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 16, 2025 from CPSC :
AIYEATBNB HAIYE03 Electric Immersion Water Heaters have been recalled because the water heaters pose a risk of serious injury and death due to fire and burn hazards.
Consumer Action: CPSC urges consumers to immediately dispose of the electric immersion water heaters. There is no remedy for consumers because the manufacturer is refusing to cooperate with CPSC.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using HAIYEATBNB HAIYE03 Electric Immersion Water Heaters because they pose a risk of serious injury and death due to fire and burn hazards. The product is intended to be immersed in water for the purpose of heating the water.
Ningbo Ocean International Trading Co. Ltd, of China, manufactures this product and has been unresponsive to CPSC requests for information about this product or to conduct a recall.
CPSC is aware of 29 reports of the defective electric immersion water heaters igniting, melting, smoking or overheating, including at least 11 reports of fires. The defective electric immersion water heaters will catch fire if the unit is not completely submerged in water.
The defective electric immersion water heaters are metal tubes with several heart-shaped holes stamped into the metal and an attached yellow plastic power cord. The words “IMMERSION HEATER” and “AUTOMATIC POWER-OFF” are printed on the packaging in green. The defective electric immersion water heaters were sold on Amazon.com from June 2023 through November 2024 for about $20.
CPSC urges consumers to immediately dispose of the electric immersion water heaters. There is no remedy for consumers because the manufacturer is refusing to cooperate with CPSC.
January 9, 2025 from Emport LLC:
"The FDA has quietly streamlined the list of tree nuts considered major food allergens. Perhaps the biggest change: coconut is no longer considered a tree nut. This means coconut is no longer subject to mandatory allergen management protocols.
"The list of nuts removed from the list of tree nuts include: beech, butternut, chestnut, chinquapin, coconut, cola/kola, ginkgo, hickory, palm, pili, and shea.
"If your labeling currently has Contains statements including any of these nuts — they should be revised. The Contains statement is reserved only for major food allergens. It is still imperative that you list these nuts in the ingredient list, by their common or usual name.
"The current list of tree nuts which must still be handled as major food allergens — and included in any Contains statement — has been reduced to: Almond, Brazil Nut, Cashew, Filbert/Hazelnut, Macadamia Nut / Bush nut, Pecan, Pine Nut / Pinon Nut. Pistachio, Walnut (Black Walnut, California Walnut, English Walnut, Japanese Walnut/Heartnut, and Persian Walnut)
"Milk remains a major food allergen, but with an expanded definition. Previously only milk from cows required allergen protocols and labeling. Now, milk from domesticated cows, sheep, goats and other ruminants must all be labeled and managed as a major food allergen.
"Additionally, “animal-free” or “precision-fermented” casein and other products must also be labeled as milk.
"Similar to milk, egg remains a major food allergen. However, the definition of egg has expanded to include eggs from not just chickens, but chickens, ducks, geese, quail, and other fowl.
"As above, any protein derived from egg — including a prothttps://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-questions-and-answers-regarding-food-allergen-labeling-edition-5ein produced via fermentation — could trigger an allergic reaction and must be labeled and handled as an allergen.
FDA Guidance Information is here
January 14, 2025 from Food Business News:
"A front-of-package nutrition label for most packaged foods would include information on saturated fat, sodium and added sugars in a rule proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration Jan. 14.
"The label, also referred to as the “Nutrition Info box,” would show whether the food has low, medium or high levels of the three nutrients. The FDA proposed a range of 5% of the Daily Value (DV) or less for low, 6% to 19% of the DV for medium (appearing as “Med” in the Nutrition Info box) and 20% of the DV or more for high.
"he FDA proposed the Nutrition Info box be placed somewhere in the top third of the principal display panel on the front of the package. The proposed rule does not include foods marketed toward children under 4 years old. The Nutrition Info box would complement the FDA’s Nutrition Facts Label that gives information on nutrients.
"The FDA also is proposing to amend the nutrient content claim definition for low sodium. A low sodium claim currently may be used on a food product, other than a meal product or main dish, if it contains 140 mg or less of sodium per reference amount customarily consumed (RACC). The proposed rule would lower that amount to 115 mg or less.
"he FDA, in creating the proposed Nutrition Info box, conducted research that included a scientific literature review, consumer focus groups and a peer-reviewed experimental study. The proposed rule, if finalized, would require food manufacturers to add a Nutrition Info box to most packaged food products three years after the final rule's effective date for businesses with $10 million or more in annual food sales and four years after the final rule's effective date for businesses with less than $10 million in annual food sales.
"The FDA will accept comments until 120 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, which is scheduled for Jan. 16. Comments may be submitted electronically here. Written/paper comments may be sent to Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All submissions received must include the Docket No. FDA-2024-N-2910 for “Food Labeling: Front-of-Package Nutrition Information.”
January 15, 2025 from PBS:
"U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk.
"Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the agency to revoke authorization for the substance that gives some candies, snack cakes and maraschino cherries a bright red hue.
"The agency said it was taking the action as a “matter of law” because some studies have found that the dye caused cancer in lab rats. Officials cited a statute known as the Delaney Clause, which requires FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in people or animals.
"The dye is known as erythrosine, FD&C Red No. 3 or Red 3. The ban removes it from the list of approved color additives in foods, dietary supplements and oral medicines, such as cough syrups. More than three decades ago, the FDA declined to authorize use of Red 3 in cosmetics and externally applied drugs because a study showed it caused cancer when eaten by rats.
"Food manufacturers will have until January 2027 to remove the dye from their products, while makers of ingested drugs have until January 2028 to do the same. Other countries still allow for certain uses of the dye, but imported foods must meet the new U.S. requirement.
"Red 3 is banned for food use in Europe, Australia and New Zealand except in certain kinds of cherries. The dye will be banned in California starting in January 2027, and lawmakers in Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana have filed proposals to limit certain dyes, particularly from foods offered in public schools.
"Some food manufacturers have already reformulated products to remove Red 3. In its place they use beet juice; carmine, a dye made from insects; and pigments from foods such as purple sweet potato, radish and red cabbage, according to Sensient Food Colors, a St. Louis-based supplier of food colors and flavorings."
FDA notice is here
January 10, 2025 from VinNews:
"After more than two years of dedicated advocacy, Agudath Israel of Illinois (AIOI) has successfully championed the passage of SB457, a significant piece of legislation now awaiting the governor’s approval. The bill mandates that schools, correctional facilities, and state hospitals provide kosher and halal food options upon request, ensuring that individuals with religious dietary needs have access to meals that align with their faith.
"Notably, the legislation also amends the Kosher Food Act, which prohibits the sale of food wrongly labeled as certified kosher but has been unenforceable, as it did not contain a legal definition of kosher. This bill now provides a definition, which should enable the enforcement of the Kosher Food Act.
"The passage of SB457 represents a landmark achievement, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and respect for diverse religious practices in public institutions with bipartisan support."
January 6, 2025 from Food Safety News:
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new final guidance for industry on the action levels for lead in processed food intended for babies and young children, reflecting the levels of lead at which the agency may consider the food to be adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDC). FDA will consider action levels when deciding whether to bring enforcement action in a particular case, and although industry is recommended to abide by action levels, guidance documents do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities.
"The final guidance covers packaged, processed foods that are marketed for babies and young children less than two years of age, including foods in jars, pouches, tubs, or boxes. These may include ready-to-eat (RTE) foods such as purees, as well as semi-prepared foods such as dry infant cereals. The action levels for processed foods described in the guidance are as follows:
January 2, 2025 from Food Dive:
The Cornell and Numerator study noted that a 6% decline in grocery spending following GLP-1 adoption leads to a $416 annual reduction in purchases per household. For higher-income households earning over $125,000, annualized grocery spending fell $690.
"Not surprisingly, snacking is getting hit the hardest. Spending on products such as chips, baked goods, sides and cookies showed some of the largest reductions, averaging between 6.7% and 11.1%.
"While the researchers did observe “a modest increase in spending” on items such as fresh produce and yogurt among weight-loss users, grocery basket composition became healthier because people cut back more on buying unhealthy items than by adding healthier ones."
January 2, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"A U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday that the Orthodox Union is protected from a wage complaint lawsuit filed by a former mashgiach under the First Amendment’s ministerial exception.
"Yaakov Markel, a former inspector employed by the Orthodox Union to oversee grape production at two wineries, quit his position in 2018. He filed a lawsuit accusing the OU and his supervisor, Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, of withholding a promotion and overtime wages.
"The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the country’s largest, upheld a lower court ruling, which stated that a legal doctrine known as the ministerial exception, which bars lawsuits against religious organizations by workers with religious duties, applies to Markel’s case and therefore protects the OU from his claim.
"In the court’s majority opinion, judge Ryan Nelson wrote that “because only observant Orthodox Jews can serve as a mashgiach for the OU, and because they are necessary to carrying out OU’s religious mission of ensuring the wide availability of kosher food, a mashgiach is a minister for purposes of the ministerial exception.”
"'Failure to apply the ministerial exception to a mashgiach would denigrate the importance of keeping kosher to Orthodox Judaism,' he added.
"The Orthodox Union told JNS that it welcomes the ruling.
"Avrom Pollak, the president of Star-K, an Orthodox kosher certifier in Baltimore, told JNS that the court’s decision affirms the religious role of a mashgiach."
January 1, 2025 from Israel National News:
"Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has extended the period during which basic food supplies may be imported customs-free.
"Until now, the extension would only be granted for a period of one year. The new extension will remain valid for a period of two years, and is intended to help reduce the cost of living and bring down food prices.
"Products affected by the order include eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, tomato sauce, raisins, peanuts, peeled almonds, pickled cucumbers, and other common food items."
December 23, 2024 from IngredientsNetwork.com:
"Chile’s warning labelling and marketing rules for unhealthy foods led to “significant decreases” in purchases of food and drinks with high levels of sugar, salt and fat, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
"The Chilean Law of Food Labelling and Advertising, implemented in three phases in 2016, 2018 and 2019, mandated front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverages, restricted food marketing to children, and banned the sales of products ‘high-in’ nutrients of concern – like sugar and saturated fats – in schools.
"Each phase brought increasingly strict nutrition thresholds, with a daytime marketing ban for unhealthy food ads on television, regardless of audience, coming into effect in phase 2 as well.
"In the study, the academics from Chile and the US compared data on purchases from 2,844 households from 1 July 2013 to 25 June 2019 to a ‘counterfactual scenario’ (hypothetical food purchases if the policies were not in place).
"After phase 2 they found purchases of foods high in nutrients of concern decreased: 36.8% in sugar; 23% in energy; 21.9% in sodium; and 15.7% in saturated fat. “The declines in ‘high in’ products purchased were partially offset by increased purchases from ‘not high-in’ products,” they wrote. “Still, the overall changes resulted in net declines in nutrients of concern purchase ranging from 8.3% to 20.2%.”
"The effects were “more pronounced” in phase 2. Also of note was the fact that in phase 1 the reductions seemed to be driven by a large immediate drop in the concerning nutrients – perhaps due to reformulation – whereas in the second phase there were “larger changes over time, possibly representing behavioural shifts”.
"Most would assume the responsibility for complying with front-of-pack labelling rules would be on manufacturers. But the study shows that supermarket supply chain power seems to work rather effectively."
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