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 23, 2023 - from the Jewish Press:
"New Yorkers can no longer expect a plastic spoon or fork with which to consume their takeout meals: now, one must specifically ask for those utensils in order to receive them, thanks to the latest regulation passed by the city council.
"Last week the city council approved a bill banning restaurants from including plastic utensils, condiment packets, napkins or extra food containers unless specifically requested by the customer.
"Known as the “Skip the Stuff” bill, Intro559-A was sponsored by Bronx Democratic council member Marjorie Velázquez.
"It is the latest attempt by New York to regulate the use of disposable plastic in hopes of reducing damage to the environment.'
January 19, 2023 - from the CTech:
"In a new halachic ruling published on Wednesday, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Lau, announced that the cultivated meat produced by Aleph Farms is kosher pareve, as in doesn't include substances that contain dairy or meat ingredients. This, to the extent that the product - produced from stem cells - will be marked differently from animal meat produced by slaughter, to avoid an appearance that will create confusion among the public.
"Lau made the decision after examining the production methods in the company's laboratory and speaking with experts in the field.
"Aleph Farms is a veteran company in the development of cultivated meat. To date, the company has raised $120 million, and has developed steak slices cultivated from animal stem cells, which have not undergone genetic engineering. Last year, Aleph Farms announced the launch of a pilot production facility in Rehovot at an investment of $12 million.
"The company's first product (Minute Steak) is currently being examined by the Israeli Ministry of Health and the American regulator. When the company receives marketing approval, it will be able to enter the market with its products for the first time. The company hopes to launch its products in Israel this year. After that, it plans to enter the Singapore and U.S. markets by the second half of next year.
"Aleph Farms is the first company in Israel to receive such a ruling from a senior halachic authority, so that in the future it can offer its products to the public as pareve products. According to the halachic examination carried out by Rabbi Lau, as long as the cultivated meat is defined and marketed as "the closest vegetable product to meat", it can be labelled as kosher pareve. Rabbi Lau noted that if the product will be marketed as meat or meat products, and "in particular, if it will be similar to meat in taste and smell" it will still be defined as kosher but should not be mixed or consumed with dairy products in any way.
"The reason Aleph Farms' products were approved as pareve is due to the company's production method. Aleph Farms produces stem cells from a fertilized egg in a laboratory, without requiring animals or slaughter. The current method extracts the stem cells from a fertilized egg even before it is attached to the animal's body, therefore Rabbi Lau believes that the fertilized egg in itself is not forbidden to eat. Therefore, the product is not considered meat, and there is no need to wait before consuming milk."
A copy of Rabbi Lau's psack in Hebrew is here.
January 22, 2023 - from the Food Safety News:
"A multi-million dollar Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, the Animal Welfare Institute, has filed the second petition this year seeking a policy change with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
"The Animal Welfare Institute petition has been assigned to the FSIS Office of Policy and Program Development for review and assigned petition number 23-02.
"The petition asks FSIS to amend the oversight of review processes for the Custom Exempt slaughter establishments.
"Custom slaughtering and preparation activities are exempt from Federal inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA). Custom Exempt slaughtering or preparation is for an owner’s animal exclusively “for use in the household of such owner, by him and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees” and is exempt from (continual) federal inspection.
"Petition 23-02 seeks changes in the Custom Exempt directive to require that periodic or annual inspections be carried out on dates and time when the slaughter is occurring. Further changes called for include: that voluntary animal welfare practices be made mandatory; that inspectors follow instructions; that the Custom-Exempt “loophole” be eliminated; and that neglect and abuse be reported under state animal cruelty laws.
"The animal activists also want Custom Exempt Slaughter establishments to lose their grants of inspections over humane violations.
"The first petition submitted to FSIS in 2023 for a policy change seeks to lift the ban on livestock lungs as human food.
January 19, 2023 from the CPSC in conjunction with Heathy Canadians:
Hot Chocolate Pots have been recalled because the hot chocolate pots are mislabeled as microwave safe. If microwaved, the metallic paint on the pots can spark, posing a fire hazard.
Description: This recall involves hot chocolate pots with SKU/UGS number 9292417. The SKU/UGS number is located on the bottom of the box. The Hot Chocolate Pot is white with a red lid. The ceramic pot features a reindeer on the front side. The Hot Chocolate Pot includes a battery-operated frothing wand. The date code 5/22 is displayed on the bottom of the pot.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled pots and contact Williams-Sonoma for instructions on how to return the product for a full refund plus a $20 gift card.
Sold At: Williams-Sonoma stores nationwide, online at www.williams-sonoma.com and through Williams-Sonoma catalogs from September 2022 through November 2022 for about $100.
January 12, 2023 - from JTA
"7-Eleven is the largest convenience store chain in the United States, with nearly 10,000 locations. But it is in some of its overseas markets where the chain really stands out — especially in Japan, where the more than 20,000 7-Elevens serve up everything from banking services to clothing essentials to high-end fresh and prepared foods. There, they can function as a person’s primary shopping destination.
"With the store opening this week, Israel became the 19th country to welcome the megachain, and the first in the Middle East, after Electra Consumer Products inked a franchise deal in 2021. Thirty more stores are slated to open by the beginning of 2024; the company says several hundred will follow.
"The new stores will join more than 10,000 convenience stores already operating in Israel. In some big cities, including Tel Aviv, convenience stores that resemble New York’s bodegas can be found on every street corner, many of them open around the clock offering anything from cigarettes to diapers.
"But the standard convenience stores known as makolets don’t serve coffee and hot food and are intended, like their American counterparts, for buying items in between larger shops at regular supermarkets. The a.m./p.m. chain of small-scale grocery stores gives off a 7-Eleven aesthetic but also does not serve fresh coffee or food. The closest things currently to a 7-Eleven in Israel are gas station stores that offer coffee and a range of sandwiches, salads and pastries, in addition to basic groceries.
"At the new 7-Eleven, customers serve themselves Slurpees, Big Gulps and soft-serve ice cream (called American ice cream in Israel) as well as coffee from touchscreen machines that offer oat and soy milk alternatives at the same price. At 9 NIS ($2.60), the price is competitive locally but is still more than other 7-Elevens around the world, including the United States — reflecting Israel’s notoriously high cost of living.
January 9, 2023 - from Bloomberg
"A federal agency says a ban on gas stoves is on the table amid rising concern about harmful indoor air pollutants emitted by the appliances.
"The US Consumer Product Safety Commission plans to take action to address the pollution, which can cause health and respiratory problems.
"Natural gas stoves, which are used in about 40% of homes in the US, emit air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter at levels the EPA and World Health Organization have said are unsafe and linked to respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, cancer, and other health conditions, according to reports by groups such as the Institute for Policy Integrity and the American Chemical Society. Consumer Reports, in October, urged consumers planning to buy a new range to consider going electric after tests conducted by the group found high levels of nitrogen oxide gases from gas stoves.
"New peer-reviewed research published last month in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that more than 12% of current childhood asthma cases in the US can be attributed to gas stove use.
"The Bethesda, Maryland-based Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has a staff of roughly 500, plans to open public comment on hazards posed by gas stoves later this winter. Besides barring the manufacture or import of gas stoves, options include setting standards on emissions from the appliances.
"Lawmakers have weighed in, asking the commission to consider requiring warning labels, range hoods and performance standards.
"Parallel efforts by state and local policymakers are targeting the use of natural gas in buildings more broadly, in a push to reduce climate-warming emissions (such as from methane) that exacerbate climate change. Nearly 100 cities and counties have adopted policies that require or encourage a move away from fossil fuel powered buildings. The New York City Council voted in 2021 to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings smaller than seven stories by the end of this year.
"Consumers who want to switch from gas to electric ranges could get some help from the massive climate spending bill signed into law in August. The Inflation Reduction Act includes rebates of up to $840 for the purchase of new electric ranges as part of some $4.5 billion in funding to help low- and moderate-income households electrify their homes.
"The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which represents gas range manufacturers such as Whirlpool Corp., says that cooking produces emissions and harmful byproducts no matter what kind of stove is used.
"Natural gas distributors, whose business is threatened by the growing push to electrify homes, argue that a ban on natural gas stoves would drive up costs for homeowners and restaurants with little environmental gain."
January 9, 2023 - from BBC News
"Single-use items like plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays will be banned in England, the government has confirmed.
"It is not clear when the ban will come into effect but it follows similar moves by Scotland and Wales.
"Government figures suggest that 1.1 billion single-use plates and more than four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used in England every year.
"Plastic waste often does not decompose and can last in landfill for many years.
"Although it might be useful in terms of food hygiene, it can also end up as litter, in turn polluting soil and water.
"Each person in England uses an average of 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 items of plastic cutlery every year, according to Defra, while just 10% of those are recycled.
"
"Ms Coffey is set to ban a range of single-use plastic items mainly relating to takeaway food and drink.
"This latest measure does not, however, cover items found in supermarkets or shops. The government said it would address those by other means."
January 8, 2023 - from Matzav.com
"A parliamentary report from late 2021 found that charedi families, often from low-income communities, use three times more plasticware than the rest of the population. The tax was introduced from one day to the next, without any education or information, she points out.
"The higher prices on disposable plastic products hit the pockets of many Israelis, causing a 50 percent drop in the use of such plastic, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
"Plastic waste is the biggest pollution problem on Israel’s beaches. Between 70 to 90 percent of the waste found in the sea and sand is disposable plastic. And the beaches of Israel, those in and around Tel Aviv in particular, are among the most polluted by plastic in the whole Mediterranean region.
"The environmental organization Plastic Free Israel is behind many small and large beach cleanups that occur on a regular basis, and they noticed a significant difference. According to Evelyn Anca, one of the co-directors, last year’s taxes produced a reduction of 18 percent of plastic waste on the beaches."
January 1, 2023 - from Jewish Press
"Newly-installed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has cancelled Israel’s recent tax on disposable plastics and sweet drinks.
"The tax, implemented by the Bennett-Lapid government last year, has been the bane of large families, particularly in the Orthodox Jewish sector which is largely reliant on the utensils.
"Smotrich instructed the ministry on Sunday to cancel the tax as soon as possible.
"Upon taking office, Smotrich said he believes in free-market policies, and would continue to a large extent the steps already taken by his predecessor, Yisrael Beytenu chair MK Avigdor Liberman.
"The tax on plastic disposables and sweet drinks was taken by the previous government in a nod towards the need to preserve the ecology and children’s health, but has been seen by those who particularly rely on such products (the Haredi community) as selective and extreme."
December 28, 2022 - from Food Processing
"Cal-Maine Foods, the country’s largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs, today (Dec. 28) reported record results for the second quarter of fiscal 2023, driven by record egg prices at retail.
"For the second quarter of its fiscal 2023 (ended Nov. 28), the company reported sales of $802 million, a 110% increase compared with the same quarter last year. Net income in the period was nearly $199 million, compared to a scant $1.2 million a year earlier. That’s $4.07 per share. All those figures are company records.
"Sales and profit were driven by pricing, although volume was up 5%. Which begs the question: Where is the shortage of supply?
"The company noted the averages selling price of conventional eggs in the quarter was $2.88 per dozen, compared with $1.15 a year earlier. Miller noted that, as of Dec. 28."
December 22, 2022 - from Food Quality and Safety
"On Friday, April 23, 2021, President Biden signed the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act of 2021 into law. The law contains two main components. First, sesame is added as a major food allergen, marking the first official change to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) since its passage. Second, the FASTER act requires reports on selected food allergy topics to be delivered to Congress, including those on how to establish and implement criteria for future updates to the list of major food allergens.
"The FASTER Act amends Section 201(qq) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321 (qq)) to read:
"(qq) The term “major food allergen” means any of the following:
"(1) Milk, egg, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, or cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, or shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, or walnuts), wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame.
"The amendment to include sesame as a major food allergen is effective as of January 1, 2023. With this change, sesame and sesame-derived ingredients will need to follow all FALCPA labeling requirements. Specifically, all sesame and sesame-derived ingredients must be declared as sesame either in the ingredients list or in a “Contains” statement. If a “Contains” statement is used, all major allergen ingredients must be included. As noted above, one common sesame-derived ingredient used in foods is sesame oil. While FALCPA does exempt highly refined oils derived from allergenic foods from labeling, much of the sesame oil used in food production is not highly refined and is therefore not exempt from labeling. FALCPA does not provide a specific definition of highly refined oils, but industry best practice would indicate that processing should include refining, bleaching, and deodorizing. Sesame-derived ingredients must also be declared by their common or usual name; tahini may still be used on the ingredient list, but sesame must appear either parenthetically or in a “Contains” statement."
December 22, 2022 - from Yeshiva World and AP News
"A new federal law requiring that sesame be listed as an allergen on food labels is having unintended consequences — increasing the number of products with the ingredient.
"Food industry experts said the requirements are so stringent that many manufacturers, especially bakers, find it simpler and less expensive to add sesame to a product — and to label it — than to try to keep it away from other foods or equipment with sesame.
"As a result, several companies — including national restaurant chains like Olive Garden, Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A and bread makers that stock grocery shelves and serve schools — are adding sesame to products that didn’t have it before. While the practice is legal, consumers and advocates say it violates the spirit of the law aimed at making foods safer for people with allergies.
"The new law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, requires that all foods made and sold in the U.S. must be labeled if they contain sesame, which is now the nation’s ninth major allergen. Sesame can be found in obvious places, like sesame seeds on hamburger buns. But it is also an ingredient in many foods from protein bars to ice cream, added to sauces, dips and salad dressings and hidden in spices and flavorings.
"Advocates for families coping with allergies lobbied for years to have sesame added to the list of major allergens. Congress in 2004 created labeling requirements for eight: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
"More than 1.6 million people in the U.S. are allergic to sesame, some so severe that they need injections of epinephrine, a drug used to treat life-threatening reactions. Cases of sesame allergy have been rising in recent years along with a growing number of foods that contain the ingredient, said Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician and director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research at Northwestern University.
"Under the new law, enforced by the Food and Drug Administration, companies must now explicitly label sesame as an ingredient or separately note that a product contains sesame. In the U.S., ingredients are listed on product packaging in order of amount. Sesame labeling has been required for years in other places, including Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
"If the ingredients don’t include sesame, companies must take steps to prevent the foods from coming in contact with any sesame, known as cross-contamination."
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