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.
November 6, 2023 - from the Food Dive:
"While the prospect of eating insects sounds unacceptable to many consumers, industry leaders see significant promise in their ability to help meet the need for a more sustainable supply chain and more protein.
"Alexandra Kazaks, PhD, RD, a member of the nutrition division at the Institute of Food Technologists, said the entry of Tyson Foods into the insect space lends it legitimacy. Last month, the meat giant announced a strategic investment with startup Protix to boost insect ingredients for use in the food supply chain, specifically for use in animal feed.
"Despite Tyson not investing in insects for use in human food, Kazaks said it comes as industry players are taking the prospect of implementing bugs into the food system seriously, and scaling up production can help it meet that demand. Insect farming, she said, currently lacks the infrastructure for widespread adoption. The space can help solve costly issues, she said, including feedstock availability, disease management and environmental sustainability.
"s food and beverage companies work to overhaul their supply chains to reduce their carbon footprint over the next decade, implementing insect protein into their operations could drive down their use of resources. 8 square meters of land are needed to grow a pound of crickets, compared to 115 square meters needed for a pound of beef, producer Cricket Powder said.
"According to the IFT expert, companies starting with using insects as animal feed could provide fewer barriers for entry into the space with lower costs.
"Adventurous eaters looking for new protein sources are the most likely consumers to try new products made with insects. Future insect-based products could include dietary supplements, flavor enhancers, powders, bars and burger patties."
October 30, 2023 - from the Food & Beverage Insider:
"Israeli food company, food tech startups, chefs unite to provide meals for soldiers, displaced families
"The Israel-Hamas war commenced on Oct. 7, 2023, and has since claimed more than 1,400 Israeli lives. On Oct. 8, Omer Tal, head chef and culinary consultant for plant-based meat company Redefine Meat Ltd., began an effort to aid soldiers, personnel and displaced families affected by the devastating event. Tal contacted Dor Datner, owner of 12 eateries in Tel Aviv, to partner to help create nearly 6,000 vegan meals in one week, with the help of a collaborative of other Israeli food tech startups, vegan food producers, and 100 volunteers and private chefs. Several food tech startups provided their plant-based innovations as raw materials; Redefine Meat Ltd. donated three tons of its plant-based meat alternatives, including alt-beef and alt-lamb; vegan food producers Green Butcher and More Foods provided their alt-beef products; YoEgg! Foods contributed its plant-based eggs; Creative Pea offered its pea-based chicken and fish solutions; vegan food companies Plenty 4u, Mama Q and Utopi E.y.m. provided nondairy products like cheeses; and Israeli Tofu donated tofu products, including plant-based schnitzel. Vegan iterations of spaghetti and meatballs Bolognese, chicken skewers, fish patties, poached eggs in tomato sauce, cheese pastries and other products were created and used to create fully balanced meal kits, each featuring a protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and a dessert. The meals sustained approximately 400,000 individuals. Though the weeklong effort came to an end, Tal said he is currently working with several smaller private kitchens and restaurants to continue to provide raw materials for 50 meals each day for Israeli soldiers, evacuated families and injured survivors."
November 1, 2023 - from the Food Dive:
"The country has been a hotbed for the tech sector, especially for food, but the Israel-Hamas war has put employee engagement and product development initiatives on hold.
"Between an increasingly difficult funding environment and key industry executives taken away from their everyday duties to join the IDF and support military personnel, it’s unclear if, and when, the category will recover from such upheaval.
"Some food tech startups have delayed media announcements and launch dates, and FoodTech IL, an international conference held in Tel Aviv each fall to showcase Israeli food innovation, was postponed indefinitely. The conference was originally slated to start on Nov. 7th.
"Imagindairy — an Israeli food tech startup focusing on producing dairy products without the cow — recently had to delay a major announcement due to the situation unfolding at home.
"Though 2022 brought challenges to the space in the form of failures in global food supply, macroeconomic declines and geopolitical tensions, according to Nir Goldstein, CEO of GFI Israel, the tragic events that have unfolded in recent weeks may pose an even greater threat.
"The Israeli region cultivates an environment suitable for funding as many executives in the space are familiar with each other, but this small population of executives means that an entire industry is affected when conflict erupts.
"'That six degrees of separation that exists elsewhere is much smaller in Israel, probably one or two degrees,' said Morris. Where these two degrees of separation may be advantageous in the investing arena, it has put a burden on the industry in recent weeks.
"The Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner firm has an Israeli base, and 15 minutes prior to Food Dive’s interview with Morris, he received a call from one of his colleagues there. He was calling from a bomb shelter.
"Relying on resilience, companies are determined to keep business running smoothly, he said.
"It may be these two degrees of separation that can keep businesses, such as Future Meat Technologies and Aleph Farms, afloat over the course of the conflicts as there have been glimmers of hope from those in the sector. "
October 30, 2023 - from the Jewish Press:
"A number of businesses have taken upon themselves the role of the iconic “Jewish Mother” and are feeding Israeli soldiers, daily, despite facing mounting bills and dwindling income due to the “Swords of Iron War” we have been forced to fight.
"In the central Negev city of Be’er Sheva, all the kosher branches of McDonald’s are taking the lead, preparing more than a thousand meals per day, gratis, for IDF units and bases who call the stores with “orders” for their troops.
"Chaim Assa, manager of the McDonald’s branch at Be’er Sheva’s Azrieli Negev Mall, told JewishPress.com that the entire chain nationwide offers soldiers in uniform an across-the-board 50 percent discount at the cash register, in addition to the thousands of kosher meals prepared daily for the troops at no charge.
"But as any good Jewish mother knows, one really needs a sweet note with which to end any meal — and that’s where the Mehadrin-kosher Pinat Ha’Ofeh bakery chain, with branches in the Azrieli Negev Mall and in Arad — helps out. Since the start of the war, the bakery has been providing thousands of borekas, breads, sandwiches, water bottles, soft drinks and sweet baked goods for soldiers in the south.
"Some of those items are picked up by soldiers from the various units, but bakery co-owner Michael Schneider has arranged for the goods to be delivered. Sometimes he delivers the goods himself to make sure the soldiers are properly fueled for the fight ahead.
"There are countless such stories of selfless good deeds taking place for the war effort: the unparalleled ‘Ahavat Israel’ that sets Israelis apart from the barbarians who launched their unprovoked war on the Jewish State."
November 2, 2023 from the CPSC :
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Mollys Products’ sodium hydroxide products because they do not comply with the child resistant packaging requirements under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA).
The packaging of the products is not child resistant so children can easily access the substance, posing a risk of chemical burns and irritation to the skin and eyes. In addition, the label on the product violates the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA).
The seller listed on Walmart.com, Burgess Jackson, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has not agreed to recall the Mollys Products’ sodium hydroxide or offer a remedy to consumers. The Mollys Products’ sodium hydroxide products were sold online exclusively at www.walmart.com from March 2018 through March 2023 for about $15 for the 2-pound (32 ounces) bottle. CPSC evaluated the 2-pound (32 ounces) bottles and is aware Mollys Products also sold 5-pound (80 ounces) bottles. The white label on the products displays the brand name, bottle size, “NaOH,” “Sodium Hydroxide” and a warning to wear gloves. The 32-ounce bottles have “Food Grade 99%” on the label.
CPSC urges consumers to stop using the bottles immediately and dispose of the product in accordance with local disposal laws..
Due to sodium hydroxide being corrosive and reactive with water, consumers should not pour it down the drain or dispose of it in the trash as sodium hydroxide can cause bodily harm or property damage. Consumers should bring the sodium hydroxide to their local hazardous waste disposal site. Check the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Hazardous Waste Programs and U.S. State Environmental Agencies page to find a disposal site. Prior to disposal, consumers should store the product out of the sight and reach of children. Report any related incidents to the agency at www.SaferProducts.gov.
October 26, 2023 from the CPSC in conjunction with Government of Canada:
Insignia pressure cookers have been recalled because the pressure cooker has incorrect volume markings on the inner pot. This can cause consumers to overfill the pot and hot food and liquids to be ejected when the pressure cooker is vented using the quick release method or opened while its contents are pressurized, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: Best Buy toll-free at 888-359‐4485 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or online at https://www.recallrtr.com/pc or www.bestbuy.com by clicking on “Pressure Cooker Recall” in the Home Page banner or by clicking on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the home page under “Orders & Purchases.”
This recall involves Insignia Multi-Function Pressure Cookers with model numbers NS-MC60SS8, NS-MC60SS9, or NS-MC80SS9, and inner cooker pots with model numbers NS-MCRP6NS9 and NS-MCRP6SS9, sold separately as replacements. The electric pressure cookers and inner cooker pots are six- and eight-quart capacity. The brand name INSIGNIA appears on the front of each unit and on its permanent on-product label. The model number of the recalled pressure cookers is also printed on the permanent on-product label on the side of the cooker. The inner cooker pots are black with a non-stick coating and embossed markings indicating cup and liter measurements.
Consumers should always check that the inner pot is not filled beyond two-thirds capacity when pressure cooking, that the lid is fully locked before pressure cooking is started, and that the floating locking valve has dropped before attempting to open the lid when pressure cooking.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled pressure cookers and contact Best Buy for a free replacement of the inner pot and floating locking valve for signaling pressure.
Incidents/Injuries: Best Buy has received 31 reports of incidents in which the contents were expelled under pressure, including 17 reports of burn injuries, some of which involved reports of second-degree and severe burns.
Sold At: Best Buy stores nationwide and online at www.bestbuy.com and www.amazon.com from October 2017 through June 2023 for between $50 and $120.
October 11, 2023 from the Food-Safety.com:
"With California Assembly Bill 899 recently being signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom (D), any baby food products sold or made in the state will require testing for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, beginning January 1, 2024. The new legislation will also require test results to be posted on the manufacturer's website, beginning January 1, 2025. Specifically, the bill requires manufacturers of baby food for sale or distribution in California to test a representative sample of each production aggregate of the manufacturer’s final baby food product, at a proficient laboratory meeting certain criteria, for toxic heavy metals at least once per month. Test results must be provided to any authorized agent of the State Department of Public Health upon its request, as specified. Finally, after January 1, 2025, manufacturers of a final baby food product that is sold, manufactured, delivered, held, or offered for sale in the state must provide specified information disclosures to consumers, including making publicly available on a website the name and level of each toxic element present in each production aggregate of the final baby food product.
October 21, 2023 from the MedPage Today:
"Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has returned to the Upper Midwest of the United States with a vengeance. After a break from spring through early fall, new case reports are stacking up for commercial flocks.
"Older infant-young child formulas (OIYCFs) are nutritionally incomplete and should not be used as a substitute for prescribed medical formulas, according to new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidance.
"The AAP report aims to clarify 'the uncertainty and misperception' around increasingly popular OIYCFs, which currently do not have uniform national or international criteria dictating the composition or definition of formulas for children older than 12 months. Also, the FDA does not have a distinct category for OIYCFs like it does for standard infant formulas.
"OIYCFs include 'transition formulas,' 'follow-on formulas,' or 'weaning formulas,' for children ages 6 to 24 months, and 'toddler milks or formulas,' 'growing-up milks,' or 'young child milks,' for kids ages 12 to 36 months, according to the clinical report, published in Pediatrics.
"OIYCFs are 'not nutritionally complete,' according to the report, so are not appropriate substitutes for medical nutritional therapy for older infants and young kids with malnutrition, swallowing dysfunction, or feeding aversions or conditions like cerebral palsy. And they are not adequate for those with disease-specific requirements, such as those related to celiac disease.
"OIYCFs are "not nutritionally complete," according to the report, so are not appropriate substitutes for medical nutritional therapy for older infants and young kids with malnutrition, swallowing dysfunction, or feeding aversions or conditions like cerebral palsy. And they are not adequate for those with disease-specific requirements, such as those related to celiac disease.
"Fuchs' group called for OIYCFs to distinguish themselves from standard infant formula in promotional materials. Product names should not be linked to infant formula, and products should not be labeled as formula, but given names such as "drink" or "beverage." Also, products should not be placed in store shelves alongside standard infant formulas."
October 12, 2023 from the CPSC:
Gevi Household Countertop Nugget Ice Makers have been recalled because the metal blades of the auger of the ice maker can break, resulting in small pieces of metal going into the ice basket, posing a laceration hazard.
Consumer Contact: Far Success Trading toll-free at 855-992-2888 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at replacement@gevi.com or online at https://household.gevi.com/pages/replace or at https://household.gevi.com/ and click on “Recall Information” located on the home page for more information.
his recall involves Gevi Household Countertop Nugget Ice Makers with model number GIMN-1102 and a date code of before June 1, 2022. The model number and date code are listed on the product label on the back of the unit. The ice makers are stainless steel and with a white, black or blue exterior top and come with an ice basket, ice scooper and a 1/4'' water inlet hose. They measure about 10 inches wide and 17 inches high.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the Countertop Nugget Ice Makers manufactured before June 1, 2022, and contact Far Success Trading Limited to receive a free replacement. The firm will provide instructions to disable your present ice maker, which should then be disposed of. Far Success Trading Limited is notifying all known purchasers directly. Consumers should send a photo of the product label on the back of their present ice maker to the email address or website designated above by Far Success Trading Limited.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 263 reports of incidents of metal blades breaking off the auger and the broken blades then going into the ice basket. No injuries have been reported.
Sold At: Online at Amazon.com from January 2022 through July 2022 for between $300 and $400.
October 15, 2023 from the Times of Israel:
"On a regular day, the Haachim Restaurant on Tel Aviv’s Ibn Gabirol Street is loud and boisterous, full of diners ordering from the upscale steakhouse menu of hummus and meat skewers, labane topped with artichokes and hunks of whole roasted cauliflower.
"This week, it’s become ground central for a massive food supply line, as some 100 restaurants in Tel Aviv have gathered forces, cooking for soldiers, hospitals and the surviving evacuees of the Gaza border communities.
"Over the last five days, this restaurant team alone has turned out some 20,000 meals a day, with the help of around 300 volunteers in an effort started by Haachim owner Yotam Doktor on Saturday night, when he realized the unfolding tragedy would require all kinds of supportive efforts
"Working closely with the Brothers in Arms protest group, which is handling the complicated logistics of figuring out who needs food and where, Doktor’s team, which includes chefs, packers and organizers, are cooking, packing and sending tens of thousands of kosher meals from Haachim around the country, with another 7,000 or so meals from other Tel Aviv restaurants.
"fter one truckload of 2,000 meals was tossed on Monday because it wasn’t kosher enough for its intended recipients, Dok, as he’s known, realized he wanted to be able to supply food to whoever needed it.
"Now Haachim, along with several other usually nonkosher restaurants, received temporary kosher certification from the city’s rabbinate this week, in order to provide kosher food.
"It’s an emergency kosher certification, valid this week through Friday, and then he’ll have to renew it next week, said Doktor."
"n that first day, the OCD kitchen took all dairy products out of their kitchen, and began working with alternative kosher certification organization Tzohar. They quickly realized the army wouldn’t accept food made with Tzohar supervision.
"Elbert dug in, spoke to a rabbinate kosher supervisor in Tel Aviv, brought him to the OCD kitchen to make it kosher, and had an emergency, one-week certification the next day.
"And then, the assigned kosher supervisor had a panic attack, said Elbert.
"Elbert got President Isaac Herzog on the phone, who contacted former chief rabbi Yisrael Lau, who issued a Jewish law decision to allow non-kosher restaurants to have emergency kosher certification for this period.
"Asif, the Tel Aviv culinary center with a popular restaurant on its first floor, is also in the process of getting a temporary kosher certification, said Chico Menashe, the Asif CEO.
"Asif’s kitchen staff is working with Gil Ackerman, a Tel Aviv caterer, who brought another 100 volunteers and with logistics led by Haachim. The restaurant, which usually has three chefs in the kitchen, now has 15 in the open front and another ten in back to prepare some 8,000 meals a day.
"Instead of their usual sophisticated fare, they’re frying schnitzel stuffed into pita and big containers of warm comfort foods for hospital patients.
"The Offaime food logistics operation is mostly based out of their Hansen House location in Jerusalem’s German Colony, with 8,000 meals a day right now and plans to reach 10,000 to 15,000 a day next week.
"Some 90 percent of what Offaime is preparing is going to soldiers and reservists, as well as to hospitals, families who were evacuated from the south, volunteers at Magen David Adom, and 'anyone who asks,' he said, 'even to homeless people, who are being ignored a lot more right now.'"
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