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.
December 6, 2023 - from the Jewish Press:
"As Hanukkah approaches, United Hatzalah has released imperative safety directives to ensure a secure and delightful holiday experience for all.
"Guidelines for Lighting the Menorah:
Safety Precautions with Oil:
"Treating Burns: In the event of a burn, relocate the injured person away from the heat source and promptly seek medical assistance. Rinse the burn area with lukewarm water; avoid the use of cold water or ice. If clothing catches fire, instruct the injured person to stop, drop, and roll on the floor. Extinguish the fire using a blanket. Avoid pulling cloth adhered to the skin; carefully trim the areas around the burned regions to prevent further damage. Abstain from using creams without consulting a medical professional.
December 5, 2023 - from the BBC:
"Spain is the world's biggest olive oil producer, covering 70% of European Union consumption and 45% of that of the entire world.
"The lack of rain that this province and other olive-producing areas around Spain have been seeing therefore has an enormous impact on both the amount of oil being produced and its price.
"In Spain, olive oil prices have increased by more than 70% this year alone after a sharp rise in 2022. A one-litre bottle of extra virgin oil currently costs around €9 ($9.88; £7.79) in low-budget supermarkets. A slight drop in the market price in recent weeks is only providing light relief.
"The Nuestra Señora del Pilar cooperative, through which hundreds of Jaén olive farmers produce their oil, is the biggest factory of its kind in the world. However, it only harvested 24 million kilos of olives in the 2022-23 season, one of the worst figures on record.
"This year, the cooperative estimates the total will be around 30-35 million kilos - still well below the average.
"However, it seems that rainfall, as much as health concerns, is currently deciding the amount of olive oil that people consume."
November 30, 2023 from the CPSC :
Knob-control electric radiant cooktops, model GE JP3030 have been recalled because the cooktop’s burners can remain on after use, even after being turned to the “off” position, due to misaligned burner knob stems and fractured burner knob components that can exist in units manufactured between July 2022 and September 2022, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: GE Appliances toll-free at 877-261-1509 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at http://geappliances.com/ge/recall/jp3030-cooktop-2023 or https://www.geappliances.com/ and click on the “JP3030 Cooktop Recall Information” button at the bottom of the webpage.
This recall involves GE-branded JP3030 knob-controlled electric radiant cooktops manufactured from July 2022 through September 2022 with serial numbers beginning with prefixes LT, MT, RT or ST. The recalled cooktops have black or white glass cooktop surfaces and have four radiant burners with four corresponding “Hot Cooktop” lights and four burner control knobs located on the right side of the cooking surface. The following model numbers, UPC codes, and serial number prefixes are included in this recall:
| Model Number | UPC Code | Serial Number or Serial Number Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| JP3030DJ4BB | 084691809609 | LT081195Q – LT081286Q MT- RT- ST- |
| JP3030SJ4SS | 084691809074 | LT015466Q – LT015467Q LT048419Q – LT048420Q LT073851Q LT129159Q – LT129183Q MT- RT- ST- |
| JP3030TJ4WW | 084691809081 | LT148064Q – LT148068Q LT118335Q MT- RT- ST- |
The model number, UPC code, and serial number of the cooktops are printed on the permanent on-product label located on the bottom of the unit, close to the front left burner location.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately contact GE Appliances to arrange for free installation of a replacement burner knob assembly. When not in use, turn the unit off at the circuit breaker. Do not leave flammable materials or empty cookware on or near the cooktop. In the affected units, the burner can remain on following use even after being turned to the “off” position. In this case, the “On” indicator light will not be illuminated, but the “Hot Cooktop” light corresponding to the burner will remain illuminated until power to the cooktop is turned off at the breaker switch.
Sold At: ajor home improvement and appliance stores nationwide, including Best Buy, Lowe’s and The Home Depot, from July 2022 through 2023 for between $1,110 and $1,220.
November 20, 2023 from the AgFunder News:
"On paper, cultivated meat might seem like a no-brainer. Unlike plant-based options, which still don’t quite hit the spot for many consumers, it promises the allure of ‘real’ meat without the ethical and environmental baggage that comes with plundering our oceans and raising billions of sentient land animals for food.
"In practice, however, there’s no playbook for biomanufacturing meat at scale. The funding environment has changed dramatically as investors have soured on alt proteins, and we don’t know whether consumers will pay a premium once the novelty wears off.
"The media narrative around cultivated meat, which was universally positive a few years ago, has also changed dramatically over the past year: Articles about innovations in the space now compete with headlines about cancerous cells, greenwashing, vaporware, and business failures, against a backdrop of grim quarterly results from plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat.
"So, can cultivated meat make the transition from a loss-making novelty served at a handful of high-end restaurants to a commercially viable alternative to animal agriculture?
"However, it seems somewhat premature to write off an industry that didn’t even exist a decade ago because it can’t immediately compete with a heavily subsidized industry (industrialized animal agriculture) and associated ecosystem that has been scaling up and driving efficiencies for decades
"The price of cell culture media components will come down with economies of scale, he says, but what’s going to drive that scale in this chicken-and-egg situation the industry currently finds itself in?
"With current technologies, whole-cut products such as steaks present far greater technical challenges than unstructured products such as nuggets, concurs Swartz at the GFI, noting that UPSIDE Foods is still making its whole-cut chicken filets in two-liter flasks, which COO Amy Chen concedes is not currently scalable.
"However, its process for making unstructured products—growing cell biomass in far larger 2,000-liter tanks before combining it with plant proteins to make hybrid products—holds more promise (although UPSIDE is still awaiting regulatory approval on this process).
"According to Tetrick at GOOD Meat (Eat Just): “If someone says there are uncertainties around scaling up cultivated meat to tens of millions of pounds and getting below the cost of conventional chicken, beef or pork and lamb, I agree.”
"But that doesn’t mean that cultivated meat is a foodtech fantasy, he insists: “The first cell phone that came out was this big, bulky thing. And if someone had said eventually it’ll be a phone in your pocket with 10,000 songs and access to the internet, you’d have said that can’t be because we don’t have the processing speed or the internet connectivity to do that."
November 21, 2023 from the Healthy Canadians:
Remedy: These ranges were recalled in January 2023 (see below), and consumers were offered a repair. ZLINE is expanding the remedies available to consumers to also include a replacement range or a refund. All consumers who have an affected range should immediately stop using the oven compartment, even if they have already had their range repaired as part of the prior recall. Consumers who have received a repair are being contacted directly by ZLINE with additional information and about the offer of an inspection, a replacement range or a refund. Consumers who have not yet scheduled a repair as part of the recall should contact ZLINE for information regarding available remedies. Consumers may continue to use the range tops which are unaffected by the issue.
Consumer Contact: ZLINE toll-free at 833-226-1400 from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at rgrecall@zlinekitchen.com or online at www.zlinekitchen.com/recalls or www.zlinekitchen.com and click on the banner at the top of the page for more information.
January 26, 2023 from the Healthy Canadians:
This recall involves the oven compartment of ZLINE gas ranges with model numbers RG30, RG36, and RG48. The ranges were sold in various door colours including black matte, blue gloss, blue matte, DuraSnow, red gloss, red matte and white matte and multiple finishes including stainless steel, black stainless steel and DuraSnow, a cloudy steel finish. The recalled ranges were sold in three sizes, 30 inches, 36 inches, and 48 inches.
The ZLINE logo is printed on the bottom of the door. The model number is printed on a label on the back of the range. For ranges purchased after 2020, the model number is also printed on a label underneath the right side of the range top, visible when the oven door is open. Only ZLINE gas ranges with these model numbers are included in this recall.
The oven of the gas ranges can emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) while in use, posing a serious risk of injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Consumers should immediately stop using the oven compartment of the recalled ranges until the oven compartment has been repaired. Consumers may continue to use the range tops which are unaffected by the issue.
To schedule your free repair, consumers can contact ZLINE by telephone at 1-888-359-4482, by email at ZLINEKitchen@realtimeresults.net or visit the company website.
January 26, 2023 from the CPSC:
ZLINE 30-inch and 36-inch RG gas ranges have been recalled because the oven of the gas ranges can emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) while in use, posing a serious risk of injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Consumer Contact: ZLINE toll-free at 888-359-4482 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email ZLINEKitchen@realtimeresults.net or online at www.zlinekitchen.com/recalls or www.zlinekitchen.com and click on Recalls for more information.
This recall expansion involves the oven compartment of ZLINE gas ranges to include those with model numbers RG48, RGS-48, and RGB-48. ZLINE previously recalled gas ranges with model numbers RG30, RGS-30, RGB-30, RG36, RGS-36 and RGB-36. The ranges were sold in various door colors including black matte, blue gloss, blue matte, DuraSnow, red gloss, red matte and white matte and multiple finishes including stainless steel, black stainless steel and DuraSnow, a cloudy steel finish. The recalled ranges were sold in three sizes, 30 inches, 36 inches and 48 inches. The ZLINE logo is printed on the bottom of the door. The model number is printed on a label on the back of the range. For ranges purchased after 2020, the model number is also printed on a label underneath the right side of the range top, visible when the oven door is open. Only ZLINE gas ranges with these model numbers are included in this recall.
Consumers should immediately stop using the oven compartment of the recalled ranges until a free repair is available. Consumers may continue to use the range tops which are unaffected by the issue. Contact ZLINE, who is working to develop repairs for all affected units.
Consumers should review Consumers should immediately stop using the oven compartment of the recalled ranges until a free repair is available. Consumers may continue to use the range tops which are unaffected by the issue. Contact ZLINE, who is working to develop repairs for all affected units.
November 15, 2023 from the Politico:
"A Florida Republican has a beef with lab-grown meat. State Rep. Tyler Sirois has proposed legislation that would make it a criminal offense to sell ”cultivated” meat in Florida, claiming that it’s an “affront to nature and creation” and the latest front in the “ESG agenda” — referring to environmental, social and corporate governance, which has been target of Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican state leaders.
"Sirois, a developer who said he doesn’t have ties to agriculture, said he hopes Florida will become the first state to ban cultured meat.
"He also has a powerful ally supporting him: Wilton Simpson, the state’s agriculture commissioner and former Senate president, who is '100%' behind the effort.
"Sam Ard, director of governmental affairs for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, told POLITICO his grou' hasn’t taken a position on the bill but opposes calling the lab-grown product “meat.'"
November 17, 2023 from the FoodBev Media:
"The Italian Chamber of Deputies has passed a law banning the production and marketing of cell-based meat and the use of meat-related names, such as ‘salami’ or ‘steak’, for plant-based meat products.
"Italy made the move in a bid to protect its agricultural history and traditional culinary culture. The stance was first announced in March this year, when Italy’s Agriculture Minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, said that Italy was the first nation to say no to “synthetic” food as laboratory products do not guarantee quality or wellbeing, nor protect Italy’s culture and traditions.
"In a statement, the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI) said that the bill, which introduces fines between €10,000 and €60,000 for each violation, will “cut the country off from innovation and block sustainable development”.
"The GFI warns that the move will reduce investment, push Italian researchers abroad and hinder the fight against climate change, while other European countries are investing in the sector."
November 8, 2023 from the OU:
The OU rolled out a new feature on https://oukosher.org/product-search/ which now allows users to filter the product search by Dairy Equipment and yoshon.
For example, if you check the Dairy Equipment box and search for Oreo, he will get a complete list of Oreo cookies which are only Dairy equipment, even though the package still says OU-D.
"Because manufacturers can potentially alter their formulas and re-add milk to DE items, certain foods listed as DE on the consumer product search website are marked as 'Subject to change – Please check on DE status every few months.'"
"As for products confirmed as yoshon on OU Kosher’s consumer product site but which appear unmarked, Rabbi Zywica explains that many lack certification symbols because companies prefer not to have extra writing on their products beyond the small OU symbol."
November 2, 2023 from the FDA:
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed to revoke the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. The agency concluded that the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe after the results of studiesExternal Link Disclaimer conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found the potential for adverse health effects in humans.
BVO is a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine. It is authorized by the FDA for use in small amounts to keep the citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages. In 1970, the FDA determined BVO was no longer “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) and began overseeing its use under our food additive regulations. Over the years many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.
Although BVO has a long history of use in foods and was at one time considered GRAS, we have continued to study it to understand any potential health impacts. Recent toxicology studiesExternal Link Disclaimer conducted in collaboration with the NIH have now given us conclusive scientific evidence to support our proposal to remove the FDA’s food additive authorization for BVO.
The FDA is currently reviewing the color additive regulations authorizing the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in ingested drugs and foods (including dietary supplements) under the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which, in relevant part, prohibits the FDA from approving a color additive that is ingested if it causes cancer in animals or humans when ingested. A decision from the FDA is forthcoming.
November 8, 2023 from the FoodSafetyNews.com:
"After a summer pause, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epidemic in the United States resumed last month, first as a single event, then as a cluster of cases, and it is now spreading across at least 14 states.
"The new outbreak cases first took the dead bird total to over 60 million, then the new spike went to over 61 million, and it continues to grow. It now includes a commercial table egg layer operation that counts its loses at 940,000 birds in Wright County, MN. The virus last hit a commercial egg facility in Weld County, CO, on Dec. 20, 2022.
"Commercial turkey operations have been prominent among the new outbreaks.
"Since the summer pause, HPAI was detected in 25 commercial flocks in October and at least six more already in November. Detections were reported in 19 backyard flocks in October and four more in November.
"Commercial and backyard flocks must be kept from contact with wild birds to stem the HPAI spread. State and federal officials ask that they be immediately notified whenever birds are sick or experiencing unusual deaths."
October 23, 2023 from the FoodSafetyNews.com:
"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.
"The new bird flu reports include the following:
"The discovery of bird flu in a commercial flock usually results in “depopulation,” meaning the impacted birds must all be euthanized
"With the state’s first case since March 2023, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation on Oct. 20 for the new bird flu cases. Her action permits the state to track, monitor, detect, contain, dispose and disinfect the virus.
"Iowa lost 15 million birds to bird flu in 2022 through March 2023.
"Scientists say some wild birds have developed immunity to bird flu, which is seen as an encouraging sign. Since wild birds have spread flu around the globe, immunity might lessen the spread in the future.
"HPAI has infected commercial poultry, totaling more than 59 million in 47 states since 2022. In April 2022, just one person who recovered was inflected with HPAI."
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