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 29, 2022 from the Times of Israel:
"In one of the first acts of the incoming coalition, newly installed Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli on Thursday delayed the implementation of a kashrut reform that was due to go into effect next week.
"The reform, which was passed last October, would have enabled private organizations that provide supervision services to declare businesses “kosher” — something that currently only Chief Rabbinate-approved rabbis can do — starting on January 1, 2023.
"Over the years, the Rabbinate monopoly over kashrut has been blamed for widespread graft, cronyism, and dishonest business practices in the food industry. The previous government’s reform was aimed at addressing this by opening the field up to competition, so that if one kashrut supervisor, or mashgiach, was behaving unscrupulously, a restaurant could change to a different outfit, instead of being stuck with the same one.
"Reversing the reform, which would have eaten into the Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly on kosher certification, has been a major goal of Haredi politicians, some of whom are closely linked with the Rabbinate’s supervision agencies.
"Cancelling the kashrut reform, one of the main legislations advanced by former religious services minister Matan Kahana, was included in the incoming government’s coalition deals, though it is not yet clear what exactly will replace it.
"In order to prevent the reform from going into place, Malkieli on Thursday night used a postponement mechanism that was built into the law, giving the religious services minister the ability to delay implementation by six months, if they determine that one or more municipalities are not prepared for it to go into effect. This can be repeated for up to five years, giving the coalition ample time to pass new legislation.
"Malkieli signed the order postponing the reform, which he claimed was the first signature issued by a minister of the incoming government, in the presence of Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the unofficial spiritual leader of Malkieli’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party.
"In the meantime, however, other aspects of the reform will still remain in effect. Any municipal rabbi can certify a business as kosher even if it’s located outside his jurisdiction, which is meant to increase competition and help break up the monopoly that had previously been in place.
"Malkieli’s postponement drew ire from two of the organizations that were most poised to benefit from the new reform, Hashgacha Pratit and Tzohar, both of which offer kashrut supervision and would have been able to declare businesses officially “kosher” had the rule gone into effect."
December 29, 2022 from the Times of Israel:
"Israel's largest supermarket chain Shufersal has inked an initial deal to set up a chain of stores in the country for the Dutch-owned international supermarket SPAR vowing to compete and bring down rising food prices.
"According to the memorandum of understanding, Shufersal will invest tens of millions of shekels to open at least 10 SPAR stores in Israel over the next three years, as well as sell SPAR products exclusively in its stores. The Dutch-owned chain has 13,600 stores and operates in 48 countries around the world.
"The move comes as Shufersal is facing increasing competition with the entry of French supermarket chain Carrefour and 7-Eleven in Israel in the coming years.
"The top three supermarket chains account for over half of the Israeli food retail market, limiting competition and putting upward pressure on prices.
"Israel’s cost of living is one of the highest among countries in the OECD, which has been generally attributed to a lack of competition among local importers and manufacturers, who are therefore able to raise prices, as well as import restrictions that keep out international firms.
"Israel’s inflation rate accelerated to 5.3 percent in November over the previous 12 months, hitting a new 14-year high, while local food retailers have been hiking food prices, drawing consumer outrage and calls for boycotts.
"Food prices in Israel have risen 50% over the past two decades and are between 25 and 80% above the OECD average, with dairy products, soft drinks, and grain-based products particularly expensive (as of 2017 data, according to the OECD).
"As part of the initial franchise deal, Shufersal will become a shareholder in a joint corporation controlled by Israeli businessman Amit Zeev which will enter into a license agreement with SPAR.
"As part of the initial franchise deal, Shufersal will become a shareholder in a joint corporation controlled by Israeli businessman Amit Zeev which will enter into a license agreement with SPAR.
"The license agreement includes the right to establish SPAR stores in Israel as well as the right to import and market 10,000 products under the private SPAR label. Zeev will serve as the CEO of the joint corporation.The license agreement includes the right to establish SPAR stores in Israel as well as the right to import and market 10,000 products under the private SPAR label. Zeev will serve as the CEO of the joint corporation.
"The agreement is subject to the approval of the global SPAR corporate and the approval of Israel’s Competition Authority."
December 22, 2022 - from VIN News
"Two people lost their lives in Israel while eating donuts this week. A third is in serious condition in the ICU. The Israeli health ministry decided to respond and explain the dangers of eating donuts and how they should be eaten properly.
"o why does this happen and how can we mitigate the danger of asphyxia and make eating donuts safer? The ministry explained that “a donut is soft but from the moment we start eating it, it becomes a sticky dough. It is recommended to take small bites and to remember that a donut needs intensive chewing not less than when chewing a steak.
"'If you have children up to the age of 3, or if you are a senior citizen with false teeth or missing teeth, if you have difficulty chewing hard foods and have a dry mouth or medical conditions which make swallowing difficult – be much more careful. Medical specialists and speech therapists can assist in treating difficulties swallowing. Look after yourselves and happy Chanukah!'
"During the first four days of Chanukah, a 70-year-old resident of Netanya and a 67-year-old resident of Bnei Brak died while attempting to eat donuts. A 65-year-old resident of Ofakim choked on a donut and is still in serious condition in hospital."
December 15, 2022 - from JNS:
"Unilever plc announced on Thursday that its legal battle with the independent board of its wholly-owned autonomous subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s, over the brand’s sale of ice cream in Israel, has been resolved."
December 2, 2022 - from US News:
"Unilever plc asked a U.S. judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Ben & Jerry's over the sale of its Israeli ice cream business, saying the subsidiary's "'nsistence on taking sides' in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict gives its board no authority to stop or even sue over the sale."
"In a filing on Friday afternoon in Manhattan federal court, Unilever said Ben & Jerry's board 'is no ordinary board.'
""The board, it said in the filings, has some responsibility to preserve its 'social mission' and safeguard the brand under the shareholder agreement from 2000, when Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's. But Unilever said that the board cannot sue.
"Unilever also said the board's "recent insistence on taking sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict created an untenable situation" for both sides."
September 20, 2022 - from FoodDive.com:
September 6, 2022 - from Bloomberg:
"Ben & Jerry’s is renewing its effort to unwind a contentious decision by parent company Unilever Plc to sell the ice-cream business in Israel.
"The Vermont-based ice-cream maker will confirm as early as Tuesday that it plans to file a revised complaint in New York federal court in the coming weeks, said two people familiar with the matter. Ben & Jerry’s independent board wants to stop Unilever’s sale of its brand and trademark to local licensee Avi Zinger as the deal allows the ice cream to be sold in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
"The board, which first sued its corporate parent in early July, argues that the sale conflicts with Ben & Jerry’s long-held “core values” and breaches a legal agreement made when Unilever bought the brand in 2000."
August 3, 2022 - from the Wall Street Journal
"A US judge on Monday rejected Ben & Jerry’s attempt to stop its parent Unilever Plc from allowing its ice cream to be sold in the West Bank, which Ben & Jerry’s said undermined its values.
"US District Judge Andrew Carter in Manhattan said Ben & Jerry’s did not deserve an injunction to halt ice cream sales and marketing because it did not show it would suffer irreparable harm, or that customers would be confused.
"Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever on July 5, saying the sale of its Israeli business to local licensee Avi Zinger violated the agreement under which Unilever bought the Burlington, Vermont-based company in 2000.
"The sale came nearly a year after Ben & Jerry’s decided to end sales in the West Bank, saying it was “inconsistent” with the values and social mission it retained the right to promote.
"Unilever countered that Ben & Jerry’s had no power to stop the sale of the Israeli business, and the sale could not be undone because it had closed in late June.
"The unusual dispute has shone a spotlight on Unilever‘s goal of giving its more than 400 brands social missions and purpose.
"Carter rejected as “too speculative” the idea that customers would be confused if Zinger offered new products conveying a message that might conflict with Ben & Jerry’s own.
"The judge noted that products sold in the West Bank would use Hebrew and Arabic trademarks, not English language trademarks."
August 3, 2022 - from the Wall Street Journal
"Ben & Jerry’s ratcheted up its war of words with Unilever PLC, UL 0.52%▲ saying it had sued its parent company because it feared that left unchecked, the consumer-goods giant would undermine the ice-cream brand’s reputation and business.
"Ben & Jerry’s filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan in July, seeking to block Unilever’s sale of the ice-cream maker’s Israeli business to a licensee. Unilever’s move followed a rift over Ben & Jerry’s decision last year to end sales of its products in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested East Jerusalem.
"On Wednesday, Ben & Jerry’s said its grievance with Unilever was about more than just the Israel issue, in a statement explaining its rationale for the lawsuit.
"Ben & Jerry’s said in its statement that Unilever had frozen the board’s compensation as a “pressure tactic” before a recent mediation between the two sides. Those talks ended unsuccessfully last week. A hearing on Ben & Jerry’s request for a temporary injunction to block Unilever’s sale of the brand’s Israel business is scheduled for Monday."
June 30, 2022 - from the Wall Street Journal
"Ben & Jerry’s is suing parent company Unilever to block the sale of its Israeli business to a licensee, the latest twist in a rift over the ice cream maker’s decision to end sales in Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested East Jerusalem.
"In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever’s decision to sell the business in Israel last week was done without the approval of Ben & Jerry’s independent board of directors.
"The board held a special meeting on Friday in response to Unilever’s decision and voted 5-2 to file a lawsuit against its parent company, according to the complaint. Two Unilever appointees on the board were the dissenting votes, the lawsuit said."
June 29, 2022 - from Times of Israel
"The Foreign and Economy ministries issue a joint statement welcoming an agreement reached between Ben & Jerry’s Israel and its parent company Unilever under which the former will be able to sell its ice cream in the West Bank.
"The agreement is the result of a settlement reached in a federal US lawsuit filed on behalf of Ben & Jerry’s Israel owner Avi Zinger by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.
"As a result of the deal, Unilever has sold all of its business interests in Israel to Zinger, who will now be allowed to sell the ice cream on both sides of the Green Line, though no longer under the auspices of Unilever and the original Ben & Jerry’s, which made the decision to boycott.
"The Israeli branch will also sell its ice cream using Hebrew and Arabic labeling, as it no longer will be allowed to use Ben & Jerry’s original English branding."
December 8, 2022 - from Green Queen
"The Zurich Administrative Court has sided with Swiss plant-based protein manufacturer Planted Foods and its use of terminology including “chicken” and “BBQ.”
"'The use of animal names on the packaging of plant-based foods made from pea protein is not deceptive in view of the specific product presentation,” the court said in its decision, supporting the Swiss-based Planted Foods, which produces a range of vegan meat products.
"‘The public recognizes the products as a vegetable substitute for meat’
"Further, the court said a consumer survey clearly indicated that 'the public recognizes the products as a vegetable substitute for meat. By stating the name of an animal, the intended use of the food as a meat substitute product can be explained to the public in the interest of providing sufficient information required by food law.' planted chicken.
"'The decision comes as labeling on plant-based food faces increasing challenges as the industry expands. Neighboring country France enacted a ban on mean names on plant-based foods earlier this year in an attempt to avoid 'consumer confusion.' That decision was ultimately overturned by the country’s highest court, but the attempted ban highlighted unfair scrutiny directed at the plant-based category."
December 16, 2022 - from the Graub Street:
"The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has issued an order that supports the sale of foie gras in New York City, potentially ending the city’s efforts over the past three years to impose a ban.
"The 2019 New York City law prohibiting the sale of foie gras was scheduled to take effect last month, but a Manhattan judge issued a restraining order delaying its implementation. That law has now been found to violate a state law that prevents municipalities from enacting laws that “unreasonably restrict farming operations in certified agricultural districts,” according to the Catskill Foie Gras Collective.
"La Belle Farm is one of two major foie gras producers, along with Hudson Valley Foie Gras, that make up the Catskill Foie Gras Collective."
October 31, 2019 - from the Specialty Food News and Graub Street:
"The New York City Council has passed legislation banning the sale of foie gras in the five boroughs, part of an animal welfare bill package. The law banning “force-fed poultry products” goes into effect in 2022, so it won’t have an immediate impact on the roughly 1,000 New York City restaurants serving foie gras on their menus or the upstate farmers supplying them, who say they could eventually lose up to 400 workers as a result of the legislation. New York follows California in banning foie gras, which went into effect in 2012. When the New York bill goes into effect, violations will be punishable by a $2,000 fine. That is, if the foie gras is produced by forced feeding, which not all of it is."
August 30, 2019 - from the New York Times:
"As a proposed ban of foie gras makes its way through the City Council, duck farmers and animal rights activists are scrambling to make their respective cases."
"About 1,000 New York City restaurants serve foie gras, a calling card of fine dining and proof of a chef’s classical training."
"But foie gras, which can be made from geese as well, has also been at the center of a debate over whether the process of producing the delicacy is humane or, as animal rights activists suggest, torture."
"The New York City Council is leaning toward torture: It is now considering proposed legislation that would effectively ban foie gras from being sold in New York, one of the country’s largest markets for the product."
"The bill could come up for a vote in the fall; more than half of the Council has signed on as co-sponsors, and Mayor Bill de Blasio said he supports the intent of the proposal."
December 14, 2022 - from Food Safety Magazine. More information from the FDA is found here
"A sampling and testing assignment conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found 10 percent of imported honey samples to be adulterated.
"FDA collected and tested honey imported to the U.S. in 2021 and 2022 for economically motivated adulteration (EMA), which is also known as “food fraud” when relevant to food products. FDA defines EMA in relation to food as “intentionally leaving out, taking out, or substituting a valuable ingredient or part of a food… or adding a substance to a food to make it appear better or of greater value.”
"The specific aim of the FDA sampling and testing assignment was to identify products that contained undeclared added sweeteners (when the product is labeled solely as “honey” rather than a “blend”) and prevent them from being distributed in the U.S. market. Some honey producers engage in food fraud to lower production costs by adding undeclared, inexpensive sweeteners to the product, such as syrups derived from cane, corn, rice, or sugar beets.
"FDA cites studies suggesting that EMA of honey is somewhat prevalent, with a rate of 13 percent in Canada and 14 percent in the EU in recent years. Additionally, more than 70 percent of the honey consumed in the U.S. is imported. Therefore, FDA conducted the present assignment to better understand the extent of EMA among imported honey, and to identify fraudulent products and prevent them from being distributed in the U.S. market.
"The honey evaluated for the assignment was imported from 32 countries. About 40 percent of the samples originated in India and Vietnam, which have been the top two sources of honey imported by the U.S. in four of the last five years. FDA collected all the samples in import status, which refers to products collected at ports of entry or other locations where they are held prior to being released into the U.S. market.
"he agency cautions against making inferences or comparisons based on the data on nations of origin for noncompliant honey, due to the small sample sizes and the fact that FDA did not design the assignment for such purposes. However, the majority of adulterated honey was imported from Yemen (4 of 4 samples), followed by Vietnam (3 of 28 samples), the Dominican Republic (2 of 2 samples), Thailand (1 of 1 samples), Lebanon (1 of 1 samples), Greece (1 of 4 samples), Italy (1 of 4 samples), and India (1 of 29 samples).
December 8, 2020 - from Hamodia. Similar advise at RWJ Barnababas Health and Chabad.org:
"In an effort to bring public awareness to the dangers inherent in Chanukah, United Hatzalah has released a list of safety tips and warnings aimed at helping parents avoid the dangers and prevent the injuries from occurring."
Use a special location and apparatus to light the candles.
Don’t leave menoros unsupervised, especially with young children in the house.
Kitchen safety:
December 13, 2022 - from Matzav.com:
"More than 100 people gathered in Dubai last night as the United Arab Emirates’ Jewish community opened the first-ever kosher supermarket in the Gulf.
"The supermarket, named “Rimon,” will meet growing demand for kosher products due to the significant increase in the number of Jews traveling and relocating to the UAE in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords.
"The agreements, brokered by the Trump administration, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE.
"The store will also feature a Jewish food market every weekend for those looking for hot kosher meals for Shabbos."
December 8, 2022 - from Food Quality and Safety:
"U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that would require animal agriculture 'corporations and industrial operators' to be 'more humane' during any depopulation measures under a disease disaster.
"Called the 'Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act,' the bill would place the liability for responsible disaster mitigation on these entities by requiring them to register with USDA, submit disaster preparedness plans, and also pay a fee for a new fund focused on disaster events. The new fund, known as the High-Risk AFO Disaster Mitigation Fund, would then be used to enforce disaster mitigation plans and ensure that the most humane practices are used if depopulation is necessary.
"Additionally, Booker’s legislation aims to ensure that no inhumane methods in other aspects of the food system are being employed by industrial operators, which he says would be accomplished by halting line-speed increases and meatpacker self-inspection programs for animal slaughter, closing regulatory loopholes to prohibit the slaughter of all downed animals, and requiring more humane treatment of livestock transported for long periods.
"The bill also aims to invest resources for higher-welfare slaughter technology in meat and poultry processing facilities and looks to establish a pilot program to train and employ more part-time inspectors for small processing plants."
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