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 2, 2025 from Food Dive:
The Cornell and Numerator study noted that a 6% decline in grocery spending following GLP-1 adoption leads to a $416 annual reduction in purchases per household. For higher-income households earning over $125,000, annualized grocery spending fell $690.
"Not surprisingly, snacking is getting hit the hardest. Spending on products such as chips, baked goods, sides and cookies showed some of the largest reductions, averaging between 6.7% and 11.1%.
"While the researchers did observe “a modest increase in spending” on items such as fresh produce and yogurt among weight-loss users, grocery basket composition became healthier because people cut back more on buying unhealthy items than by adding healthier ones."
January 2, 2025 from Matzav.com:
"A U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday that the Orthodox Union is protected from a wage complaint lawsuit filed by a former mashgiach under the First Amendment’s ministerial exception.
"Yaakov Markel, a former inspector employed by the Orthodox Union to oversee grape production at two wineries, quit his position in 2018. He filed a lawsuit accusing the OU and his supervisor, Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, of withholding a promotion and overtime wages.
"The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the country’s largest, upheld a lower court ruling, which stated that a legal doctrine known as the ministerial exception, which bars lawsuits against religious organizations by workers with religious duties, applies to Markel’s case and therefore protects the OU from his claim.
"In the court’s majority opinion, judge Ryan Nelson wrote that “because only observant Orthodox Jews can serve as a mashgiach for the OU, and because they are necessary to carrying out OU’s religious mission of ensuring the wide availability of kosher food, a mashgiach is a minister for purposes of the ministerial exception.”
"'Failure to apply the ministerial exception to a mashgiach would denigrate the importance of keeping kosher to Orthodox Judaism,' he added.
"The Orthodox Union told JNS that it welcomes the ruling.
"Avrom Pollak, the president of Star-K, an Orthodox kosher certifier in Baltimore, told JNS that the court’s decision affirms the religious role of a mashgiach."
January 1, 2025 from Israel National News:
"Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has extended the period during which basic food supplies may be imported customs-free.
"Until now, the extension would only be granted for a period of one year. The new extension will remain valid for a period of two years, and is intended to help reduce the cost of living and bring down food prices.
"Products affected by the order include eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, tomato sauce, raisins, peanuts, peeled almonds, pickled cucumbers, and other common food items."
December 23, 2024 from IngredientsNetwork.com:
"Chile’s warning labelling and marketing rules for unhealthy foods led to “significant decreases” in purchases of food and drinks with high levels of sugar, salt and fat, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
"The Chilean Law of Food Labelling and Advertising, implemented in three phases in 2016, 2018 and 2019, mandated front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverages, restricted food marketing to children, and banned the sales of products ‘high-in’ nutrients of concern – like sugar and saturated fats – in schools.
"Each phase brought increasingly strict nutrition thresholds, with a daytime marketing ban for unhealthy food ads on television, regardless of audience, coming into effect in phase 2 as well.
"In the study, the academics from Chile and the US compared data on purchases from 2,844 households from 1 July 2013 to 25 June 2019 to a ‘counterfactual scenario’ (hypothetical food purchases if the policies were not in place).
"After phase 2 they found purchases of foods high in nutrients of concern decreased: 36.8% in sugar; 23% in energy; 21.9% in sodium; and 15.7% in saturated fat. “The declines in ‘high in’ products purchased were partially offset by increased purchases from ‘not high-in’ products,” they wrote. “Still, the overall changes resulted in net declines in nutrients of concern purchase ranging from 8.3% to 20.2%.”
"The effects were “more pronounced” in phase 2. Also of note was the fact that in phase 1 the reductions seemed to be driven by a large immediate drop in the concerning nutrients – perhaps due to reformulation – whereas in the second phase there were “larger changes over time, possibly representing behavioural shifts”.
"Most would assume the responsibility for complying with front-of-pack labelling rules would be on manufacturers. But the study shows that supermarket supply chain power seems to work rather effectively."
December 19, 2024 from CPSC :
Silicone spoons for babies have been recalled because the silicone spoon can break apart while in use, posing a choking hazard to babies.
Consumer Contact: Melii Baby Inc. toll-free at 855-492-4470 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at https://meliibaby.com/pages/recall or https://meliibaby.com and click on the “Recall” on the homepage for more information.
Description: This recall involves Melii Baby Silicone Spoons for babies with animal shapes at the handle. They were sold in packs of either three or four and as a five-piece silicone feeding set. The feeding sets were sold in cat, dino, dog, shark and unicorn shapes. The spoons measure about six inches long. The affected spoons have the following date codes: the three-pack 2024-01 and the four-pack have 2023-12 to 2024-05 printed on the back of the spoons. All spoons in all Baby 5-Piece Silicone Feeding Sets are affected by this recall.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled spoons, keep them away from children and contact Melii Baby Inc. to receive a free replacement set. Consumers should take photographs of the spoons, discard the spoons in household waste, and then email the photographs to care@meliibaby.com to receive the free replacement set.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received two reports of the spoon tip breaking. No injuries have been reported.
Sold At: Aldi Grocery Stores and Ross and online at buybuyBaby.com, Amazon.com, Sierra.com, MotherandDaughterCreations.com, Just Between Friends (jbfsale.com), MacroBaby.com, TrendyLilTreats.com, TheBrickKitchenStore.com and AdventureSnacks.com from April 2024 through August 2024 for between $8 and $9.
December 15, 2024 from Israel Natinal News
"A fire broke out in a Bnei Brak synagogue, but quick action prevented damage and danger to lives.
"In the incident, a Shabbat plate ("plata") left unsupervised at a synagogue on Ha'admor Mishotz Street went up in flames.
"An investigation led by Fireman officer Albert Munis revealed that the source of the fire had been a Shabbat plate placed in a local synagogue near flammable materials."
December 16, 2024 from Food Safety News
"Drinking raw milk — even from a certified dairy — puts you at risk for intestinal foodborne diseases, among them E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria. Not only that, diverting contaminated milk to raw cheese production is not necessarily safe.
"That’s the warning from a team of public health scientists from California and local, state, and and federal partners who investigated a multi-jurisdictional outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium associated with raw (unpasteurized) milk.
"Carried out from Oct. 18, 2023, through May 4, 2024, the investigation, which was in relation to 171 cases with the outbreak, swung a spotlight onto the likely source of the outbreak: Raw Farm’s raw milk. Originally Organic Pastures, Raw Farm is based in Fresno, CA.
"According to the report, as of May 4, 2024, 171 cases — 159 confirmed and 12 probable — were identified from five states: California with 167, New Mexico with 1, Pennsylvania with 1, Texas with 1, and Washington with 1. The California cases were from 35 local health jurisdictions throughout the state.
"wenty states explicitly prohibit raw milk sales within the state where it is produced in some form and 30 allow it in various scenarios, including on-farm sales only. Federal law prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk across state lines, but individual state laws govern the sale of unpasteurized milk within the state.
"According to the recent report, the majority — 65 percent — of cases occurred in October. Specimen collection dates ranged from Sept. 23, 2023, through March 12, 2024.
"The median age of patients was 7 years, and nearly 40 percent of the patients were younger than 5 years old. Sixty-four percent were male. Twenty-two , or 14 percent, of 162 patients with available information required hospitalization; no deaths were reported.
"Of the patients with information available, 93 percent reported consuming Raw Farm LLC unpasteurized milk.
"And while some people assume that food poisoning isn’t all that serious, a look at some case histories in recent lawsuits filed against Raw Farm reveal that some patients can suffer severe intestinal problems, intense pain for a considerable length of time, and even kidney failure.
December 14, 2024 from CPSC :
PowerXL™ DUAF-10 and DUAF-005 Vortex Dual-Basket Air Fryers have been recalled because the plastic U-Channel connector used to optionally combine the two food baskets inside of the air fryers can break during use, posing a burn hazard.
Consumer Contact: Empower Brands toll-free at 866-704-9370 from 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday CT, Monday through Friday, or online at www.prodprotect.com/recall/duaf or https://powerxlproducts.com and click on “Important Safety Recall Notice” for more information.
Description: This recall involves two models of the PowerXL dual-basket air fryer. The egg-shaped air fryers have two baskets that can be used separately or optionally combined into one large single basket. The recalled air fryers were sold in black or cinnamon colors. The 10-quart DUAF-10 model is about 17 inches long by 16 inches wide by 12 1/2 inches tall, and weighs about 14 1/2 pounds. The 9-quart DUAF-005 model is about 14 inches long by 13 inches wide by 15 inches tall, and weighs about 14 pounds. The product has a silver label on the front that says “PowerXL”. There is a white label on the bottom of each unit or on the unit’s power cord that lists the model number.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dual basket air fryers and contact Empower Brands to receive a full refund.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 41 reports of the product breaking during use, including three reports of burns.
Sold At: Target, Walmart, Kohls and other stores nationwide and online at www.target.com, www.walmart.com, www.kohls.com and other websites from August 2021 through October 2023 for between $60 and $190, depending on the model.
December 12, 2024 from CPSC :
Switchback and Trigger Action travel mugs have been recalled because these mug's lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn hazard.
Consumer Contact: Toll-free at 866-792-5445 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.Stanley1913TMrecall.expertinquiry.com, or visit www.stanley1913.com and click on the corresponding link to submit a recall claim or obtain more information.
Description: This recall involves all Stanley Switchback and Trigger Action stainless steel travel mugs sold in the United States. The recalled double-walled mugs were sold in a variety of colors including white, black and green, in 12 oz., 16 oz. and 20 oz. sizes with a polypropylene lid. The Stanley logo appears on the front and bottom of the mug. The recalled mugs have one of the following product identification numbers printed on the bottom of the mug.
| Name | Size | Product Identification Number |
|---|---|---|
| Switchback | 12 ounces | 20-01437 |
| 16 ounces | 20-01436, 20-02211 | |
| Trigger Action | 12 ounces | 20-02033, 20-02779, 20-02825 |
| 16 ounces | 20-02030, 20-02745, 20-02957 | |
| 20 ounces | 20-02034, 20-02746 |
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled travel mugs and contact Stanley to receive a free replacement lid, including shipping.
Incidents/Injuries: Stanley has received 91 reports worldwide, including 16 in the U.S., of the recalled travel mugs’ lids detaching during use, resulting in 38 burn injuries worldwide, including two burn injuries in the U.S., with 11 consumers worldwide requiring medical attention.
Sold At: Amazon.com, Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target and other stores nationwide and online from June 2016 through December 2024 for between $20 and $50, depending on the model.
December 5, 2024 from CPSC :
Temp-tations Oven Gloves have been recalled because the oven gloves can fail to provide sufficient protection from heat, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: QVC toll-free at 888-770-7119 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at ovengloves@realtimeresults.net, or online at www.recallrtr.com/ovengloves or www.qvc.com and click “Product Recall Info” at the bottom of the page for more information.
Description: This recall involves Temp-tations Oven Gloves imported and sold by QVC in single pairs, sets of two and in sets with drying mats or trivets. The recalled oven gloves were sold in a variety of colors, including blue, yellow, red, floral and summer shell prints under the following model numbers: K51459, K76398, K47973, K48879, K85322, K96004, K92603, K308719, K309220, K309388 and K309516. They are made of cotton and elastane and come in small and large sizes. “Temp-tations by Tara” is printed on a label stitched to the inside of the gloves.
Sold At: QVC.com, QVC televised shows and QVC digital shopping platforms from August 2018 through August 2024 for between about $4 and $13 per pair and in bundled sets with other kitchen items for between about $14 and $26 per set.
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