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.
August 29, 2022 - from the FoodProcessing.com:
"Americans’ appetite for honey is increasing even as supplies are decreasing, according to the latest USDA figures.
Domestic honey consumption reached a record high last year of 618 million pounds, up 8% from 2020. Meanwhile, last year’s domestic production was 126 million pounds, the lowest since 1991. Prices paid to honey producers averaged $2.54 a pound, a record high.
Factors in the domestic shortage include higher-than-normal temperatures that reduced the floral cover needed to produce honey, and diversion by commercial beekeepers of their colonies away from honey production to meet demand by almond growers and others for pollination services.
"Not surprisingly, imports have surged to meet demand. Imports have made up a majority of U.S. honey consumption since 2005 and made up 74% of all U.S. consumption last year. Supplies may be further constricted by the situation in Ukraine, which before Russia’s invasion was the world’s fifth-ranking exporter of honey."
August 31, 2022 - from the Jewish Pressy News:
"In a peak year for honey production in Israel, Agriculture Minister Oded Forer and Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman want to allow honey imports for Rosh Hashanah – a move that local bee growers say is purely political, taking advantage of the fact that Rosh Hashanah, when Jews dip their apples and challahs in honey, happens to fall during national election season.
"The beekeepers’ organization reports that the Agriculture Ministry has been informed that honey production in Israel’s beehives is at a record high of about 4,200 tons – enough to supply all the honey consumption needs of Israelis throughout the Tishrei holidays.
"There are 120 thousand beehives operated by Israeli beekeepers throughout the country. According to their group, this year’s abundant harvest, the result of the long winter, and high precipitation figures that extended into March and April produced copious spring and summer blossoms with plenty of nectar. Then came summer which started late this year, with temperatures that benefit the beehives and the honey production process.
"According to the Central Bureau of Statistics data, despite the increase in prices throughout the economy and the increase in the price of honey around the world, Israeli honey is marketed to various marketing chains at the same prices as in recent years, and therefore no increase in consumer honey prices is expected for the Tishrei holidays. In fact, consumer honey prices are on a downward trend."
August 25, 2022 from the CPSC in conjunction with Healthy Canadians
IKEA METALLISK Espresso Makers have been recalled because the recalled espresso makers with the stainless-steel safety valve can burst and expel hot contents, posing burn or other injury hazards to consumers.
This recall involves IKEA METALLISK Espresso Makers with a stainless-steel safety valve for cooktop 0.4 1. The label engraved on the bottom of the product includes the IKEA logo, other product information, and a date stamp in (YYWW) format, where the first two digits represent the year and the last two digits represent the week of manufacture. The recalled espresso makers bear a date stamp between 2040 and 2204.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled IKEA METALLISK espresso makers with the stainless-steel safety valve. Units bearing date stamps 2040 through 2204 can be returned for a full refund to any Ikea store location or by mail using a pre-paid label. Proof of purchase (receipt) is not required.
Sold At: IKEA stores nationwide and online at IKEA.com from September 2020 through January 2022 for about $20.
Consumer Contact: IKEA toll-free at 888-966-4532 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at Ikea Consumers can also visit the www.IKEA.com/us/en home page and click on the “Learn More” button under the picture of the METALLISK Espresso Maker for more information.
August 21, 2022 - from Matzav.com:
"Israel’s Dairy Board today approved a price hike of 4.9 percent for dairy products country-wide. This comes as inflation rocks the Jewish state, causing the price of goods to rise dramatically.
"Reports note that the board initially discussed a 14 percent hike, but negotiations with the Finance and Agriculture Ministries resulted in the lower hike. The talks took several months, held up by the dispersal of the Knesset."A reason for the hike is due to the price of grain used to feed livestock rising significantly – a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began nearly six months ago.
"The milk price will remain at the inflated rate until May 2023 before reverting to the original price, with a possibility of being raised again.
"Although still far below the United States’s inflation rate – which stood at 8.5 percent – Israel’s rate of inflation in July was the highest it’s been for several decades, standing at 5.2 percent."
August 5, 2022 - from the Food Safety News:
"Meat may dominate the grill, but the market for plant-based meat alternatives is growing. That growth is due, in part, to a belief that plant-based products are less susceptible to pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella.
"'Many consumers believe that plant-based foods are minimally processed, more healthful, and nutritionally superior to otherwise similar animal-based counterparts,” said John Luchansky, lead scientist at the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research unit in Wyndmoor, PA.
"Luchansky said that while there have been improvements in the quality of plant-based meat, there are little to no data on the safety of such foods as it relates to microbial pathogens.
"Consumers generally, and correctly, consider meat burgers to be raw and to require cooking prior to consumption. On the other hand, many consumers view plant-based burgers as not raw because they contain plant material and some plants can be eaten raw.
"'In reality, plants can sometimes harbor high levels of foodborne pathogens and, as such, plant-based burgers should be considered and handled just like, for example, raw ground beef,” said Luchansky’s research partner, Anna Porto-Fett, a microbiologist.
"'If you follow the ‘Four C’s of Food Safety,’ which are Cook (160º F), Clean, don’t Cross contaminate, and Chill, you can appreciably lower—but not eliminate—your risk of foodborne illness,” Porto-Fett said."
July 26, 2022 - from the FDA:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is launching a Webinar on August 11, 2022, at 1pm ET to discuss the biennial food facility registration renewal period, the requirement for facilities to have a unique facility identifier (UFI), and general information and guidance on how to register with the FDA.
U.S. and foreign human and animal food facilities that are required to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must renew their registration this year between October 1 and December 31, 2022.
Nicole Shokatz and Robert Spear from the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Compliance will lead the webinar and answer your questions submitted during registration.
Register by August 10 here.
July 21, 2022 - from The Conversation:
"Florida’s outbreak of listeria has so far led to at least one death, 22 hospitalizations and an ice cream recall since January. Humans get sick with listeria infections, or listeriosis, from eating soil-contaminated food, undercooked meat or dairy products that are raw, or unpasteurized. Listeria can cause convulsions, coma, miscarriage and birth defects. And it’s the third leading cause of food poisoning deaths in the U.S.
"Avoiding unseen food hazards is the reason people often check the dates on food packaging. And printed with the month and year is often one of a dizzying array of phrases: “best by,” “use by,” “best if used before,” “best if used by,” “guaranteed fresh until,” “freeze by” and even a “born on” label applied to some beer.
"People think of them as expiration dates, or the date at which a food should go in the trash. But the dates have little to do with when food expires, or becomes less safe to eat. I am a microbiologist and public health researcher, and I have used molecular epidemiology to study the spread of bacteria in food. A more science-based product dating system could make it easier for people to differentiate foods they can safely eat from those that could be hazardous.
"The dates on those food packages, however, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Rather, they come from food producers. And they may not be based on food safety science.
"A joint study by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the National Resources Defense Council recommends the elimination of dates aimed at consumers, citing potential confusion and waste. Instead, the research suggests manufacturers and distributors use “production” or “pack” dates, along with “sell-by” dates, aimed at supermarkets and other retailers. The dates would indicate to retailers the amount of time a product will remain at high quality.
"The FDA considers some products “potentially hazardous foods” if they have characteristics that allow microbes to flourish, like moisture and an abundance of nutrients that feed microbes. These foods include chicken, milk and sliced tomatoes, all of which have been linked to serious foodborne outbreaks. But there is currently no difference between the date labeling used on these foods and that used on more stable food items. A plastic bag of precooked, stuffed pasta lies with its label face up, reading 'Use by 22 November' and 'keep refrigerated.'
"But in the absence of a uniform food dating system, consumers could rely on their eyes and noses, deciding to discard the fuzzy bread, green cheese or off-smelling bag of salad. People also might pay close attention to the dates for more perishable foods, like cold cuts, in which microbes grow easily. They can also find guidance at FoodSafety.gov."
July 25, 2022 - from NPR:
"Plant-based meat alternatives have suddenly become cheaper than their conventional counterparts, according to new figures. Compiled by supermarket researcher Questionmark on behalf of the Dutch branch of food awareness organization ProVeg International, the data shows how inflation and high raw material prices have caused animal meat prices to skyrocket in comparison with plant-based alt meats.
"ProVeg and Questionmark systematically mapped the price differences between animal products and plant-based substitutes for the first time in February this year. They then mapped the differences again in June this year and discovered that a lot has changed, including the following price developments:
"The researchers compared the cheapest animal meat products with the cheapest associated plant-based meat alternatives of the same portion quantity, with a total of 36 different products compared. The differences between supermarkets and the products themselves remain large, with many plant-based products having a different target market and retaining a higher price. However, the results show the price parity trend to be seen across the board.
"According to ProVeg, inflation and higher raw material costs, combined with the inefficiency inherent in the production of meat is driving the trend. On average, meat became 21% more expensive between February and June, whilst plant-based meat alternatives rose in price by only 2%. In relative terms, the research shows discount supermarket options Aldi and Lidl to offer the greatest benefits for those who exchange meat for meat alternatives, with savings of no less than €6 per kilo.
July 11, 2022 - from NPR:
"Green crabs are the invasive pests that have plagued North America's marine ecosystems for more than 200 years. A New Hampshire distillery is taking on the problem by using them to make green crab-flavored whiskey. Green crabs are so abundant that it's going to take a lot more than whiskey to curb the population, but some hope bringing awareness to the issue will lead to creative solutions.
"Tamworth Distilling's Crab Trapper whiskey gets some of its flavor from green crabs caught off the coast of New Hampshire. The crabs hitched a ride to the United States on ships coming from Europe around the 1800s. Here, they eat tons of shellfish and destroy estuaries and fish habitats.
"Will Robinson, the product developer at Tamworth Distilling who had the idea for the project, said the crabs were cleaned and prepared just like any other crab you might order at a restaurant.
"First, they make a crab stock. Then, they distill it using a vacuum still — a glass machine that allows for precise temperature control.
"Each bottle of whiskey uses about a pound of green crabs."
July 7, 2022 - from Vegconomist:
"Vegan cheese producers and consumers in Turkey are facing a government ban on sales and production following an unprecedented law by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Vegan Association of Turkey has now filed a lawsuit against the ministry looking to overturn the latest in a line of plant-based censorship rulings.
"According to the Vegan Association of Turkey, article 9/3 added to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation writes that: “Products giving the impression of [dairy] cheese cannot be produced using vegetable/plant-based oil or other food ingredients.” The pretense behind the ban is “to prevent adulteration”, but any product that is considered to resemble conventional cheese, but does not even contain the word cheese in its name or marketing, can be sanctioned.
"egan cheese producers in Turkey are reported to have fallen foul of the laws already, receiving some high fines which they are now fighting in court. According to the new Turkish food regulations, even vacuum packaging is evocative of conventional dairy cheese and could be misleading for consumers. In its lawsuit, the Vegan Association of Turkey maintains that proprietary rights of manufacturers and fundamental legal principles of law are in clear violation."
July 13, 2022 - from i24 News:
"The price of bread in Israel is expected to increase by 20 percent starting Sunday as a result of a global rise in wheat prices, Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivai announced today.
"This increase comes on top of the price of eggs, which rose by 6.5 percent last Friday. As a result, a large egg now costs six cents more and the price of a tray of a dozen eggs costs 75 cents more, for a total of almost $4.
"A 9.6 percent increase in the price of electricity is expected for August as well."
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