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 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."
August 29, 2024 from Nebraska Examiner:
"Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture announced new regulations Thursday against “lab-grown meat” or “fake meat,” with Pillen eyeing 2025 legislation to prohibit the sale of such products within the state.
"On top of new regulations, standards and the potential legislation, Pillen signed an executive order Thursday that prohibits state agencies from procuring lab-grown or other meat alternatives. The order also requires entities that contract with the State of Nebraska to promise not to discriminate against natural products in favor of laboratory or cultivated meat producers.
"Nebraska Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton said her agency will be launching new labeling regulations 'simply to protect consumers from being misled.'
"Similar to recent regulations in Iowa, manufactured protein or lab-grown meat would be required to be clearly and distinctly separated from “natural, real meat” under the future regulations and be labeled as such with a conspicuous and prominent label, Vinton said.
"Standards will also be developed to determine when manufactured food, cell-grown or lab-grown meat is being falsely advertised or misbranded, she said.
"Pillen described the new efforts as “a big deal” as Nebraska enters “a full-blown attack on lab-grown meats and fake meat.” He campaigned on the promise to tackle fake meat and dairy in 2022 and said Thursday he should have embraced the changes on his “second day.”
"Secretary of State Bob Evnen received and signed the executive order Thursday afternoon, so it took effect right away."
August 29, 2023 - from the Jewish Press:
"The U.S. Open is back, and so is PKS, the premier kosher food vendor, returning to serve up a storm of delicious kosher cuisine to tennis enthusiasts and foodies alike.
"All food served by PKS is under the strict kosher supervision of the Kof-K, with a Mashgiach Temidi (full-time kosher supervisor) on site to ensure the highest standards of kashrus. The US Open has also proven to be hub for frum Jews, who flock to the tournament to enjoy the free Fan Week festivities, as well as the exciting matches throughout the tournament."
August 27, 2024 from Washington Post:
"Scientists at the University of California at Davis tested avocado oil samples, and have for the first time revealed the names of a dozen retailers who they say sold products labeled as avocado oil that contained cheap seed and vegetable oils, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger and Safeway. The companies didn’t respond to requests for comment.
"The researchers found that at least 21 of the products labeled as avocado oil — nearly two-thirds of the 36 bottles they tested— were adulterated, in some cases with other oils that could pose a hazard to people with food sensitivities. The newly released findings are based on tests conducted in 2021 on bottles of store-brand avocado oil purchased from 19 large grocery stores in the United States and Canada.
"Other retailers whose products failed testing said they couldn’t verify findings based on bottles of oil tested in 2020 or 2021. Some retailers confirmed they don’t do their own testing and instead rely on suppliers and third-party services to verify the purity of the oil.
"The UC-Davis research suggested that low-priced avocado oils were the most likely to be adulterated. Most major retailers do not produce their own avocado oil, and instead buy it from suppliers, bottle it and put their store labels on it.
"Much of the avocado oil sold by retailers is “refined,” which means it’s a lower-quality, highly-processed oil that is bleached, deodorized and filtered. (Virgin and extra virgin oils are “unrefined” and typically pressed from high-quality avocados without using heat or chemicals.)
"Some suppliers and producers said it’s an open secret that adulteration is rampant in the avocado oil industry. Ben Barnard, the founder and chairman of AvoPacific, one of the largest avocado oil producers in North America, said he has seen competitors selling refined avocado oil to retailers for prices so low that it would not be possible for them to make a profit if their avocado oil was real.
"The company said that most of its oil is sold under its own label, AvoPacific. In 2020, UC-Davis tested an AvoPacific oil sold under the brand name “CalPure Extra Virgin Avocado Oil,” and it passed their tests.
"The tests showed that six retailers — Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Metro, Meijer and Kroger — sold bottles labeled as avocado oil that contained high levels of oleic sunflower or safflower oils. These oils are less expensive than avocado oil and have different health and culinary properties. At Target and Sprouts, the researchers found bottles of store-brand avocado oil that their tests indicated contained canola oil, a less expensive cooking oil.
"In some cases, the tests showed that bottles labeled avocado oil contained other oils that could not be identified. The researchers said they found that sunflower, safflower, canola, and soybean oils were the most common adulterants in products labeled as avocado oil. These oils look similar to refined avocado oil but are cheaper to make.
"Price was not always a reliable indicator of adulteration. One of the most expensive products included in the study was Stop & Shop’s store-brand “extra-virgin” avocado oil, which sells for close to $9 for an 8.45-ounce bottle, or more than a dollar per ounce. The researchers tested two bottles of the product and found that both contained oils that were neither extra virgin nor avocado oil. It was unclear what type of oil or oils were in the bottles.
"Stop & Shop’s cold-pressed “Extra Virgin” avocado oil was the only extra-virgin oil in the study that was found to be adulterated with other oils.
"n general, retailers who responded to questions about the adulterated oils said it’s impossible for them to verify findings based on bottles of oil tested that were made in 2020 or 2021.
"In a statement, Stop & Shop said that the avocado oil included in the UC-Davis study was procured from a former supplier and that it is no longer available in its stores.
"Wang at UC-Davis said retailers should not rely solely on certifications from suppliers for products that are at high risk of being adulterated. 'Retailers should do their own testing to ensure that the label on the bottle is consistent with the product in the bottle,' she said.
"Wang said it was possible in cases where a retailer did its own independent testing that their results might differ from UC-Davis’s test results if different lots were tested or if the retailer used multiple suppliers. “We have observed significant differences in the quality and purity of oil from different lot numbers, even when sourced from the same retailer,” she added."
Source Papers:
August 29, 2024 from the Government of Canada:
Samsung Slide-In Electric Ranges are a Fire hazard
What to do: Consumers using the recalled ranges without knob locks or covers are cautioned to ensure that children and pets are kept away from the knobs, to not leave objects on the range when not in use, and to check that the knobs are off before leaving home or going to sleep. Consumers should contact Samsung Canada to receive a free set
List of recalled products is here.
Issue: Humans and pets can accidentally activate the front-mounted knobs on the ranges, posing a fire hazard.
As of August 28, 2024, the company has received over 57 reports of incidents in Canada, and 7 reports of injuries.
Consumers with Wi-Fi enabled ranges can enable the “Cooktop On” notification on the Samsung SmartThings app to receive alerts on their smartphone when a cooktop burner is turned on. F
or more information, consumers can contact Samsung Canada by telephone at 1-833-775-0120 from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. ET, Monday through Sunday or visit the recall portal on the company website.
August 8, 2024 from CPSC :
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Samsung Electronics America Inc. has announced a voluntary recall for certain slide-in electric range models with front-mounted knobs. The remedy for this recall is free knob locks or covers for specific models sold in the U.S. between 2013 and 2024.
This announcement addresses potential activation of range knobs through accidental contact by people or pets, posing a fire hazard if flammable objects are left on top of the range.
The following slide-in electric range models are included in this announcement:
|
| Affected Models |
|
|
NE58F9500SS/AA |
NE58K9850WS/AA |
NE58R9431ST/AA |
NE63T8111SG/AA | NE63T8511ST/AA |
NE58F9710WS/AA |
NE58K9852WG/AA | NE63A8711QN/AA | NE63T8111SS/AA | NE63T8711SG/AA |
NE58H9950WS/AA |
NE58N9430SG/AA | NE63BB851112AA | NE63T8311SG/AA | NE63T8711SS/AA |
NE58K9430SS/AA |
NE58R9311SS/AA | NE63BB871112AA | NE63T8311SS/AA | NE63T8711ST/AA |
NE58K9500SG/AA |
NE58R9431SG/AA | NE63BG8315SSAA | NE63T8511SG/AA | NE63T8751SG/AA |
NE58K9850WG/AA |
NE58R9431SS/AA | NE63CB831512AA | NE63T8511SS/AA | NE63T8751SS/AA |
Free Knob Locks or Covers: Samsung is providing slide-in electric range customers with a set of free knob locks or covers, depending on their model, to prevent accidental activations from occurring. Customers may continue to use their slide-in electric ranges while awaiting their set of free knob locks or covers.
Samsung also recommends consumers follow these range-safety precautions, regardless of range type or manufacturer:
You can learn how to obtain your free knob locks or covers plus additional information here.
August 21, 2024 from Chabad.org:
"Chabad of West Palm Beach, Fla., has teamed up with Palm Beach County to provide free kosher lunches to seniors.
"The kosher food program is the first of its kind to be offered by the county, which has 13 other free meal sites.
"As many as 50 meals a day are served from November to April in south Florida’s West Palm Beach. Off season, attendance drops somewhat. Jewish participants have welcomed the food and camaraderie offered at the Chabad center.
"The program launched six months ago. Since then, registered seniors, 60 and up, dine every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, except on Jewish holidays.
"The county is reimbursed by the federal government for the meals, but not for the surplus cost of kosher food. When putting together a proposal, Gancz called several kosher caterers and discovered it would be three times more expensive than non-kosher food.
"Gancz is seeking community partners who want to sponsor the extra cost of kosher meals for a week or month. Meanwhile, Chabad budgets for the increased cost."
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