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.
July 15, 2026 from Times of Israel
"The Knesset on Tuesday night voted 46-41 to give final approval to legislation restoring the Chief Rabbinate’s exclusive control over kosher certification, one of a series of laws that the ultra-Orthodox parties demanded be passed in exchange for support for key coalition bills.
"The law, which was championed by the Shas party, will reverse reforms enacted by the previous government that allowed private Orthodox organizations to issue kosher certificates in their own name, provided they meet the state’s standards.
"The law’s passage came a week after the Chief Rabbinate appeared to authorize the liberal Tzohar Rabbinical Organization to issue kosher certificates under Israeli law for the first time, following a High Court ruling last month ordering it to withdraw its refusal to recognize the group — a move that prompted pushback from the current Religious Services Ministry. But within hours, the decision came under dispute, with senior officials saying the approval of Tzohar had not been properly authorized and therefore had no legal standing.
"The new legislation passed Tuesday would enshrine that only the Chief Rabbinate can issue kosher certification.
"In Israel, the right to use the word “kosher” on food labeling is highly regulated, with only certification bodies recognized by the Rabbinate allowed to recognize a product or establishment as meeting religious requirements.
"Despite not being legally recognized by the government, hundreds of food businesses currently rely on Tzohar’s certification, which gets around the regulations by asserting that a business is being supervised, rather than stating that the food is kosher."
July 16, 2026 from the CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
Boon PIVOT Collapsible Toddler Tower Kitchen Step Stools have been recalled because the recalled toddler towers can tip over while in use, posing a risk of serious injury and death due to tip over and fall hazards.
Consumer Contact: TOMY toll free at 866-725-4407 from 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday, by email at cs@tomy.com or online at https://recall.tomy.com/pivot or https://us.tomy.com and click on “Product Recalls” at the top of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves Boon PIVOT Toddler Tower Kids Kitchen Step Stools. The metal and plastic tower stools were sold in gray and white and measure about 22 inches wide, 23 inches deep, and 35 inches tall. “boon” is visible along the top rail, and a warning label is visible along the side of the standing platform.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled tower stools immediately and store them away from children until repaired. Contact TOMY for a stabilizing repair part and installation instructions. The firm will mail the free repair parts directly to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: TOMY is aware of 11 reports involving the towers being unstable and shifting or leaning. No injuries have been reported.
Sold Online At: Target.com, Amazon.com and Babylist.com from January 2023 through June 2026 for around $150.
July 16, 2026 from the CPSC :
Space King No Girls Allowed Relic Lunch Boxes (Cups only) have been recalled because the cup in the lunch boxes contains high lead concentration levels for drinking vessels, posing a lead poisoning hazard. Lead is toxic if ingested by adults or children and can cause adverse health issues.
Consumer Contact: Warren James by email at customersupport@warrenjames.org Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, or visit https://flashgitz.shop/recall or https://flashgitz.shop and click on “Recall” for more information.
Description: This recall involves the copper cup found in the Flashgitz-branded Space King No Girls Allowed Relic Lunch Boxes. The Relic Box is a retro style lunch box containing a limited-edition bundle of collectibles for fans of the web cartoon Space King. The contents of the box are a metal figurine, a zippo lighter case, a drinking cup and a pack of condoms. The box also contains a strip of paper warning that the “Chastity Seals” is a novelty item and not intended for use. The lunch box is red with “Space King” written in red and orange lettering at the top on the front, and a picture of the Space king characters below it. Only the copper cups are included in this recall.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled cups immediately and contact the firm for instructions on how to receive a replacement cup. Consumers who purchased the lunch boxes directly from Warren James will be sent a free replacement cup to the address previously provided in the original purchase order. Consumers should dispose of the cups in accordance with their local waste disposal requirements. The lunch box and other items that came with the box can continue to be used.
Sold Online At: Flashgitz shop from September 2025 through October 2025 for about $25.
SDADI Kitchen Step Stools are wooden standing towers for kids. The towers were sold under model numbers LT05 and LT01 in gray, white, espresso, pink and natural wood colors, and measure about 35 inches high, 15 to 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. The stools were manufactured in China.
p>April 23, 2026 from the CPSC :
SDADI Kitchen Step Stools, models LT01 and LT05 have been recalled because the recalled tower stools can collapse or tip over while in use, and a child’s torso can fit through the openings on the front and back sides, posing a risk of serious injury and death due to tip over, fall and entrapment hazards.
Consumer Contact: Yiwushi Bihe Trading by email at john@SDADI.net
SDADI Kitchen Step Stools are wooden standing towers for kids. The towers were sold under model numbers LT05 and LT01 in gray, white, espresso, pink and natural wood colors, and measure about 35 inches high, 15 to 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. The stools were manufactured in China.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled tower stools immediately, store them away from children and contact Yiwushi Bihe Trading for a full refund.
Incidents/Injuries: Yiwushi Bihe is aware of eight reports of instability or tip-overs, including four reported injuries such as scrapes, cuts, and bruises.
Sold At: Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, and Best Buy.com from April 2024 through September 2025 for between $45 and $155.
April 23, 2026 from the CPSC :
Bauhini SDADI Kitchen Step Stools have been recalled because the kitchen step stools pose a risk of serious injury due to the instability of the product, which can cause entrapment, tip overs and fall hazards.
Consumer Action: CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using the toddler step stools and destroy them by disassembly and then dispose of them. Do not sell or give away these hazardous toddler step stools.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to stop using Bauhini SDADI Kitchen Step Stools immediately. The kitchen step stools pose a risk of serious injury due to the instability of the product, which can cause entrapment, tip overs and fall hazards.
About 3,600 kitchen step stools were sold online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, and Best Buy.com for between $45 and $155.
Bauhini SDADI Kitchen Step Stools are wooden standing towers for kids. They are about 35 inches high, 18 inches wide, and 18 inches deep. The towers were sold in grey, white, and natural wood colors.
Bauhini of China has not responded to requests for a recall.
CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using the toddler step stools and destroy them by disassembly and then dispose of them. Do not sell or give away these hazardous toddler step stools.
July 16, 2026 from the CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
This recall involves the Panasonic Flashxpress Toaster Oven with model numbers NB-G205S (Canadian Model) and NB-G200SVA (US Model). The recalled ovens have a stainless steel trim and use double infrared heat technology to cook food. The model number can be found on the back of the toaster oven on the product label.
Issue: The power cord insulation may be insufficient due to a protective fiberglass sleeve not covering it adequately, which poses an electrical shock hazard to consumers.
As of June 15, 2026, the company has received no reports of incident or injury in Canada. In the United States, the company has received 5 reports of circuit breaker tripping incidents involving the US model, but no incidents of shock or fire and no reports of injuries.
Consumer Contact: Panasonic toll-free at 888-943-2391 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at Panasonic6895@sedgwick.com and online at shop.panasonic.com/toaster-oven-recall for more information.
Sold Online At: Amazon.com, Costco.com, Panasonic.com and other online platforms nationwide from October 2024 through April 2026 for about $170.
July 7, 2026 from the Government of Canada:
This recall involves Sunluway Oven Bottom Panel Replacement. The brand name "Sunluway" and ASIN (B0FQ5MFBTC) can be found on the Amazon.ca product listing and order details.
Issue: During its operation, the protective coating of units experiences rapid thermal decomposition and scorching. This material defect exhibits severe paint cracking, large-scale peeling (delamination), and dense smoke generation (outgassing) inside the appliance.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and dispose of it.
For more information, consumers can contact Sunluway Bearings USA through the secure Amazon Buyer-Seller Messaging Service by clicking "Contact Seller" in their order details for the fastest resolution and refund processing. For alternative inquiries outside the platform, consumers can reach dedicated compliance support by email at hongchushi1997@126.com.
July 9, 2026 from the CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
Cuisinart Propel+ Four Burner 3-in-1 Gas Grill with pizza oven have been recalled because the tempered glass window in the pizza oven can shatter during use, posing a risk of serious injury from laceration hazard.
Consumer Contact: Conair toll-free at 833-408-0463 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at https://www.recallrtr.com/3in1grill or www.cuisinart.com and click on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall includes the stainless-steel Cuisinart Propel+ Four Burner 3-in-1 Gas Grill, featuring a griddle, a stove top burner and a pizza oven with tempered glass located on top of the lid of the grill. The model number CGG-6331 can be found on the label on the inside of the right-hand metal door, along with the serial number.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled Cuisinart Propel+ Four Burner 3-in-1 Gas Grill immediately and visit Conair’s website to check if their grill is included in the recall. If affected, follow the instructions to safely remove the tempered glass window on the pizza oven and upload two photographs to the firm’s website; one of the removed glass, and one of the grill’s serial number. Upon verification, consumers will receive a $500 refund by check or be reimbursed for the original purchase amount with proof of receipt. After receiving their refund, consumers should write the word “Recall” with a black sharpie marker on the tempered glass and dispose of it.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 37 reports of shattered glass during use; one fire was reported. No injuries have been reported.
Sold At: Lowes, Walmart and on-line at cuisinart.com from December 2024 through May 2026 for between $500 and $750.
July 9, 2026 from the CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
Insignia Front Control Gas Ranges have been recalled because the recalled ranges’ front-mounted knobs can be activated accidentally by humans or pets, posing a risk of serious injury from a fire hazard.
Consumer Contact: Best Buy at 800-566-7498 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Consumers can also go online at http://www.bestbuy.com/productrecalls or www.bestbuy.com and click on “Product Recalls” located under the “Order and Purchase” column located at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves Insignia gas ranges with model numbers NS-RGFGSS1 and NS-RGFCGS2. The recalled ranges are stainless steel with five front-knobs on the oven with the “Insignia” label on the bottom of the oven door. A label with the model number can be found on the inside of the range’s bottom drawer.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled oven immediately and visit Best Buy’s recall website at https://www.recallrtr.com/range to participate in the recall. The firm is offering all consumers a free set of compatible knob covers with instructions for their gas range. The firm will send the knob covers to the consumers after they confirm that their gas range is involved in the recall.
Consumers are cautioned to keep children and pets away from the knobs, to check the range knobs to ensure they are off before leaving home or going to bed, and not to leave objects on the range when the range is not in use.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of the knobs being activated by accidental contact. No injuries have been reported.
Sold At: Best Buy stores nationwide and online at www.bestbuy.com from November 2020 through March 2026 for between $280 and $1,470.
June 28, 2026: from the VinNews
"Israel's Chief Rabbi and President of the Chief Rabbinate Council, Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar, has published a comprehensive halachic essay on the kashrut status of various types of whisky, following numerous questions and inquiries on the subject.
"In the article, published on the rabbi’s responsa website, the Chief Rabbi distinguishes between different types of whisky according to the production laws in their countries of origin:
"In addition, the essay discusses a particular leniency regarding whisky aged in second-fill barrels or later, where the previous spirit has already extracted most of the absorbed wine from the barrel.
"Alongside the issue of wine, the article warns about industrial additives that are sometimes incorporated into whisky, such as a strengthening or blending agent known as a “blender,” which may contain non-kosher ingredients. It also raises a significant concern regarding chametz she’avar alav haPesach, leavened products that remained in the possession of a Jew during Pesach, particularly in distilleries owned by Jews who do not observe the holiday’s prohibitions.
"In his concluding remarks, Rabbi Bar writes that although, strictly speaking, there are numerous halachic grounds for leniency that could permit the consumption of such whisky, 'one who fears Heaven and is scrupulous in observing God’s word should not, as a matter of course, rely on these leniencies.' He therefore calls on the public to purchase only whisky that has been certified by recognized kosher certification agencies.
"Accordingly, he states that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel will continue its strict policy of refusing to approve the import of alcoholic beverages unless they undergo thorough inspection and receive proper kosher certification."
June 22, 2026 from Yeshiva World
Two people were injured when an oven exploded at a Manhattan pizzeria Monday morning, officials said.
The explosion was reported at Saba’s Pizza at 1217 Lexington Ave. between 82nd and 83rd streets at around 9:30 a.m., according to the FDNY.
Two people were injured Monday morning after an oven exploded at Saba’s Pizza, a kosher pizza shop on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The explosion was reported at around 9:30 a.m. at the Lexington Avenue restaurant between East 82nd and East 83rd Streets. Both victims were transported to a hospital for treatment. City inspectors said the blast caused minimal damage, and the cause remains under investigation.
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