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 23, 2024 - from the Potato News Today:
"The company’s Kolkata factory devised a way to recapture the steam vapor created when the potato slices enter the fryer. That steam is the water that is in the potato, and PepsiCo redirects first as low-grade waste heat to offset thermal processes, and then, after the steam is condensed into water and cleaned, the company returns it to the plant to offset freshwater uses in other processes,
On a standard potato chip line, it will be about 14 million gallons of water that we will be able to reclaim and reuse to offset from freshwater use. This adds up to about 60 million liters of water per year at a single site, according to PepsiCo."
September 17, 2024 - from the KCRA:
"Paper or plastic" will no longer be a choice at grocery store checkout lines in California under a new law signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags.
"California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores, but shoppers could purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable.
"The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don't bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.
"State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill's supporters, said people were not reusing or recycling any plastic bags. She pointed to a state study that found that the amount of plastic shopping bags trashed per person grew from 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) per year in 2004 to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per year in 2021.
"Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, said the previous bag ban passed a decade ago didn't reduce the overall use of plastic.
"Twelve states, including California, already have some type of statewide plastic bag ban in place, according to the environmental advocacy group Environment America Research & Policy Center. Hundreds of cities across 28 states also have their own plastic bag bans in place."
June 17, 2024 - from the Civil Eat:
"In the end, it may have been fears that Kraft Heinz would remove plastic tubs of Cool Whip or individually wrapped processed cheese slices from grocery store shelves that defeated an ambitious packaging reduction and recycling bill in the New York State Legislature.
"Whatever the cause, a bill that would have fundamentally reshaped how single-use plastic waste is managed in the fourth-largest state went down to defeat earlier this month in the New York State Assembly after passing in the State Senate, as lawmakers completed their regular legislative session.
"The opposition to the legislation, which included provisions known as “extended producer responsibility,” or EPR, will be ready, too. Typically, EPR holds producers of products responsible for their management through the product’s lifecycle.
"Beyond Plastics saw the bill as a national model, and the most comprehensive in the country. It sought to address not only recycling and waste reduction but also would have banned some of the most toxic chemicals found in plastic packaging.
"ive other states have passed EPR laws for plastic packaging, from Maine in 2021 to Minnesota, the latest, earlier this year. Maine and Minnesota both left many of the details to be worked out by state agencies.
"California’s bill, passed in 2022, is the most ambitious to become law so far—seeking to cut single-use plastic packaging and food service ware by 25 percent; recycle 65 percent of single-use plastic packaging and food service ware; and make 100 percent of single-use packaging and plastic food service ware recyclable or compostable.
"But some critics, Beyond Plastics among them, worry that the California law allows for easy exemptions, gives the industry too much control over itself and may have left the door open to chemical recycling, which in some common forms environmental groups consider to be tantamount to incineration, not actual recycling."
September 17, 2024 - from the FDA:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an initiative to collect and test retail dark chocolate products and chocolate-containing products labeled as “dairy free” (or with similar free-of-milk claims)[1] for milk in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) and the Michigan State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) in 2022 and 2023. The FDA designed the assignment, and the state agencies performed the sample collection and testing.
This initiative was part of the FDA’s continued efforts to protect consumers with food allergies and is a continuation of a similar initiative implemented by the FDA in FY2018-2019. The latest initiative included additional chocolate-containing products, such as chocolate chip cookies, chocolate syrups, and chocolate baking powders, which were not part of the previous data collections. The FY22-23 initiative also sought to gain insights into the extent to which retail chocolate and chocolate-containing products that bear dairy-free or similar claims contain unintended milk at levels that may be potentially hazardous to people with a milk allergy.
The FY22-23 initiative examined retail dark chocolate products and chocolate-containing products that were labeled as dairy-free or with similar free-of-milk claims. The state personnel only collected samples of products that did not list milk as an ingredient on the product label. Milk detected in the samples could have been present due to a variety of factors, including labeling error or allergen cross-contact. Allergen cross-contact refers to unintentional incorporation of an allergen into food; it may occur during manufacturing or at a firm that supplied a product ingredient.
The analytical results of the 210 samples collected and tested under this effort are provided in the table that accompanies this report. These samples represent multiple products from approximately 50 firms.
Of the 210 samples, 13 tested positive for milk (i.e., with levels above the limit of quantification of the Neogen Veratox for Total Milk Allergen ELISA test kit). Twelve of these 13 samples contained less than 80 ppm, with one sample testing at 1,083 ppm milk. These 13 samples were produced by three different firms: one cookie product from Firm A (out of one sample tested), eight chocolate bar products from Firm B (out of 17 samples tested), and four chocolate bar products from Firm C (out of 34 samples tested), as shown in the results table. The sample with 1,083 ppm milk was a chocolate bar by firm B.
Each of the 13 products with positive milk findings were found to have not only a “dairy-free” type of statement but also allergen advisory statements intending to indicate the possible presence of milk to consumers. Their labeling stated that the products were “…made in a facility that also processes milk,” or featured similar wording.
The use of the allergen-free claim together with the allergen advisory statements for the same allergen on a product label may provide inconsistent information to consumers and should therefore be avoided.
Preliminary investigations completed by the firms and state agencies have implicated the suppliers of dark chocolate ingredients used by the firms as a possible source of the unintended allergen presence. Firm A agreed to remove “dairy-free” claims from its products when the root cause analysis is complete and if the cause of the presence of milk could not be determined and eliminated. Firms B and C removed the “dairy-free claim” from their chocolate products and provided updated labels to the FDA and its state partners as confirmation.
In the FY 2022-2023 initiative, all samples found to contain milk had milk allergen advisory statements. The FDA advises that firms that use a voluntary allergen-free statement ensure that the product doesn’t contain the allergen and that there is no inconsistent allergen information on the product label. Consumers with milk allergies who choose to eat dairy-free labeled products may contact firms to ask them questions about how their products are made, including whether they are made on dairy-free dedicated equipment, whether the ingredients used are dairy-free, and whether they test their products with dairy-free claims to confirm the accuracy of the claims.
The presence of milk in dairy-free labeled products on the market remains a concern for the FDA, given the potential for a health hazard for consumers with milk allergies. The FDA will continue to monitor the U.S. food supply to protect consumers with food allergies.
September 13, 2024 - from the BBC:
"Online adverts for junk food will not be allowed from next year under new government rules introduced to tackle childhood obesity.
"The ban, which will also apply to adverts shown on TV before 21:00, will begin in October 2025.
"Health minister Andrew Gwynne said the restrictions will “help protect children” from advertising that evidence shows can influence their eating preferences from a young age.
"More than one in five children in England are overweight or obese by the time they start primary school, government statistics suggest. This rises to more than one in three by the time they leave."
September 9, 2024 from The Food Institute by Rabbi Moshe Elefant:
"More than 41% of U.S. food processors and manufacturers rely on kosher certification to help them reach a wider audience of consumers, reaching far beyond followers of observant Judaism.
"Research shows that manufacturers whose products carry a kosher supervision symbol obtain more favorable shelf space in supermarkets and outsell non-certified items of the same type by 20%. In short, manufacturers find it easier to get wholesalers and distributors to carry their products, while retailers find it easier to sell them.
"Tens of millions of American consumers – most of whom are not Jewish – see unique value in kosher-certified food products, making kosher certification one of the most successful marketing programs around.
"t’s estimated that approximately 70% of all food products on store shelves today have kosher certification.
"There are still many products that could be eligible for kosher certification, but for various reasons their makers have not applied for it. What many manufacturers and retailers may not realize is that going kosher doesn’t have to be complicated.
"For those with less cursory familiarity with them, the rules for kosher certification may seem complicated – but for many manufacturers, getting certified is likely not much more than a matter of filling out some forms.
"Assuming that a product does not contain outright non-kosher ingredients, such as pork, shellfish, non-ritually slaughtered beef or chicken, or non-kosher-certified cheeses, certification is likely to be just a matter of engaging with a certification agency’s supervisors, who will review ingredient lists and manufacturing processes.
"With over a million kosher certified raw ingredients on the market – from oils to stabilizers to colorings to everything in between – the chances are high that a product is already “kosher-ready,” with the certification process simply a verification of the ingredients, process, and factory location. With such a wide variety of certified raw ingredients, manufacturers should have no problem finding an equal or even superior certified ingredient of the same type to replace an uncertified one.
"Besides kosher-keeping consumers, and consumers seeking higher-quality manufactured food products, kosher certification appeals to a large subset of Americans with specialized diets – vegan consumers, religious consumers of several faiths, including Muslims and Seventh-Day Adventists, lactose-intolerant consumers, and those seeking gluten-free products.
"Vegans know that a product labeled “kosher pareve” will contain no meat or dairy products (except, possibly, eggs) so it’s safe for them to buy. The same goes for lactose-intolerant consumers, who are assured that the pareve label guarantees that no milk or milk-based ingredients are present.
"Those seeking gluten-free products will find a plethora of them in certified kosher products around Passover time, when the holiday’s prohibition on eating leavened grains prompt production of many items that do not contain any wheat, with ingredients like almond flour or potato starch substituting for the usual wheat flour in products like cereal, pasta, and even baked goods that look like bread.
"The food sector is extremely competitive, with producers of all kinds competing for shelf space, and spending billions annually on advertising, marketing, discounting, and other programs – all designed to get more consumers to adopt their product. Kosher certification isn’t as flashy as lavishly-produced TV or social media ads – but it is trusted by a growing number of consumers and is a proven way to increase business."
Ed. note: Article presenting why companies should become kosher to increase their sales.
September 12, 2024 from CPSC:
MJKSARE High Chairs have been recalled because the recalled high chairs violate the regulations for high chairs, as the leg openings on the high chair are too wide, posing an entrapment hazard to infants. Additionally, the high chairs pose a fall hazard because the tray can become disengaged from the product.
Consumer Contact: TONGAO by email at gztaamz@163.com.
Description: This recall involves MJKSARE high chairs, model H-601. The high chairs fold open and closed and are covered in green padding. The front tray is green with a small cup holder. There is a tag on the bottom of the seat padding of the high chair with the date of manufacture in the format of “MM/YYYY.” All production dates are included in the recall.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the high chair, and contact TONGAO for instructions on how to dispose of the chair and receive a full refund. Amazon is contacting all known purchasers directly.
Sold Exclusively At: Online at Amazon.com from February 2024 through March 2024 for about $70.
Retailer: Guangzhoutongaomaoyiyouxiangongsi d/b/a TONGAO, of China
September 5, 2024 from Food Safety News:
"The California Legislature has banned more food ingredients in the name of food safety. This time, six food dyes are being banned from California’s public schools. Passed unanimously by the California Senate and Assembly, the California Food Safety Act only awaits the governor’s signature to become law.
"The bill prohibits public schools from serving food and beverages containing synthetic colorings, which California lawmakers believe are linked to neurobehavioral issues experienced by some children.
"Assembly Bill 2316 bans dyes in schools, including Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3. The ban follows the complete prohibition of the manufacture, sale, and distribution of any foods anywhere in California containing the additives red dye no. 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben."
September 2, 2024 from Einnews.com:
"According to a new report published by Allied Market Research titled, " Kosher Food Market by Product Type, and Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019–2026," the global kosher food market size was valued at $19.1 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $25.6 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2019 to 2026. In 2018, North America accounted for nearly 40% share of the kosher food market.
"The kosher food market growth in value sales for vegan food and clean label products is attributed to surge in demand for different kosher food, which facilitate better alternative for synthetic products. Thus, increase in willingness of customers for different types of natural ingredients in food & beverages and also the production of food with kashrut law is expected to fuel the demand for kosher food market.
"There has been an increase in number of users in various social media sites with rise in internet penetration. Considering this, most of the key players in the kosher food market strategize on promoting their products on these social media platforms. Thus, through social media marketing strategy, the kosher food market trends sights critical opportunity in gaining traction.
"The key players operating in the global kosher food industry include Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc., Unilever, General Mills (Yoplait), Cargill, Nestle, Conagra Brands, Dean Foods, PepsiCo Beverage & Foods (Tropicana), The Hain Celestial Group, and Bob's Red Mill."
August 25, 2024 from Harvard Crimson:
"Harvard University Dining Services will expand its kosher food options after a decades-long effort to introduce hot kosher lunches in undergraduate dining halls covered by the College’s undergraduate meal plan.
"HUDS will now offer students hot kosher meals for lunch and dinner six days a week at Harvard Hillel’s dining hall and two undergraduate dining halls — Annenberg Hall and Pforzheimer House. All three locations will have cold kosher offerings for lunch and dinner on Saturdays — the only day when hot options won’t be provided.
"The expansion, which implements one of the preliminary recommendations released by the presidential task force on antisemitism, comes as Harvard seeks to demonstrate its commitment to addressing campus antisemitism.
"Harvard Hillel Executive Director Jason B. Rubenstein ’04 wrote in a statement on Friday that he had been advocating for the expansion since he was an undergraduate at Harvard more than 20 years ago.
"The food offered at all three locations will be prepared under the supervision of a mashgiach from Boston’s rabbinical council (KVH), a supervisor who must oversee the preparation of food to certify that it is kosher.
"The food at Hillel will also be served under the supervision of a mashgiach, but the offerings at Annenberg and Pforzheimer will be offered to students for self-service, without mashgiach oversight.
"Though the lack of mashgiach will deter some students who follow strict kosher standards, former Hillel President Jacob M. Miller ’25 said the expansion of kosher food options to undergraduate dining halls is a “big win” for non-Orthodox Jewish students who will only eat kosher meat.
"The kosher menu will feature meat and parve options five days a week. On Thursdays, students who keep kosher will be offered dairy and fish entrées.
"Before the change, Jewish students who kept kosher could only eat hot meals at Hillel’s dining hall during dinner. While HUDS previously piloted a hot kosher lunch option in Quincy House in fall 2021, lunch offerings were usually limited to cold sandwiches or packaged and reheated leftovers. And none of the dining halls where most students eat their meals — Annenberg and the upperclassmen Houses — offered hot kosher options.
"The main constraint that prevented the addition of hot kosher options during lunch was limited storage in Hillel’s facilities, which were already “stretched thin” by storing the food needed for dinner service, according to Miller.
"Though the expansion of kosher food options was announced on social media by Hillel without much fanfare, it is one of the first major changes made by the University in response to the recommendations released by the antisemitism task force."
August 29, 2024 from Jerusalem Post:
"Israeli scientists are revolutionizing the future of food with groundbreaking advancements in cultivated meat production. Discover how new technology makes this initiative affordable.
"As global demand for animal protein is expected to double by 2050, cellular agriculture offers a solution to meet this demand, especially as resource-intensive livestock production reaches its peak capacity. Despite recent approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cultivated meat production, large-scale production of cultivated meat has not yet become a reality. Previous techno-economic analyses raised a variety of economic problems, including high costs of factories and raw materials and casting doubt about the viability of cultivated meat production.
"Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, founder of a company called Believer Meats, and a multidisciplinary team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) have now divulged their study just published in the prestigious journal Nature Food under the title 'Continuous manufacturing of cultivated meat: empirical economic analysis.'
"The research is the first proof of the potential of cost-efficient manufacturing of cultivated meat and the first empirical economic analysis based on solid data. The project brought together engineers, biologists, and chemists at HU and Believer Meats, which is currently building the world’s first large-scale industrial production facility for cultivated chicken.
"he use of tangential flow filtration (TFF) for the continuous manufacturing of cultivated meat makes possible the expansion of the biomass to 130 billion cells per liter, achieving yields of 43% weight per volume. The process was carried out continuously over 20 days, enabling daily biomass harvests.
"In addition, the new culture medium is free of animal components and is priced at just $0.63 per liter, so the continuous manufacturing method could significantly minimize the cost and complexity of cultivated meat production, potentially bringing it closer to everyday consumers.
"Using empirical data, the team conducted a techno-economic analysis of a hypothetical 50,000-liter production facility. The analysis showed that the cost of production of cultivated chicken could theoretically be cut to only $6.20 per pound, aligning with the price of organic chicken."
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