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 26, 2022 - from the FDA:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is launching a Webinar on August 11, 2022, at 1pm ET to discuss the biennial food facility registration renewal period, the requirement for facilities to have a unique facility identifier (UFI), and general information and guidance on how to register with the FDA.
U.S. and foreign human and animal food facilities that are required to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must renew their registration this year between October 1 and December 31, 2022.
Nicole Shokatz and Robert Spear from the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Compliance will lead the webinar and answer your questions submitted during registration.
Register by August 10 here.
July 21, 2022 - from The Conversation:
"Florida’s outbreak of listeria has so far led to at least one death, 22 hospitalizations and an ice cream recall since January. Humans get sick with listeria infections, or listeriosis, from eating soil-contaminated food, undercooked meat or dairy products that are raw, or unpasteurized. Listeria can cause convulsions, coma, miscarriage and birth defects. And it’s the third leading cause of food poisoning deaths in the U.S.
"Avoiding unseen food hazards is the reason people often check the dates on food packaging. And printed with the month and year is often one of a dizzying array of phrases: “best by,” “use by,” “best if used before,” “best if used by,” “guaranteed fresh until,” “freeze by” and even a “born on” label applied to some beer.
"People think of them as expiration dates, or the date at which a food should go in the trash. But the dates have little to do with when food expires, or becomes less safe to eat. I am a microbiologist and public health researcher, and I have used molecular epidemiology to study the spread of bacteria in food. A more science-based product dating system could make it easier for people to differentiate foods they can safely eat from those that could be hazardous.
"The dates on those food packages, however, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Rather, they come from food producers. And they may not be based on food safety science.
"A joint study by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the National Resources Defense Council recommends the elimination of dates aimed at consumers, citing potential confusion and waste. Instead, the research suggests manufacturers and distributors use “production” or “pack” dates, along with “sell-by” dates, aimed at supermarkets and other retailers. The dates would indicate to retailers the amount of time a product will remain at high quality.
"The FDA considers some products “potentially hazardous foods” if they have characteristics that allow microbes to flourish, like moisture and an abundance of nutrients that feed microbes. These foods include chicken, milk and sliced tomatoes, all of which have been linked to serious foodborne outbreaks. But there is currently no difference between the date labeling used on these foods and that used on more stable food items. A plastic bag of precooked, stuffed pasta lies with its label face up, reading 'Use by 22 November' and 'keep refrigerated.'
"But in the absence of a uniform food dating system, consumers could rely on their eyes and noses, deciding to discard the fuzzy bread, green cheese or off-smelling bag of salad. People also might pay close attention to the dates for more perishable foods, like cold cuts, in which microbes grow easily. They can also find guidance at FoodSafety.gov."
July 25, 2022 - from NPR:
"Plant-based meat alternatives have suddenly become cheaper than their conventional counterparts, according to new figures. Compiled by supermarket researcher Questionmark on behalf of the Dutch branch of food awareness organization ProVeg International, the data shows how inflation and high raw material prices have caused animal meat prices to skyrocket in comparison with plant-based alt meats.
"ProVeg and Questionmark systematically mapped the price differences between animal products and plant-based substitutes for the first time in February this year. They then mapped the differences again in June this year and discovered that a lot has changed, including the following price developments:
"The researchers compared the cheapest animal meat products with the cheapest associated plant-based meat alternatives of the same portion quantity, with a total of 36 different products compared. The differences between supermarkets and the products themselves remain large, with many plant-based products having a different target market and retaining a higher price. However, the results show the price parity trend to be seen across the board.
"According to ProVeg, inflation and higher raw material costs, combined with the inefficiency inherent in the production of meat is driving the trend. On average, meat became 21% more expensive between February and June, whilst plant-based meat alternatives rose in price by only 2%. In relative terms, the research shows discount supermarket options Aldi and Lidl to offer the greatest benefits for those who exchange meat for meat alternatives, with savings of no less than €6 per kilo.
July 11, 2022 - from NPR:
"Green crabs are the invasive pests that have plagued North America's marine ecosystems for more than 200 years. A New Hampshire distillery is taking on the problem by using them to make green crab-flavored whiskey. Green crabs are so abundant that it's going to take a lot more than whiskey to curb the population, but some hope bringing awareness to the issue will lead to creative solutions.
"Tamworth Distilling's Crab Trapper whiskey gets some of its flavor from green crabs caught off the coast of New Hampshire. The crabs hitched a ride to the United States on ships coming from Europe around the 1800s. Here, they eat tons of shellfish and destroy estuaries and fish habitats.
"Will Robinson, the product developer at Tamworth Distilling who had the idea for the project, said the crabs were cleaned and prepared just like any other crab you might order at a restaurant.
"First, they make a crab stock. Then, they distill it using a vacuum still — a glass machine that allows for precise temperature control.
"Each bottle of whiskey uses about a pound of green crabs."
July 7, 2022 - from Vegconomist:
"Vegan cheese producers and consumers in Turkey are facing a government ban on sales and production following an unprecedented law by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Vegan Association of Turkey has now filed a lawsuit against the ministry looking to overturn the latest in a line of plant-based censorship rulings.
"According to the Vegan Association of Turkey, article 9/3 added to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation writes that: “Products giving the impression of [dairy] cheese cannot be produced using vegetable/plant-based oil or other food ingredients.” The pretense behind the ban is “to prevent adulteration”, but any product that is considered to resemble conventional cheese, but does not even contain the word cheese in its name or marketing, can be sanctioned.
"egan cheese producers in Turkey are reported to have fallen foul of the laws already, receiving some high fines which they are now fighting in court. According to the new Turkish food regulations, even vacuum packaging is evocative of conventional dairy cheese and could be misleading for consumers. In its lawsuit, the Vegan Association of Turkey maintains that proprietary rights of manufacturers and fundamental legal principles of law are in clear violation."
July 13, 2022 - from i24 News:
"The price of bread in Israel is expected to increase by 20 percent starting Sunday as a result of a global rise in wheat prices, Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivai announced today.
"This increase comes on top of the price of eggs, which rose by 6.5 percent last Friday. As a result, a large egg now costs six cents more and the price of a tray of a dozen eggs costs 75 cents more, for a total of almost $4.
"A 9.6 percent increase in the price of electricity is expected for August as well."
July 17, 2022 - from Food Safety NEWS
"Barry Callebaut is to resume production at its factory in Belgium that was involved in a Salmonella contamination incident beginning next month.
Cleaning of the chocolate lines affected by the Salmonella-positive lecithin in the plant in Wieze, is progressing well, said the company.
The first cleaned lines should restart in early August, with a gradual ramp-up to full capacity over the following weeks.
"One batch of contaminated lecithin was unloaded at the Wieze factory on June 25. Barry Callebaut confirmed Salmonella Tennessee had been identified in the lecithin system of the factory and in samples of the delivered material. This batch came from a lecithin manufacturer in Hungary and was transported by a third party. The lecithin involved was only used at this site.
"The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) in Hungary inspected the lecithin supplier, examining the processing methods, documentation, and taking official samples. Based on follow-up investigations, affected items were not shipped to other companies. Local media named this company as The Vandamme Group.
"Blocked before public sale
"Lecithin is used in all chocolate production lines in Wieze, so the company decided to stop operations and to block all chocolate products manufactured from June 25 to 29, except for cocoa production which is not linked to the lecithin circuit.
"On July 1, Barry Callebaut confirmed that, based on its internal investigation, no affected products had entered the retail food chain. No implicated chocolate has been exported by the company outside Europe.
"Affected countries include Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, according to a RASFF alert."
June 30, 2022 - from CBS NEWS
"Salmonella bacteria have been discovered in the world's biggest chocolate plant, run by Swiss giant Barry Callebaut in the Belgian town of Wieze, the company said Thursday.
"A company spokesman told Agence France-Presse production had been halted at the factory, which produces liquid chocolate in wholesale batches for 73 clients that make confectionaries.
"'All products manufactured since the test have been blocked,' spokesman Korneel Warlop said.
"Most of the products discovered to be contaminated are still on the site, he said.
"The Wieze plant doesn't make chocolates to be sold directly to consumers and the company says it has no reason to believe any contaminated goods made by clients have made it onto shop shelves. "
June 30, 2022 - from Forbes
"Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut on Thursday announced it has suspended production at its plant in Wieze, Belgium—the world’s largest chocolate factory—after a salmonella outbreak was detected, an incident that comes just months after an outbreak at a Ferrero chocolate factory was linked to more than 300 people falling sick across the world.
"In a press statement, Barry Callebaut said it halted production after detecting salmonella in a production lot at its Wieze factory on Monday.
"The company said it has informed Belgian food authorities (FAVV) about the outbreak and has blocked all products manufactured since Monday’s test.
"The chocolate maker is also reaching out to customers who may have purchased any contaminated products, the statement added.
"Barry Callebaut’s own experts have identified the additive lecithin—used in all chocolate production—as the source of the contamination.
"The company said it plans to get to the root of the issue while keeping regulators informed and added production will only resume after the investigation is complete and production lines are cleaned and disinfected."
Salmonella found in world's biggest chocolate plant
World’s Largest Chocolate Factory Suspends Production After Detecting Salmonella
JuLY 4, 2022 - from the KRDO
"Breakfast food giant Kellogg Co. has lost a legal bid to block new anti-obesity measures in England banning the promotion of sugary cereals. The company had challenged the U.K. government over regulations taking effect in October restricting the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt. A High Court judge on Monday rejected the company’s argument that the regulations don’t take into account the nutritional value of milk added to cereal. A judge said mixing a breakfast cereal that’s high in sugar with milk does not alter the fact that it’s high in sugar. Kellogg’s said it’s disappointed but doesn’t plan to appeal.
JuLY 4, 2022 - from the Acrofan
"EFSA has given a provisional green light for human consumption of the Lesser mealworm in a major step forward for the insect industry br>With production already underway in the Netherlands, Ÿnsect is now ready to accelerate the commercialisation of its products across new European markets
"When asked if they thought (human) food manufacturers should make insect proteins more widely incorporated into their products, over three-quarters of global survey respondents (79%) said yes, as long as it is clearly indicated on the packaging."
June 27, 2022 - from Algemeiner.com:
"The New Jersey-based kosher certification agency Kof-K is suing JetBlue Airways for allegedly using its trademark to label an in-flight snack as certified kosher without its authorization.
"In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court on Thursday, Kof-K claimed that the New York-based airline used its certification mark on a packaged snack of marinated artichokes. Kof-K has not questioned the kosher status of the item, but said in the lawsuit that it never certified or approved the artichokes as kosher or gave the airline permission to use its marks.
"Kof-K is suing the airline for trademark infringement, false designation of origin and deceptive trade practices, among other claims. It also accused JetBlue of committing consumer fraud under New Jersey law and violating the New Jersey Kosher Food Consumer Protection Act.
"The artichoke product in question is produced by Elma Farms and is part of a “Mediterranean-inspired” snack box offered by JetBlue that includes other items the airline said are certified kosher under the Orthodox Union, Kashruth Council of Canada or EarthKosher. Reuters reported on Friday that the JetBlue website claimed the Elma Farms artichoke snack is “Kosher certified by KOF-K Kosher Supervision,” but as of Monday, that designation has been removed from the website.
"Elma Farms, which was not named in the lawsuit, said on its website that “most” of its snacks are certified kosher, except for three products that do not include the artichoke snack. The company does not specify which kosher certification agency it uses, although an apparent symbol of a Peruvian kashrut organization is displayed on the back label of the artichoke product.
"Kof-K is requesting an unspecified amount of money damages, and asked the court to order JetBlue to pull the snacks and refrain from using its trademarks.
"JetBlue said in statement, 'The recent complaint filed is the first we were made aware of Kof-K’s trademark concern. We are currently investigating their claims.'"
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