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.
July 29, 2024 from Matzav.com:
"Volunteers in Israel have saved agricultural produce valued at $50 million since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, even amid major damage to the country’s agricultural sector, according to a study released this week.
"Hundreds of thousands of volunteers from Israel and around the world have helped rescue over 35,000 tons of produce, according to Leket Israel, The National Food Bank, a registered Israel-based charity.
"Nearly one in two Israelis volunteered in the first months of the war, earlier surveys have shown, while both Jewish and Christian volunteers from around the globe came to Israel to help hard-hit farmers harvest their crops.
"The price of fresh produce in Israel still increased by as much as 18% during the first six months of the war, the report found, while fruit prices rose by as much as 12%.
"Nearly a third of Israel’s agricultural land lies in frontline areas, with about 22% in the Gaza border area and 10% on the northern border with Lebanon.
"The study found that increased food waste as a result of the war cost the economy approximately $275 million, including $185 million worth of wasted food.
"More than 20% of produce was wasted as a result of the war, the study found, compared to less than 10% before the war broke out."
July 26, 2024 from the FoodBev Media:
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"Despite existing legislation, the EU recorded 15 such cases at the beginning of 2018. However, according to data accessed by The Guardian under freedom of information laws, 50 such cases have already been recorded in Q1 of 2024.
"The data includes instances of olive oil found to be adulterated with oils of a cheaper quality and even those unsuitable for human consumption, pesticides and shards of glass.
"Paris, France-based cultivated meat start-up Gourmey has filed 'Europe's first' submission to sell its foie gras product made from cultivated duck cells.
"This EU submission is one of five simultaneously filed worldwide including Singapore, the US, UK and Switzerland. The firm filed applications with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK, the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) and the European Commission (EC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
"As Gourmey does not use gene-edited or genetically modified cells, its application falls in scope of the novel food regulation. To support the application, the start-up prepared a dossier in accordance with the relevant regulations and EFSA guidance.
"Before a cultivated meat product can be sold in Europe, it needs to be approved by the European Commission. The market authorisation of cultivated meat is governed by the Novel Foods Regulation, which is one of the most robust food safety frameworks in the world.
"Once the European Commission approves a cultivated meat product, it can be sold across all 27 EU countries. The approval process will include a thorough and evidence-based assessment of the safety and nutritional value of cultivated meat and is estimated to take at least 18 months.
"During risk management and the public consultation phase of the process, it also enables the consideration of the potential social, economic and environmental impacts of the food in question. The European Commission and member states have a role in the approvals process alongside scientific experts at the European Food Safety Authority, to ensure authorisation decisions are representative and retain the buy-in of all stakeholders."
July 29, 2024 from the Food Ingredients First:
"The EU has recorded a sharp increase in potential cases of olive oil fraud and mislabeling in the first quarter of this year, attributed to rising prices for key commodities worldwide.
"Extra virgin olive oil prices have skyrocketed to an unprecedented level due to climate change and the burden of high interest rates. The most influential olive markets in the EU — Bari (Italy), Chania (Greece) and Jaén (Spain) — are grappling with historic price surges. At the same time, global production has plummeted from 3.4 metric tons last year to 2.3 metric tons this year.
"Industry experts predicted a scenario where the global demand for the kitchen staple will outweigh supply, in May this year. The crunch has led to increased prices and fraudulent activities, including mislabeling, adulterated olive oil and potential fraud cases.
"The EU has marketing standards to ensure that agricultural products in the market meet standardized and satisfactory quality standards and can deliver on consumer expectations.
"The EU olive oil legislation explicitly lays down the different categories of olive and olive-pomace oils and the relevant analysis methods to be used by member states control authorities. The regulation also defines rules for labeling and packaging olive oil and related products.
"EU law stipulates that EU countries must perform several checks and controls in line with the volume of olive oil marketed in their country. This helps the Commission ensure the region follows marketing standards for olive and olive-pomace oils.
"Despite existing legislation, the EU recorded 15 such cases at the beginning of 2018. However, according to data accessed by The Guardian under freedom of information laws, 50 such cases have already been recorded in Q1 of 2024.
"The data includes instances of olive oil found to be adulterated with oils of a cheaper quality and even those unsuitable for human consumption, pesticides and shards of glass.
"Meanwhile, in Spain — which accounts for more than 40% of the world’s olive oil production — 41 cases of olive oil fraud and non-compliance have been reported since the beginning of 2023.
"Member states take action based on the seriousness of the irregularities detected."
July 28, 2024 from Yahoo/Finance:
"The Global Kosher Food Market Size was Valued at USD 40.61 Billion in 2023 and the Worldwide Kosher Food Market Size is Expected to Reach USD 73.51 Billion by 2033, according to a research report published by Spherical Insights & Consulting.
"Companies covered: Nestlé S.A., ConAgra Foods, Inc., General Mills, Inc., PepsiCo, Inc., Kellogg Company, The Kraft Heinz Company, Tyson Foods, Inc., Mars, Incorporated, Unilever PLC, Hormel Foods Corporation, The Hershey Company, Coca-Cola Company, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, Incorporated, Danone S.A., Manischewitz Company, Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Eden Foods, Inc., Kosher Valley, LLC, Kayco, Others, and other key Vendors.
"The pareve segment dominates the market with the highest market share of the kosher food market during the projected period.
"The meat segment is expected to grow at the fastest pace in the kosher food market during the projected period.
"The supermarkets and hypermarkets segment is expected to grow at the fastest pace in the kosher food market during the projected period.
"North America is expected to hold the largest share of the kosher food market over the forecast period."
July 11, 2024 from FDA:
Urban Outfitters Inc.is recalling Elin Dessert Plates because of elevated levels of cadmium in plates. The recalled plates are lilac in color with orange mushroom, moth, and fern motifs. The plates measure 21 cm (8.25 inches) in diameter and have scalloped edges. Plates sold individually in store.
July 24, 2024 from Times of Israel:
"Eating Bamba, Israel’s quintessential peanut-butter-flavored snack, is proven to reduce peanut allergies in children by 75 percent, according to a recent study in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, bearing out what many Israelis already know.
"The longitudinal study began in 2008 when a group of British and Israeli researchers were intrigued by how peanut allergy in Israeli children was significantly less common compared to Jewish children in the UK with similar genetic backgrounds.
"They hypothesized that the low level of peanut allergy in Israeli children resulted from their high level of peanut-flavored snacks from an early age. They set out to test it, eventually proving right their hypothesis.
"pproximately 640 infants, aged 4 to 11 months, who showed a tendency to develop various allergies such as eczema and egg allergy were selected for the study. Half of those infants were already sensitive to peanuts; half were not.
"Each group was then divided into two – infants who regularly ate Bamba until the age of five and those who did not.
"When the infants turned five years old, the researchers found that only 10% of those who ate Bamba developed a peanut allergy; 35% of the children who avoided peanuts developed the allergy.
"In the follow-up study, researchers again checked the children, who had turned 12.
"They found similar results. In the group that avoided peanuts, 15.4% of participants had developed a peanut allergy. In the group that consumed peanuts, only 4.4% had the allergy. That means that the prevalence of peanut allergy among the children who avoided Bamba was about three times higher than those who ate the snack.
"Yet no study explains why some children get peanut and other food allergies and others do not."
July 20, 2024 from The Portugal News:
"The Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) carried out an inspection operation at a vegetable oil extraction and refining industry in Torres Novas, which resulted in the seizure of 18,200 litres of cooking oil and 177,690 labels mentioning olive oil, with strong suspicions that this cooking oil would be marketed as olive oil.
"In view of the evidence of fraudulent practices, a criminal case was opened on suspicion of fraud involving goods and an administrative offense case was initiated due to poor hygiene and structural conditions, with the immediate suspension of the activity being ordered."
July 25, 2024 from CPSC :
Wood dining chairs have been recalled because the recalled chairs can shift, break or collapse, posing a fall hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: Grand Rapids Chair Company toll-free at 866-453-4748 Ext. 147 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at retrofits@grandrapidschair.com, or online at www.grandrapidschair.com/customer-service/product-safety-recall-brooke/ or www.grandrapidschair.com and click on “Brooke Recall” for more information.
Description: This recall involves Brooke model chairs including: all wood dining chairs in several styles, including partially and fully upholstered seats, and fully upholstered seat and back. The model numbers W520, W520-11, W520-21, W520-31, and W520-33 can be found on the original order confirmation or invoice. If not available, reference the Special Order Number (“SO#”) found on the white sticker on the underside of each chair. A list of affected special order numbers can be found at www.grandrapidschair.com/customer-service/product-safety-recall-brooke/.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled wood dining chairs and contact Grand Rapids Chair Company for a free repair, by Grand Rapids Chair Company personnel at the consumer’s location.
Sold At: Made to order via special orders from January 2020 through June 2024 for between $450 and $1,015.
July 25, 2024 from CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
Lancaster Table & Seating Standard Height Plastic Restaurant High Chairs have been recalled because the T-bar located at the front middle of the chair can become loose and fall or break off while the high chair is in use, posing a fall hazard to children.
Consumer Contact: Clark Associates at 800-285-8172 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at highchairs@lancastertableandseating.com, or online at https://www.lancastertableandseating.com/recalls/plastic-high-chairs-recall or https://www.lancastertableandseating.com/ and click on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the homepage for more information.
Description: This recall involves 12 models of Lancaster Table & Seating Standard Height Plastic Restaurant High Chairs. The plastic high chairs are brown, black or gray, and were sold in either assembled or ready-to-assemble form, with or without wheels. The item number is printed on the warning label found on the back of the seatback. The item numbers included in the recall are:
The list of recalled products is at here
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled high chairs and contact Clark Associates for a full refund. Consumers should register their product online at https://www.lancastertableandseating.com/recalls/plastic-high-chairs-recall and dispose of the product in accordance with local and state recycling laws.
Sold At: The Restaurant Store nationwide and online at www.therestaurantstore.com, www.webstaurantstore.com, www.clarkfoodserviceequipment.biz, www.quicksupply.com, and www.hometownprovisions.net from June 2014 through January 2024 for between $65 and $135.
February 23, 2023 from the CPSC in conjunction with Heathy Canadians:
Lancaster Table & Seating brand High Chairs have been recalled because the high chairs can break, posing a fall hazard to children.
Consumer Contact: Clark Associates at 800-285-8172 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at highchairs@lancastertableandseating.com, online via direct link at www.lancastertableandseating.com/recall or at https://www.therestaurantstore.com or https://www.webstaurantstore.com and click on Safety Recall located on the bottom of the page for more information.
This recall involves Lancaster Table & Seating brand high chairs. The high chairs have black, mahogany, natural or walnut finishes and were sold in either assembled or ready-to-assemble form. Only high chairs manufactured in China are affected. “Made in China” or “made in ____” is printed on the warning label found on the front of the seatback and on the product label found on the underside of the seat bottom. The model number is printed in the label on the underside of the seat bottom.
| Assembled | Ready to Assemble |
| 164HIGHCBK | 164HIGHCKDBK |
| 164HIGHCMO | 164HIGHCKDMO |
| 164HIGHCNAT | 164HIGHCKDNT |
| 164HIGHCWN | 164HIGHCWN |
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled high chairs and return them to any of the Restaurant Store locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware or Maryland or contact Clark Associates for a free replacement or refund in the form of a store credit and instructions on how to properly discard the product. Consumers will be asked to submit a photo of the dismantled or destroyed product and dispose of it.
Sold At: The Restaurant Store and online at www.therestaurantstore.com and www.webstaurantstore.com from January 2022 through September 2022 for between $43 and $65.
July 24, 2024 from the MK:
"Earlier this month, MK Global Kosher Certification Agency (MK) and the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR), the two largest Canadian kosher certifying agencies, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the public affairs and advocacy agent of the organized Jewish community, and various Jewish community stakeholders sought the suspension of new CFIA guidelines that have been significantly impacting the viability of shechita (ritual kosher slaughter).
July 10, 2024 from the The Hamilton Spectator:
"A group of agencies that certify Kosher meat are in court today to ask for an injunction against Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidelines for the ritual slaughter of animals.
"Kosher meat calls for animals to be slaughtered without first being stunned.
"While the Kosher method of slaughtering animal for meat is allowed in Canada, the food inspection agency posted guidelines in 2021 outlining how abattoirs must determine if an animal is unconscious and can no longer feel pain.
"The Kosher groups argue that achieving the criteria is seriously slowing down production to the point abattoirs no longer want to provide the service, and has reduced access to Kosher meat in Canada."
A letter from the CIJA, COR and MK is here
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