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.
October 15, 2024: Guidelines for Bringing Arba Minim into Canada from the MK is here
October 9, 2024 from Chaim V'Chesed:
"With Sukkos fast approaching, many travelers have raised questions regarding the transport of Arba Minim. In response, Chaim V’Chessed reached out to the office of Israel’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Moshe Abutbul, to clarify the ministry’s current rules for passengers arriving at Ben Gurion Airport.
"Ministry officials explained that travelers are permitted to bring one esrog for personal use. However, the other three minim – lulav, hadassim, and aravos – are prohibited from being imported into Israel. Any such items found during inspections will be confiscated. To mitigate the inconvenience, the Agriculture Ministry has assured travelers that confiscated sets will be replaced with a new set of Arba Minim, free of charge. At Chaim V’Chessed’s behest, the Ministry published updated guidelines for 2024, available here.
"For those traveling to the United States for Sukkos, the TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have issued specific guidelines for transporting Arba Minim. Rabbis Ariel Sadwin and A.D. Motzen of Agudath Israel of America have issued recommendations based on these guidelines, to help travelers avoid complications at U.S. airports."
Information and links from Aguda.
"The notifications, which have been sent out to federal officials at airports and border crossings, emphasize the religious significance of these items and outline the rules and procedures that would help allay possible security and health issues that are of concern to the federal government. Prior to these agency steps, lack of familiarity regarding Sukkos and the arba minim had led to numerous incidents each year of inadvertent mishandling and mistreatment — including denial of entry — of these ritual objects.
"The TSA Notice makes clear that the arba minim carried in airports, through security checkpoints or on aircraft, are not on the “prohibited items list” and provides instructions for travelers needing “special accommodations” in regard to checkpoint screening. The CBP Guidance sets forth detailed information regarding the inspection process for personal sets of arba minim brought into the United States from foreign countries at select ports of entry and points out that the agency is 'committed to treating all travelers, including travelers who may be observing Sukkot, with respect and dignity at all U.S. ports of entry.'
"For travelers entering Israel: You will be allowed to bring in one esrog for personal use. The other 3 minim are not allowed and will be confiscated and replaced with Israeli grown produce. "
September 3, 2024 from Food Processing:
"A state bill to ban six color additives from foods served at California public schools was signed into law last week and will go into effect Dec. 31, 2027.
"Assembly Bill 2316, the California School Food Safety Act, would prohibit six allegedly harmful food dyes from being used in foods served in the state's public schools: red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, blue 2 and green 3. They impart the vibrant colors in products such as Cheetos, Froot Loops and Skittles.
"Titanium dioxide originally was in the bill but apparently has been dropped – just as it had been in the state’s late-2023 ban of four food ingredients: potassium bromate, propylparaben, brominated vegetable oil and Red 3. Those will be banned from all foods manufactured, delivered or sold in the state after Jan. 1, 2027."
August 27, 2024 from GlobalNews.ca:
"Whether it’s high sodium, too much sugar or misleading labels, nearly 60 per cent of infant and toddler foods sold in the United States aren’t as nutritious as they appear, according to a new study.
"Published on Aug. 21 in Nutrients, the research found that most of these products fail to meet the nutritional guidelines and recommendations set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Of the 651 products analyzed, 70 per cent did not meet protein requirements, while 44 per cent exceeded the recommended sugar levels. One in four products also fell short of calorie requirements and one in five exceeded the recommended sodium limits, the study said.
"The researchers looked at the nutritional and promotional content of infant and toddler foods (aged six to 36 months) from the top 10 U.S. grocery store chains in 2023. The stores included: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, Publix, Sam’s Club, Target and Aldi.
"nfant formulas, fortified milk and oral electrolytes were not included because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates these products separately."
October 8, 2024 from Tridge:
"The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food reports a projected 48% increase in Spanish olive oil production this season, reaching approximately 1.26 million tons. This boost follows two poor harvests that had driven prices up, earning olive oil the nickname 'liquid gold.' Although prices have dropped over 20% from their peak, consumers might not experience immediate price reductions due to existing supply contracts. Additionally, the ongoing harvest could still be impacted by future weather conditions."
October 3, 2024 from Chron:
"Earlier this week, high-end olive oil producer CHO America put out a strange be-on-the-lookout request for its products. Apparently, over $2.5 million worth of premium extra virgin olive oil was stolen from its Houston warehouse over the weekend.
"According to a press release and KHOU-TV, CHO America said 18 truckloads full of 290 pallets, each containing 672 bottles of premium Terra Delyssa olive oil, were stolen from a Houston warehouse near Navigation Boulevard.
"Known for its dark glass bottle, yellow label and horse logo, Terra Delyssa’s olive oil retails for around $20 per bottle. The Tunisian single-origin, cold-pressed olive oil is also fully traceable: Customers can scan the bottle’s QR code and enter a lot number to see the harvesting and bottling process. CHO America is asking that bottles with the following lot numbers be reported to Terra Delyssa at info@terradelyssa.com or by phone at 281-712-1549:
September 25, 2024 from the CNN:
"Supermarket prices are no longer skyrocketing – except, of course, if you’re buying eggs.
"Egg prices spiked by 28.1% in August from 12 months ago, easily the biggest increase out of any food item tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"The sticker shock in the egg aisle comes even as overall grocery prices are barely budging (up less than 1% in August from last year) and inflation cools across the US economy.
"The main culprit for rising egg prices is a familiar one: bird flu.
"Birds are getting sick, and that means fewer eggs and higher prices at the grocery store. Mp>"Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as the bird flu, has impacted nearly 101 million birds across 48 US states since January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Part of the problem may lie in consolidation. Like other industries, the egg industry has experienced a wave of mergers that has left the nation more reliant on only a handful of large producers.
"As of 2020, the five biggest egg companies controlled between 36% and 40% of all egg-laying hens in the United States, according to a recent report by Farm Action, a group that fights corporate control of the food system.
September 23, 2024 from Food Dive:
"The proposal to buy the company for $25 a share comes as Lifeway’s leadership remains embroiled in a bitter family dispute and the manufacturer faces shareholder calls to sell itself.
"Danone has been a shareholder in Lifeway for more than two decades and has had a front-row seat to the inner workings of the company — both good and bad.
"Lifeway acknowledged receiving Danone’s offer on Tuesday and said it would “carefully review and evaluate the proposal to determine the course of action.'"
September 24, 2024 from Vinnews.com:
"Jordan refuses to export tomatoes to neighboring Israel, even after the Israeli Health Ministry reinstated produce imports under certain conditions, Ynet reported on Tuesday. The imports were suspended last month over concerns about cholera.
"The ministry’s National Food Services requested a halt to shipments of some fresh fruits and vegetables from Jordan after they tested positive for the cholera bacteria, in runoff from the Yarmuk River, the largest tributary of the Jordan River.
"Sources in Israel’s Agriculture Ministry said that “the Jordanians were offended by the unilateral announcement and are awaiting an apology from the Health Ministry.”
"According to the sources, Amman could be using the incident as an excuse to “punish” Jerusalem over its prolonged conflict with terrorist groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
"'With a global shortage of tomatoes and rising demand, Jordanian growers have no issue finding alternative markets,' the sources added.
"Israel turned to Jordan for tomatoes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan banned exports to the Jewish state in support of Ankara’s Hamas allies.
"Turkey’s boycott and a drop in domestic crop yields due to extreme heat this past summer are contributing to a tomato shortage in Israel.
"Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said on Monday that it would open an additional import quota for 5,000 tons of tariff-free tomatoes effective until December. A similar 5,000-ton quota was approved in mid-August by the Health Ministry, with 2,500 tons already entering Israel, mostly from Poland.
"Despite the tariff exemptions, prices are steep due to a global shortage and high demand in Israel, with regular tomatoes selling in most stores at 12 shekels (just over $3.00), and up to 15 shekels ($4.00) in some stores and cluster tomatoes going up to between 25 ($6.50) and 45 shekels ($12.00) per kilogram (2.2 pounds), contributing to a 10% increase in the Consumer Price Index.
"Israelis consume around 14,000 tons of tomatoes per month on average. Local production usually meets most of the demand, supplemented by imports, but this year it’s not the case."
September 23, 2024 - from the Potato News Today:
"The company’s Kolkata factory devised a way to recapture the steam vapor created when the potato slices enter the fryer. That steam is the water that is in the potato, and PepsiCo redirects first as low-grade waste heat to offset thermal processes, and then, after the steam is condensed into water and cleaned, the company returns it to the plant to offset freshwater uses in other processes,
On a standard potato chip line, it will be about 14 million gallons of water that we will be able to reclaim and reuse to offset from freshwater use. This adds up to about 60 million liters of water per year at a single site, according to PepsiCo."
September 17, 2024 - from the KCRA:
"Paper or plastic" will no longer be a choice at grocery store checkout lines in California under a new law signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags.
"California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores, but shoppers could purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable.
"The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don't bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.
"State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill's supporters, said people were not reusing or recycling any plastic bags. She pointed to a state study that found that the amount of plastic shopping bags trashed per person grew from 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) per year in 2004 to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per year in 2021.
"Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, said the previous bag ban passed a decade ago didn't reduce the overall use of plastic.
"Twelve states, including California, already have some type of statewide plastic bag ban in place, according to the environmental advocacy group Environment America Research & Policy Center. Hundreds of cities across 28 states also have their own plastic bag bans in place."
June 17, 2024 - from the Civil Eat:
"In the end, it may have been fears that Kraft Heinz would remove plastic tubs of Cool Whip or individually wrapped processed cheese slices from grocery store shelves that defeated an ambitious packaging reduction and recycling bill in the New York State Legislature.
"Whatever the cause, a bill that would have fundamentally reshaped how single-use plastic waste is managed in the fourth-largest state went down to defeat earlier this month in the New York State Assembly after passing in the State Senate, as lawmakers completed their regular legislative session.
"The opposition to the legislation, which included provisions known as “extended producer responsibility,” or EPR, will be ready, too. Typically, EPR holds producers of products responsible for their management through the product’s lifecycle.
"Beyond Plastics saw the bill as a national model, and the most comprehensive in the country. It sought to address not only recycling and waste reduction but also would have banned some of the most toxic chemicals found in plastic packaging.
"ive other states have passed EPR laws for plastic packaging, from Maine in 2021 to Minnesota, the latest, earlier this year. Maine and Minnesota both left many of the details to be worked out by state agencies.
"California’s bill, passed in 2022, is the most ambitious to become law so far—seeking to cut single-use plastic packaging and food service ware by 25 percent; recycle 65 percent of single-use plastic packaging and food service ware; and make 100 percent of single-use packaging and plastic food service ware recyclable or compostable.
"But some critics, Beyond Plastics among them, worry that the California law allows for easy exemptions, gives the industry too much control over itself and may have left the door open to chemical recycling, which in some common forms environmental groups consider to be tantamount to incineration, not actual recycling."
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