expanded to include additional products and lots, which can be found in the table below. Please see DermaRite.com for the original recall notice.
Consumers with questions regarding this recall can call Sedgwick at 888-943-5190 or email dermarite5186@sedgwick.com.
Link to recall is here.
August 28, 2025 from Israel National News:
"A new survey by Leket Israel, the national food rescue organization, reveals that financial hardship is now affecting what children in Israel are eating at school. The study, conducted by the Midgam research institute, surveyed 675 parents of elementary school students and found that economic pressures are directly impacting lunchbox contents.
"According to the findings, 35% of parents said they’ve had to cut back on certain food products due to rising prices. For one in three families, cost is the main factor in deciding what goes into their child’s sandwich. Around the same proportion reported switching to cheaper snack options over the past year because of financial constraints.
"The survey also highlights stark income-related differences. Among families earning below the national average, over half said price dictates what goes into their children’s meals—almost five times more than families earning above the average.
"Healthier food options are also being sacrificed. While 20% of parents across the board said they avoid healthy items due to cost, that figure rises sharply to 30% among lower-income families.
"Despite the challenges, many parents are still trying to provide balanced meals: roughly two-thirds described their children’s school meals as healthy and nutritious. Still, for most, the top priority is simply ensuring their child eats. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they care more about their child not returning home hungry—even if that means compromising on health."
August 26, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"Security officials in the United Arab Emirates have ordered all kashrus organizations working in the country to ensure that a security guard accompanies every kashrus mashgiach who visits food production facilities.
"This move comes in response to heightened concerns about possible terror attacks targeting Jews and Jewish institutions in the region.
"The instruction follows a series of recent measures implemented due to warnings about Iran and its affiliated groups plotting to strike Jewish and Israeli locations in the Gulf.
"As a result of the new security policy, the local kashrus authority informed all companies under its supervision that the cost for each mashgiach’s visit would increase by $100 per day to cover the added expense of security personnel.
"A kashrus mashgiach working in the UAE shared that security precautions have been intensified ever since the killing of Chabad emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan. However, in the past three weeks, the tension has escalated even further, prompting authorities to urge members of the Jewish community to avoid public spaces whenever possible."
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