K A S H R U T . C O M_©

September 6, 2023 from the Reuters:

"Kroger Co (KR.N) and Albertsons Cos Inc (ACI.N) are nearing a deal they hope will secure U.S. regulatory clearance for their proposed $24.5 billion merger, by selling more than 400 grocery stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers for nearly $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

"The deal would give privately held C&S, primarily a supplier rather than an operator of grocery stores, a much more significant footprint. It currently operates about two dozen stores under the Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly brands.

"The stores that Kroger and Albertsons plan to shed are primarily in the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain states, along with some in California, Texas, Illinois, and the East Coast, the sources said.

"An agreement may be reached as early as this week, they said, adding it remained unclear whether it will allay regulators' fears that a combined Kroger and Albertsons would have too much control over grocery prices.

"C&S has been looking to build its own store presence in a fiercely competitive market for supplying groceries. It lost one of its largest customers when Ahold Delhaize (AD.AS) decided to transition to self-distribution in 2019."

August 31, 2023 from the CPSC:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using iCraves high chairs because they do not comply with federal safety standards for high chairs and for infant sleep products and pose a suffocation risk, as well as entrapment and fall hazards to infants.

The high chairs fail to meet performance requirements under the mandatory safety standard for high chairs, posing entrapment and fall hazards. The high chairs also fail to meet the safety requirements of CPSC’s Infant Sleep Products Rule and the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, because they were marketed for infant sleep and have an incline angle greater than 10 degrees, posing a suffocation risk. The high chairs and their packaging also lack a tracking label containing certain required information, such as the date of manufacture, which is required for children’s products including durable infant or toddler products.

The seller, Brosishop Ltd, of United Kingdom, doing business as iCraves, has been unresponsive to CPSC requests to recall the high chairs.

The high chairs were sold online at www.icraves.com for about $260. However, the website is no longer operational. The high chairs were sold in the following colors: peach pink, green, purple, and blue. The high chairs contain a recline feature to allow the baby to sleep. Bestbaby and model BS-806 are listed on the packaging. All labeling on the high chairs are in Mandarin.

CPSC urges consumers to stop using the high chairs immediately, disassemble the seat from the frame, cut the padding, and dispose of all the parts separately. Report any incidents involving injury or product defect to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.

August 31, 2023 from the CPSC:

Frigidaire Stainless-Steel 30-inch 4 Burner and 36-inch 5 Burner Gas Cooktops have been recalled because the plastic control knobs with a black shaft on the cooktop can crack or break during use, posing a risk of gas leak, fire hazard.

Consumer Contact: Online at www.Cooktopknobrecall.com or online at www.Frigidaire.com and click “Recall Information” under the “Owner Support” tab at the top of the homepage or under Customer Service at the bottom of the homepage for more information or by phone at 800-314-3998 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET or via email at cooktopknobrecall@electrolux.com.

Description: This recall involves all Frigidaire Stainless-Steel 30-inch 4 Burner Gas Cooktops (model FFGC3026SS) and Frigidaire Stainless-Steel 36-inch 5 Burner Gas Cooktops (model FFGC3626SS) with control knobs with black shafts. The model number and serial number are located on a label on the underside of the unit. The cooktops have “FRIGIDAIRE” on the front, lower left corner. The following serial numbers are included in this recall:

Initiative Makes Kosher More Accessible in U.S. Navy

August 16, 2023: from the Chabad.org:

"When Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel DiLiscia sets out this month for two years on the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, the nuclear engineer and electrician is hopeful that his kosher-food experience will be better than it was during his first five years in the military. DiLiscia has endured long periods both on land and at sea, where he described himself as a “starving serviceman.”

"When he deployed on the USS Roosevelt just before Chanukah, 2020, kosher MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat—shelf-stable, self-contained food rations) did not arrive on the ship.

"'From Chanukah until Pesach, I ate salad with beans and tuna from cans. Your mouth goes numb. I started to look for kosher hot sauce to put on it. I worked 20 hours a day, was malnourished and lost 35 pounds.'

"As Passover approached, and DiLiscia and his shipmates were in the South China Sea, he was gearing up for a holiday without matzah and other kosher provisions. “The kosher kits were stuck in Australia,” he laments. 'Three hours before Pesach, a Pesach miracle occurred—boxes and boxes of matzah and other food arrived!'

"Thanks to a recent collaboration between the Navy, Chabad, the Aleph Institute and the Orthodox Union, eating nutritious kosher meals daily will be much easier for Jewish sailors on many of the 280 Navy vessels, which include aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers.

"New Agreements Cut Through Red Tape: While kosher food has technically been available for Jewish sailors for many years, sailors on board various naval vessels began sharing some of their frustrations and difficulties keeping kosher with Rabbi Elie Estrin, military personnel liaison for the Aleph Institute and editor of The Jewish-American Warrior.

"'There was kosher food on ships before,” said Estrin. “The issue was how to provide each type of ship with a unique and workable system.” He points out that different types of ships have different systems, storage capacities and methods for restocking at sea, and that keeping kosher aboard a naval vessel involves complex logistics, including carefully scripted food menus, limited storage space and resupply opportunities, and strict fire-safety and food-handling measures necessary on the Navy’s ships. “We set out to bridge the gap and show the Navy that they have kosher food on board and that it is not difficult to solve.'

"Standardizing New Systems With the Orthodox Union: After compiling feedback from kosher-observant sailors, Estrin patiently and systematically began to address the issues with the Navy in 2019. The process started with brainstorming sessions and phone conferences with the Navy’s senior Jewish chaplain, Cmdr. Aaron Kleinman, and a third individual, a Jewish Navy Supply Corps officer. They met with senior logistics officers who began studying the various problems and possibilities.

"While these conversations did not resolve every issue, a significant breakthrough occurred when Rabbi Eli Eleff got involved. Eleff, rabbinic coordinator and community relations for OU Kosher—the world's largest kosher supervisory agency—began consulting with Aleph on questions regarding military chaplaincy. Estrin quickly realized that Eleff had both the food systems knowledge and the organizational impact of the OU to move the process forward. A team got to work.

"Eleff worked closely with Kleinman, who was now stationed at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia, and other senior Navy officials at Atlantic Fleet Force Command. Kleinman obtained permission for Eleff and senior OU kashrut supervisor Rabbi Daniel Sharratt to tour three ships docked at Norfolk Naval Base, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the amphibious assault vessel USS Bataan and the destroyer USS Cole. Chaplain Capt. Brian Stamm, Atlantic Fleet Force Command Chaplain, led the tour, accompanied by both Kleinman and Estrin.

"The work of the rabbis helped the Navy see that they were already on the road to providing a kosher experience to their sailors. The team found that 80% of dry foods and the fruits and vegetables used were already certified kosher or were inherently kosher.

"In addition, it became clear to the senior Navy staff that complications arise when foods are prepared in kitchens that cannot be made kosher. The rabbis helped the Navy see that there were usually simple ways to allow sailors to enjoy three nutritious kosher meals each day aboard most Naval vessels—as long as there is good communication and clear explanations about the basics of kashrut.

"Eleff and Sharratt next prepared a comprehensive report, which will be distributed to Naval supply officers, chaplains and Jewish sailors. It provides guidelines for requisitioning kosher supplies and how to use kosher meals on different classes of vessels."

August 10, 2023 from the CPSC:

Carboys: The glass can break due to improper cooling processes, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.

Consumer Contact: Saxco International LLC toll-free at 877-641-4003 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at productrecall@saxco.com or online at www.Saxco.com/productrecall or www.saxco.com and click on “Important Safety Recall” for more information.

This recall involves carboys which are glass jugs used for holding and transporting various liquids, including beer, wine, cider and mead made by consumers in their homes. The carboys were sold in three-, five-, six- and six-point-five-gallon sizes. The carboys have the Saxco logo on the bottom of the carboy. The carboys were sold individually or in TrueBrew or HCS equipment kits (for five- and six-gallon carboys).

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled carboys and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Sold At: Various stores nationwide and online from September 2022 through March 2023 for between $16 and $31 for carboys sold individually and for between $90 and $150 when sold in a kit.