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 13, 2024 - from the Times of Israel:
"Dairy farms along Israel’s Gaza border have been supplying milk uninterruptedly since the outbreak of the war on October 7 owing to a small cadre of staff that remained behind while most residents evacuated to the center of the country. Among those who stayed are an unlikely group — university students from Africa and Asia.
"The students were offered the opportunity to relocate, says Altmark, but unlike Zikim’s foreign workers who were quick to leave, the students insisted on remaining.
"Zikim’s five interns are among more than 3,200 university students from 30 countries in the developing world currently training at farms across Israel. About 250 were on farms near Gaza when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed the border and brutally massacred 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted roughly 240 more to the Gaza Strip, leading Israel to launch an ongoing military operation aimed at returning the hostages and removing Hamas from power in the Strip.
"The main difficulty faced by Israeli residents in the vicinity of Gaza seems to have passed, says Emily Di Capua, noting that the incessant rocket attacks of the past few months have nearly ceased. Belgian-born Di Capua is the manager of the dairy farm at Kibbutz Karmiya, located two kilometers (1.2 miles) to the east of Zikim.
"The agricultural interns working at the kibbutz dairy farms are participants in a one-year program administered by MASHAV, the Foreign Ministry’s Agency for International Development Cooperation. In addition to dairy farming, students are training in orchard and field crops, poultry and livestock raising, and fisheries. The students do paid work on a farm five days a week and spend one day studying at one of the country’s five international agricultural training centers.
"Unlike the temporary foreign workers in Israeli farms, who usually come from small villages and have a limited educational background, the agricultural interns are all university-educated and many are aspiring entrepreneurs.
"The Internship in Agriculture Program was initiated by the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training in 1994, but Israel has a long history of reaching out to the developing world, going back to the 1950s when then-prime minister David Ben Gurion mandated extensive programs that lasted for decades. A United Nations Development Program report noted in 1975 that Israel was the largest contributor of assistance per capita of any country in the world.
"Many of those programs have dwindled since then, but as the agricultural internship program in the past few months has shown, Israel continues to reap benefits in unexpected ways."
January 6, 2024 - from the CNN:
"Raising the price of sugar-sweetened sodas, coffees, teas and energy, sports and fruit drinks by an average of 31% reduced consumer purchases of those drinks by a third, according to a new analysis of restrictions implemented in five US cities.
"'For every 1% increase in price, we found a 1% decrease in purchases of these products,” Kaplan said. “The decrease in consumer purchases occurred almost immediately after the taxes were put in place and stayed that way over the next three years of the study'
"Many sugar-sweetened beverages are packed with calories, have little to no nutritional value and contribute to chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and stroke, studies have found. Even one serving daily of a sugary soft drink was associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a 2020 study.
"No or low-calorie diet drinks have also been linked to chronic disease, while both sugary and artificially sweetened beverages have been shown to increase the risk of dying early from several causes.
" The new study did not examine the health impact of reducing sales of sugary drinks, but an earlier one by Tufts University researchers did, Kaplan said.
"That study,published in 2019, found that a 15% to 20% reduction “in consumption of sugary beverages, if expanded nationally, would reduce the health care costs over the average American life span by $270 per person, or $45 billion in total,” Kaplan said.
"The analysis, published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, looked at per ounce tax plans by ZIP code in Boulder, Colorado; Oakland, California; Philadelphia; Seattle; and San Francisco.
" 'The last tax that we looked at was implemented in January 2018. And you might ask, "Well, why haven’t there been any more?" And that’s because states like California and Washington have passed bills to basically preempt cities from doing so,' Kaplan said.
"'If states are going to preempt these taxes from going into place at the city level, then we might consider ways for these taxes to be implemented at a larger geographic level, potentially even at a federal level.'"
January 7, 2024 - from the The Hill:
"Avian flu surges in Northern California, threatening national poultry, egg supplies
"Farms across California have had to euthanize several million chickens and ducks in recent weeks, as a wave of avian influenza threatens to upend national poultry and egg supplies.
"While cases of the disease have been cropping up throughout the U.S., agricultural hubs in Northern California have endured the greatest losses over the past month.
"As of midday Friday, about 10.62 million birds in 63 flocks nationwide had been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks over the past 30 days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
"Of these flocks, 37 were commercial and 26 were backyard, and a total of 3.8 million birds were concentrated in California.
"The current spike in HPAI — on the rise since mid-fall — is the latest escalation in a nationwide outbreak that has ebbed and flowed since 2022.
"HPAI is typically introduced into the U.S. from wild birds that migrate along the East Asian Flyway and cross paths with birds traveling along the North American routes, according to UC Davis’s Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.
"Pitesky described migratory birds as “the primary reservoir” for HPAI, noting that ducks and geese often travel thousands of miles — meeting during fall in the Arctic, before heading south.
"While wild waterfowl often carry the virus without developing symptoms, spreading to domestic poultry can result in what institute researcher Michael Payne described in a statement as "“catastrophic mortality.'"
January 8, 2024 - from the Times of Israel:
"Leket Israel’s annual report says half of discarded agricultural produce is fit for human consumption and should be saved, claims imports only raise prices.
"Israel’s war against Hamas is making things even worse than they normally are for the 1.4 million Israelis who can’t afford healthy food, according to an annual report published Monday.
"Less food can be rescued and distributed to the needy, says Leket Israel, which published the Food Waste and Rescue Report, because of damage to agriculture along the Gaza border in the south and Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where the IDF is involved in daily skirmishes with the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah.
"The relative scarcity of blue-and-white agricultural produce, and the doubling of imports to 60,000 tons since the war began, has sent prices rising by double-digit percentages, making fresh fruit and vegetables even less affordable than usual, said the document, released in cooperation with the health and environmental protection ministries.
"According to the National Insurance Institute, 16.5 percent of households suffered from food insecurity in 2022. This translates into 1.4 million people, or 14.5% of the total population.
"Leket rescues food that would otherwise be thrown away and distributes it to those in need via some 200 nonprofit organizations.
"Around 2.6 million tons of food was wasted in 2022, worth roughly NIS 23.1 billion ($6.5 billion), and representing around 37% of the total amount of food produced in the country, the report said.
"Those figures are similar to ones from previous years, as are the still-unanswered calls on the government to help the economy, the environment, and the poor by developing a policy to save the roughly half of that wasted food that according to Leket is fit for human consumption.
"About 20% of Israel’s agricultural land is located in the Gaza border area. This includes 60% of the potato fields, 50% of tomato fields, and 40% of the areas where carrots and cabbages are grown. Around a third of the farmland in areas close to the Gaza border has been off-limits since October 7 for security reasons.
"Another 10% of agricultural land is close to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, the report said. This region includes around 60% of the apple orchards and more than 35% of orchards growing peaches. It also produces a large proportion of the country’s eggs and turkey meat.
"Countrywide, around 40% of the agricultural workforce (30,000 people) has been lost. Foreign workers, largely from Thailand, went home after the war began, while Palestinians are not presently allowed to enter the country.
"The thousands of volunteers who have been helping to harvest fruit and vegetables have not managed to replace hired hands.
"In the first week after the outbreak of war, tomato prices rose by about 50%, and by December the wholesale price was still 33% higher than it had been just before the war, the report said. The price of cucumbers increased by about 90% during this time. The price of potatoes rose by about 40% in the first two weeks of the fighting, and by December the wholesale price was still about 20% higher than the prewar price.
"The report cited predictions that this winter will see a 30% drop in the average production of tomatoes, a 10% shortage of cucumbers, and 20% fewer cabbages."
January 8, 2024 from AP News:
"The average liter of bottled water has nearly a quarter million invisible pieces of ever so tiny nanoplastics, detected and categorized for the first time by a microscope using dual lasers.
"Scientists long figured there were lots of these microscopic plastic pieces, but until researchers at Columbia and Rutgers universities did their calculations they never knew how many or what kind. Looking at five samples each of three common bottled water brands, researchers found particle levels ranged from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, averaging at around 240,000 according to a study in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"These are particles that are less than a micron in size. There are 25,400 microns — also called micrometers because it is a millionth of a meter — in an inch. A human hair is about 83 microns wide.
"Previous studies have looked at slightly bigger microplastics that range from the visible 5 millimeters, less than a quarter of an inch, to one micron. About 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics were discovered in bottled water, the study found.
"Much of the plastic seems to be coming from the bottle itself and the reverse osmosis membrane filter used to keep out other contaminants, said study lead author Naixin Qian, a Columbia physical chemist. She wouldn’t reveal the three brands because researchers want more samples before they single out a brand and want to study more brands. Still, she said they were common and bought at a WalMart.
"Researchers still can’t answer the big question: Are those nanoplastic pieces harmful to health?"
January 5, 2024 from MarketWatch:
"Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oil fell last year from record highs in 2022, when Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors helped worsen hunger worldwide, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday.
"The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly traded food commodities, was 13.7% lower last year than the 2022 average, but its measures of sugar and rice prices growing in that time.
"Last month, the index dropped some 10% compared with December 2022. The drop in food commodity prices in 2023 comes despite a difficult year for food security around the world.
"Climate effects like dry weather, flooding and the naturally occurring El Nino phenomenon, combined with fallout from conflicts like the war in Ukraine, bans on food trade that have added to food inflation and weaker currencies have hurt developing nations especially.
"Rice and sugar in particular were problematic last year because of climate effects in growing regions of Asia, and prices have risen in response, especially in African nations.
"Meanwhile, meat, dairy and vegetable oil prices dropped from 2022, with vegetable oil — a major export from the Black Sea region that saw big spikes after Russia invaded Ukraine — hitting a three-year low as global supplies improved, FAO said."
December 31, 2023 from YNet:
"After parting ways with Ben & Jerry's global brand and receiving special approval to independently sell the brand's products in Israel, Ben & Jerry’s Israel CEO Avi Zinger is establishing a new factory in Kiryat Gat, planned to span 19 dunams (over 3.5 acres) with an investment of 130 million shekels.
"The current factory, located in Be'er Tuvia and occupying has been operational for 20 years, reaching its full production capacity. The new and larger facility will enable Zinger to realize his vision and introduce additional products to the Israeli market.
"'Now I can do what I want,' Zinger told Ynet. 'I plan to expand the brand into other ice cream products, with the aim of increasing my market share in the ice cream industry, currently standing at 12%. I hold 49% of the ice cream pint market in Israel. The Strauss and Nestle groups tried to compete with us and failed. Our brand has always been popular among young people, but 60% of the ice cream market in the country consists of ice cream bars and popsicles, which I’m not involved in yet.
"'"I will expand the product variety so that it makes sense for retailers to only use Ben & Jerry’s coolers. We will also expand the pastry division, which produces pretzels, Belgian waffles, and blintzes – all while using natural ingredients and maintaining our brand values. Additionally, we will establish a large visitor center. In Vermont, U.S., the Ben & Jerry's visitor center is considered the best tourist site.'
"Following pressure from the BDS movement, Unilever’s autonomous board, headed by Chair Anuradha Mittal, yielded and demanded to stop selling the brand's products in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Zinger, opting to fight the parent company’s decision, caused some investors in the brand to rethink their investment in the company.
"ubsequently, Unilever — in an unusual move — decided to sell Zinger the right to independently use the brand in Israel, allowing him to continue marketing the ice cream even in Israeli settlements.
"Recently, Mittal’s name surfaced again when she wrote a post on her X account (formerly Twitter) saying the American government should stop supporting Israel, which according to her commits genocide, and called on the International Criminal Court to take action against Israel for war crimes.
"'"I haven't given interviews since my victory," Zinger said. "But people don't understand the complex situation I'm in. There are people in the settlements and customers who want to boycott the products because of her posts and don't understand that I'm Ben & Jerry's Israel and no longer affiliated with the global Ben & Jerry's brand.'
"'“I'm an entirely Israeli brand and need customers’ support,” he added. “Customers told my distributors, 'You’re Hamas supporters,' and I have to prove I don’t. This comes after the Jewish community in the U.S. rallied for my cause. I managed to put Unilever in unprecedented global positions. I've been with the brand for 35 years and won't give up on it. I was restricted about the product I sold due to contact with them; now I'm free and looking ahead.'"
December 22, 2023 from Reuters:
"Nearly 7,000 miles away in Portland, Oregon, venture capitalist George Djuric said he was compelled to visit Israel during the country's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas and to pledge support for the high-tech sector.
"Djuric, chief technology officer at yVentures who arrived in the United States as a 3-year-old refugee from Bosnia during the Bosnian war in the mid-1990s, this week joined some 70 other U.S. tech executives and investors on a trip to Israel.
"Although not Jewish, Djuric said he was drawn to Israel by the state's resiliency and as someone whose family's views were shaped by war.
"nvestors and analysts had predicted the conflict with the Palestinians would derail a fragile recovery in high-tech, which accounts for more than half of Israel's exports and nearly a fifth of its overall economic output.
"Funding had already dropped sharply amid a global slowdown and a divisive government judicial overhaul when the war took its toll on the economy. Growth, on pace for a 3.4% clip this year, has fallen to an expected 2% with the outlook at least as grim.
"At least 15% of the tech workforce has been called up for military reserve duty. Fighting in the Gaza Strip escalated on Thursday and Hamas rocketed Tel Aviv, even as the foes engaged in the most serious talks for weeks on a new truce.
"Yet, even as the war rages, tech funding deals are still getting done, albeit at a slower pace. Startups have raised more than $6 billion in 2023 compared with $16 billion in 2022.
"On Tuesday, ScaleOps, a startup specializing in cloud resource management, announced a $21.5 million funding round. Last week, cyber startup Zero Networks, which prevents attackers from spreading in corporate networks, raised $20 million.
"Ron Miasnik of Bain Capital Ventures who co-organized the delegation, said he had expected Israeli startups to go on drawing large sums. He said he believed the country's economy would ultimately bounce back."
December 28, 2023 from the CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders have been recalled because the recalled blenders can overheat or catch fire and the blender blades can break off, posing fire and laceration hazards to consumers.
Consumer Contact: BlendJet toll-free at 844-334-0562 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at www.blendjet.com/safetyandrecall or www.blendjet.com and click on “Recall Information” at the top of the page for more information.
This recall involves BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders sold in a variety of colors and designs. Serial numbers are printed on the bottom of the base along with “blendjet2” and “The Original Portable Blender.” The blenders measure approximately 9.5 inches in height and 3 inches wide and weigh approximately 1.5 pounds. Units where the first 4 digits of the serial number are between 5201-5542 and are subject to the recall must be identified through the use of the “Is my BlendJet 2 Recalled?” tool located at www.blendjet.com/safetyandrecall.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled blenders and contact BlendJet for a free replacement of the BlendJet 2 base unit. Consumers will need to remove and cut the rubber seal from the base of their recalled blender into three or more pieces and upload or email a photo showing the serial number on the bottom of the unit and its rubber seal in pieces to BlendJet at www.blendjet.com/safetyandrecall or safety@blendjet.com to receive a free replacement base. Consumers can identify whether they have a recalled unit by entering the serial number of their unit into the “Is my BlendJet 2 Recalled?” tool located at www.blendjet.com/safetyandrecall, or by calling BlendJet toll-free number at 844-334-0562.
The firm has received approximately 329 reports of the blades breaking while in use, and an additional 17 reports of overheating or fires resulting in property damage claims of approximately $150,000. The firm has received about 49 reports of minor burns and one report of a laceration injury.
Sold At: Costco, Walmart, Target and other stores nationwide and online at BlendJet.com from October 2020 through November 2023 for between $50 and $75.
December 26, 2023 from the World Israel News:
"The owner of a restaurant in the village of Julis has made her establishment kosher, joining a trend begun weeks ago by eateries eager to also feed soldiers and evacuees who keep the Jewish dietary restrictions, so none are left out.
"Noor owner Basma Khir wanted to provide authentic Druze cuisine to everyone affected by the ongoing war with Hamas, and turned through a contact to Deputy Minister of Transportation Uri Maklev of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party for help. His office immediately connected her with the kashruth division of the Chief Rabbinate, which made all the arrangements."
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