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.
August 9, 2026 from Jerusalem Post:
"A class action lawsuit worth NIS 350 million against the Golda ice cream chain was approved on Sunday, alleging that several sugar-free options offered by the vendor actually contained sugar, the Central District Court ruled.
"According to the ruling, laboratory tests showed that the offerings actually contained 6.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams of ice cream, which is over thirteen times the amount allowed for a product to be labeled "sugar-free."
"The application for the lawsuit was originally filed in February 2024, after the applicant, Sol Yarkoni, purchased what she thought was sugar-free ice cream from a Golda location on Ramat Gan's Jabotinsky Street.
"Yarkoni, who was on a low-carb diet at the time, claims she later felt as if she had eaten sugar, prompting her to bring a sample of the ice cream to a Health Ministry-authorized laboratory.
"Golda argued that the labels were not misleading to customers on the basis that a reasonable person would know that dairy products naturally contain lactose, or natural milk sugar. The company claimed that dairy products labeled "sugar-free" are clearly meant to imply that no sugar was added to them, rather than the natural sugar being removed.
"The court's decision stated that there was reason for Yarkoni and others to assume that ice cream labeled "sugar-free" was in fact sugar-free, noting the fact that most of Golda's products are clearly not sugar-free, giving further value to the label.
"The court concluded that sufficient grounds existed to allege financial damage, with the amount to be determined at a later date following further proceedings."
August 9, 2026 from Matzav.com:
"Israeli shoppers are once again finding empty refrigerator shelves where cottage cheese should be, with consumers across the country reporting that the popular staple—particularly Tnuva’s brand—has become increasingly difficult to find. The recurring shortage has reignited debate over competition in Israel’s dairy industry, market concentration, and the country’s persistent cost-of-living crisis.
"According to Ynet and Yediot Achronot consumer affairs reporter Merav Kristal, the current shortage is not the result of a production failure but rather a malfunction in Tnuva’s automated warehouse system. She said disruptions caused by recent wars, holidays, and production changes led to software problems, while security concerns and insurance restrictions have made it difficult for technicians from Germany to travel to Israel to repair the system.
"The latest shortage follows several other problems involving the product in recent months. Consumers previously complained that some cottage cheese spoiled unusually quickly, while another shortage in April was attributed to a reduced number of production days. Now, only a short time later, the product has once again disappeared from many supermarket refrigerators.
"The situation has also renewed questions about competition in the dairy sector. According to figures cited in the report, Tnuva controls approximately 75 percent of Israel’s cottage cheese market, while Strauss and Tara share the remaining quarter. Reporter Roi Katz questioned how a single disruption could empty supermarket shelves across the country, asking how “one problem at one factory” could leave consumers unable to buy such a basic product."
August 6, 2026 from the Food Processing
"WK Kellogg Co, now owned by Ferrero Group, announced that its full portfolio of cereals will be made without artificial colors by the end of 2026, which puts the company ahead of the schedule set for this reformulation in July 2025.
"Since then, WK Kellogg did double down, in a sense, and signed an agreement with the attorney general of Texas that it would remove all artificial colorings from its cereals by 2027 — as originally planned nationally. And this publication has not seen any indication that reformulation of items like Kellogg’s Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, among others, had hit any snags along the way. So the company will meet its target a year ahead of schedule, planning to ship product containing only natural colors to retailers before year’s end.
"The new color ingredients will be derived from fruit and vegetable juice sources as well as other plant-based ingredients.
"WK Kellogg had already reformulated foods bound for schools to be free of artificial colors, and it also discontinued launches of new products that contained artificial colors this past January. In addition, the timeline to eliminate the preservative BHT from cereal packaging has been accelerated, and that change is expected to be completed by year’s end as well, the company said." .
August 6, 2026 from the CPSC :
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to stop using Balbali Electric Kettles immediately because the kettles can pressurize and release hot steam or liquid unexpectedly, posing a risk of serious injury or death from burn hazard.
CPSC urges consumers to stop using the kettles immediately and dispose of them. Do not sell or give away these hazardous kettles.
The Chinese importer, Balbali, has not agreed to an acceptable recall of these kettles.
This warning involves all Balbali portable electric kettles, model HP-300E. The kettles are travel-size, stainless-steel water boilers with 12 oz capacity. They are green, pink, white and yellow. The Balbali logo is printed on the front of the kettles and the model number on a label on the back.
August 6, 2026 from Matzav.com:
"In a major breakthrough for Orthodox Jewish families across New York, the state has approved the first cholov Yisroel infant formula for purchase through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, ending a long-standing challenge for low-income parents seeking formula that meets their kashrus standards. The change follows a three-year advocacy effort led by the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) in partnership with the Hochul administration.
"The issue first came to Met Council’s attention in early 2023 when an Orthodox mother attending one of the organization’s events explained that although she qualified for WIC assistance, she was unable to purchase infant formula that met her family’s cholov Yisroel requirements. While New York’s WIC program offered kosher-certified formulas, none met the stricter cholov Yisroel standard observed by many Chareidi and other Orthodox families.
"Following discussions with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, Met Council worked closely with the New York State Department of Health to identify a cholov Yisroel formula that satisfied all federal nutritional requirements for inclusion in the WIC program. State officials approved the formula on Wednesday, and it is expected to be added to New York’s list of WIC-approved formulas later this month.
"The change is expected to benefit tens of thousands of Orthodox families annually in communities including Borough Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Far Rockaway, Monsey, and Kiryas Joel.
"An earlier obstacle involved federal nutrition rules. Previously available cholov Yisroel formulas fell just 0.1 milligrams short of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s minimum iron requirement. Rather than seek an exemption, Met Council eventually identified a British-manufactured cholov Yisroel formula that fully met the federal standards, allowing it to qualify for approval."
August 4, 2026 from 5 Towns Cenral:
"Sadly, there was a two-alarm fire early this morning at J2 Pizza in Lawrence. The former Sandwich Bar location, which is now vacant, was also destroyed from the blaze.
"According to the most recent reports, the fire must likely began due to an electrical fire, reportedly from a fridge in the basement."
August 1, 2026 from Montreal GazetteJNS:
"Nöam, a kosher restaurant in Montreal, was destroyed by a fire on Friday night in an incident that is being investigated as a possible hate crime, the Montreal Gazette reported, citing Raphaël Bergeron, a spokesman for the Montreal police, SPVM.
"Video shows blaze was set by one person who appeared to be a man in his 20s, says garage owner.
"Firefighters were called around 3:15 a.m. Saturday to a blaze on Décarie Blvd. between Plamondon Ave. and Vézina St., according to police spokesperson Raphaël Bergeron.
"The building, which houses the kosher restaurant Nöam as well as a garage, sustained major damage before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
'Nöam, which opened in August 2024, serves Mediterranean, Italian and international dishes.
"The restaurant said it was “proudly kosher and deeply rooted in Montreal’s Jewish community,” while its doors have always been open to people from every background."
July 30, 2026 from the CPSC :
Mangohood Direct Kids Kitchen Standing Towers, Model LT003 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.
This recall involves Mangohood Direct-branded children’s tower stools, model LT003. The tower stools were sold in natural bamboo, gray, and white, and measure about 35 inches tall by 16 inches wide and 18 inches deep.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled tower stools immediately and store them away from children until repaired. Contact Hangzhou Xinyanchuangxin for repair parts, which include stabilizing feet and installation instructions. The firm will mail the repair parts directly to consumers free of charge.
Sold Online At: Amazon.com from July 2025 through March 2026 for between $57 and $67.
July 30, 2026 from the CPSC :
This recall involves Fantastic Four Invisible Woman and Human Torch Drinking Cups and Captain America Popcorn Helmet Containers with LED lights. The products are souvenirs sold at movie theaters for the Fantastic Four and Captain America movie productions. The Fantastic Four Invisible Woman cups are blue and the Human Torch cups are red in color. The Captain America helmet containers are navy blue and silver and about 85 ounces with an opening at the top to store popcorn.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the Fantastic Four Cups and Captain America Popcorn Helmet Containers immediately and contact Golden Link for a refund of the purchase price of the product. Consumers will be asked to dispose of the product and send a photo showing proof of disposal to productrecall@goldenlinkinc.com to receive a refund.
Note: Button cell batteries are hazardous. Batteries should be disposed of or recycled by following local hazardous waste procedures.
Sold At: The Fantastic Four Cups were sold at AMC movie theaters nationwide from March 2025 through April 2025 for about $15. The Captain America Popcorn Helmet Containers were sold at AMC Theaters, Cobb Theaters, Drive in Group, El Capitan EVO Cinemas, Goldenlink, GQT Movies, Harkins, Independent Theatre, Maya Cinemas, Reading, West Wind, Escape and Zurich Group nationwide from February through August 2025 for about $30.
Consumer Contact: Golden Link online at https://goldenlinknorthamerica.com and click “Product Recall Notice” at the top of the page for more information or by email at productrecall@goldenlinkinc.com. WebsiteE-mail
July 30, 2026 from the CPSC :
Woodure Toddler Kitchen Step Stools 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: Shenzhen Muqiqu Creative Development at 844-687-1918 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday or by email at woodure-service@hotmail.com, online at https://www.wwoodure.com/recall or https:///www.wwoodure.com click on “Safety Recall” at the top of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves Woodure-branded children’s tower kitchen step stools, models WD1764, WD1357, and WD1720. The tower stools were sold in plywood and measure 18 inches deep by 16.9 inches wide by 34.6 inches tall. The model number is engraved on the underside of the bottom step. Remedy:
Consumers should stop using the recalled tower stools immediately and store them away from children. Contact Shenzhen Muqiqu Creative Development for a repair kit, which includes protective nets, stabilizing feet and installation instructions. The firm will mail the free repair kit directly to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Woodure has received 22 reports of instability or tip-overs, including 15 reported injuries with scrapes, cuts and bruises.
Sold Online At: Amazon.com from July 2024 through June 2026 for between $60 and $100.
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