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.
May 15 2024 from the Baltimore Jewish Life:
"BJL has received reports of many individuals within the Baltimore Jewish community encountering hacking attempts on WhatsApp. It appears that these incidents start with a message from someone in your contacts, asking you to send them a picture of a verification code you will receive via WhatsApp. Be wary of any message that seems to be out of the ordinary."
Further information:How scammers gain access and hack your WhatsApp account and what you can do to protect yourself
May 16 2024 from the MedPage Today:
" No H5N1 has been found in the meat supply, but cooking meat well would kill it if it appeared
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has good news for meat eaters: cooking ground beef at the currently recommended temperatures would likely kill any avian flu virus if it should ever get into the meat supply.
"In the latest test, USDA researchers inoculated a very high level of an HPAI virus surrogate into 300-gram (10.6-oz.) ground beef patties, and then cooked the patties at different temperatures. "Researchers found that there was no virus present in the burgers cooked to 145° [F.] internal temperature -- or roughly 'medium' -- or 160° [F.], which equates with a 'well done' burger, which is the recommended cooking temperature," said Deeble. Asked during a question-and-answer session about whether the virus was found in samples cooked at lower temperatures, he said that 'cooking to -- I believe it was 120° [F.] -- showed that there was virus still in the cooked hamburger patty, but at much, much reduced levels.'"
May 16 2024 from the Food Safety News:
"The back-to-back bans on the making or sale of cultivated meat in Florida and Alabama are getting answered around the world in Singapore.
"That’s where GOOD Meat begins the first retail sales of cultivated chicken, a product called GOOD Meat 3. It’s being sold at retail at Huber’s Butchery in Singapore under a partnership involving GOOD Meat and Huber’s.
"Previously in the United States, some rarely cultivated meat sales were at two high-end restaurants in San Francisco and Washington D.C., but those were discontinued.
"GOOD Meat is the cultivated meat unit of the food technology company Eat Just Inc.
"GOOD Meat and Huber’s Butchery are partnering in the world-exclusive launch in Singapore to sell a new, lower-cost formulation using just 3 percent cultivated chicken while maintaining the same taste, texture and experience as conventional chicken.
"This new product, GOOD Meat 3, is now available in the freezer section of Huber’s Butchery for the remainder of 2024 and will be priced at SGD 7.20 for a 120-gram package. That’s about $5.35 in U.S. Dollars, depending on the currency exchange.
"The partners said GOOD Meat 3 was developed to meet strong consumer demand for cultivated meat in Singapore and to create opportunities for people to try it in the comfort of their own homes. T
"hey say using a smaller percentage of cultivated chicken in combination with plant proteins, which have always been used in GOOD Meat cultivated chicken products, also helps reduce costs associated with the production of cultivated meat, one of the main challenges that exist to scaling this developing industry.
"After an extensive renovation, the GOOD Meat 3 will officially launch as part of Huber’s grand re-opening. The retail outlet is well-known in Singapore and beyond as a premier producer and supplier of high-quality meat products and has joined the country’s push for food innovation to increase food security.
"More than a year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDFA) completed its pre-market evaluation of food made from cultured animal cells by GOOD Meat. FDA said the firm uses animal cell culture technology to take living cells from chickens and grow the cells in a controlled environment to make the cultured animal cell food.
"And the FDA had no more questions about it."
May 14, 2024 from JTA:
"Despite months of deteriorating relations and increasingly hostile rhetoric, the complete shutdown of trade between Turkey and Israel earlier this month came as a shock to many.
"The shutdown, which Turkey’s Islamist-leaning president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced May 3, is putting pressure on prices in Israel, cutting off a major trade route for kosher food and affecting people on both corners of the eastern Mediterranean.
"The shutdown is one of the most sweeping steps taken by any country to oppose Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Erdogan said trade would resume only when there is a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the terror group that Erdogan has said he supports.
"It also marks a significant breach for countries that have long had close physical and economic ties and, until recently, resilient diplomatic relations despite periods of tension.
"In 2023, Turkey was Israel’s fourth-largest trading partner, responsible for billions of dollars of exports to Israel. (Israel has sent a much smaller volume of goods, mainly oil and industrial supplies, to Turkey.)
"As the world’s seventh-largest food producer, Turkey has been the main source of some staples consumed in Israel, including pasta and chocolate. And the countries’ close proximity — it’s about 400 miles by sea between Mersin, southern Turkey’s largest port, and Tel Aviv — made Turkey a go-to source for food and construction materials.
"To serve the Israeli market, more than 300 kosher-certified factories operate across Turkey. Before the embargo, at any given moment around 20 Israeli mashgichim — kosher certifiers — would be visiting to check on factories across the country, from the Iranian border to the Aegean coast.
"That’s all ground to a halt, a source familiar with the Turkish kashrut industry told JTA, and Turkish factory owners and Israeli certification agencies are reconsidering their contracts. The source requested anonymity because of the delicate political situation.
"Some kosher foods require oversight only once or twice a year, meaning that current production runs could be salvaged if a ceasefire agreement is reached in the coming months. But others, according to Orthodox Jewish law, require more frequent supervision, if not constant. That includes Pas or Cholov Yisroel goods, which require Jewish supervisors to be present during the entire production runs of bread and dairy products.
"Such kosher standards are common in haredi Orthodox communities, and even U.S. kosher supermarkets frequently stock goods produced in Turkey that are exported to the United States from Israel by Israel-based kosher brands. The ban also affects these products.
"Relations have been rockier since Erdogan’s ascendance in the early 2000s, but even at their lowest points — such as after the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, in which Israel raided a Turkish ship that was attempting to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza — trade remained high.
"In March, Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, known locally as AKP, suffered its largest loss in two decades, bleeding voters on the right. It was soon after that Erdogan ramped up his pressure on Israel and announced the trade embargo.
"After Israeli officials suggested last week that Turkey may already be softening its stance, Turkey denied that it was easing the embargo but did clarify that there would be a three-month period during which pre-existing contracts could be satisfied."
May 13, 2024 from YNet:
Israeli "Agriculture Ministry inspectors prevented the distribution of 32 tons of watermelons from the Palestinian Authority. The inspectors, in collaboration with Border Police officers, arrived at the Azaim checkpoint, near Jerusalem, and stopped a truck containing the smuggled watermelons.
"An initial investigation revealed that the watermelons came from agricultural lands in the Palestinian Authority. The truck driver was an Israeli citizen, a resident of the north, who showed the inspectors a forged shipping document. The investigation found the documents were forged, claiming the agricultural produce was from the Jordan Valley, to evade inspection. The driver was detained for questioning, and legal proceedings have been initiated against him.
"he Agriculture Ministry emphasizes that agricultural products entering Israel undergo supervision and inspection at border crossings by the ministry to ensure they do not carry pests, contaminants, pesticide residues, and other substances. Introducing uninspected produce, which does not undergo thorough examination processes, may cause irreversible damage to local agriculture and pose a risk to public health.
"The Agriculture Ministry said that the watermelon is a highly sensitive fruit due to the lack of regulation on pesticides in the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, it is unknown whether the watermelons were irrigated with contaminated water. Therefore, all the seized merchandise was destroyed."
May 4 2024 from the Food Safety News:
"'The Revolution That Died on Its Way to Dinner' By Joe Fassler was published on March 2 in the New York Times. It told of how the cultivated meat industry 'was never a real prospect.'
"But Florida is still taking it for real. Yesterday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that outlaws the manufacture and distribution of so-called 'lab-grown' meat in the state as a threat to Florida agriculture.
"Lab-grown meat, which was the subject of $3 billion in investment capital between 2016 and 2022, is meat developed from animal stem cells, While precious little has gone to market, as many as 60 startups are in the industry.
"The new Florida law does not include products made with plant-based ingredients.
"Florida is ninth in beef cattle, with 862,000 head for a total economic impact of more than $900 million annually."
May 9, 2024 from the Alt-meat
"Alabama is now the second state in America where cultivated meat cannot be manufactured or commercialized as Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday signed a bill (SB 23) that includes the cultivated meat ban.
"Violating the law will be a class C misdemeanor, which carries the possibility of up to a three-month jail sentence and a fine of $500. The new law takes effect October 1."
May 8 2024 from the Matzav.com:
"Following a concerning situation involving a Shul in Harford County, Maryland, Agudah Maryland’s advocacy efforts have resulted in a crucial legislative change to safeguard Shabbos observance in Maryland.
"Last April, Agudah Maryland received a call from the rabbi of a shul in Harford County, reporting that local building officials had mandated the installation of motion sensors on all light fixtures as per regulations outlined in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Such a requirement would obviously present severe Shabbos-observance issues, as the act of entering any room in the building would activate the lighting (via a Psik Reisha) and thus be a serious violation of Shabbos.
"he root of the issue stemmed from Maryland’s compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), standards issued by the International Code Council (ICC), the body which drafts the internationally-accepted building regulations. Since its inception in 1994, states have been incentivized by the federal government to adopt IECC requirements, leading Maryland to pass a law in 2019 mandating compliance. The initial iteration of the IECC required motion sensors in any new construction, prompting local officials to insist on their installation at the shul.
"gudah Maryland representatives worked collaboratively with the shul’s Rabbi to articulate the religious concerns to the building officials, emphasizing the infringement on the constitutional value of religious liberty, as Shabbos-observing Jews would be unable to utilize the shul. Through comprehensive explanation and dialogue, the Harford County building officials demonstrated understanding and receptiveness, ultimately reaching a resolution with the shul.
"ecognizing the need for legislative action to prevent similar issues in the future, Agudath Israel Maryland engaged in discussions with the Maryland Commissioner of Labor. Subsequently, a decision was made to advocate for a change to state law, ensuring proper consideration of religious liberty in building regulations. During the recent legislative session, Agudah Maryland worked closely with state legislators to craft, explain, advocate, and pass the bill. With the law now amended, there is optimism that such issues will not arise in the future.
"Furthermore, Agudath Israel Maryland has proactively engaged with the International Code Council (ICC) to educate them on the unintended impact of IECC regulations on religious observance. With the next iteration of the ICC code on the horizon, there is hope for accommodations to ensure religious practices are respected."
April 22 2024 from the Shelby Report:
"The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies have amended their agreement with C&S Wholesale Grocers for the sale of assets in connection with their proposed merger previously announced on Oct. 14.
"The updated divestiture package increases the total store count by 166 to include 579 stores that will be sold to C&S and continue operating as they do today.
"It maintains the sale to C&S of the QFC, Mariano’s and Carrs banner names. Under the amended agreement, Kroger will also sell the Haggen banner to C&S. Stores under these banners that are retained by Kroger will be re-bannered into one of the retained Kroger or Albertsons Cos. banners following the close of the transaction.
"Under the amended agreement, C&S will license the Albertsons banner in California and Wyoming and the Safeway banner in Arizona and Colorado. In these states, Kroger will re-banner the retained Albertsons and Safeway bannered stores following the closing of the merger. Kroger will maintain the Albertsons and Safeway banners in the remaining states.
"The stores (regardless of banner) will be sold by Kroger to C&S following the closing of the merger with Albertsons Cos."
April 24 2024 from the Food Processing:
"USDA has announced final updates to the school nutrition standards; tremendous amount of feedback on February 2023 proposal helps to save flavored milk from the chopping block.
"The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) announced the final updates to school nutrition standards, and the winners include those who wanted less sugar and sodium in food and beverage products served at schools, but didn’t want to see chocolate (and other flavored) milk disappear from the menus.
"Added sugars will be limited for the first time, with breakfast items taking the biggest hit under the new standards. In Fall 2025, breakfast cereals, yogurt and flavored milk will see new limits on the amount of added sugar per ounce. Starting in the fall of 2027, no more than 10% of weekly calories in school meals can be from added sugars.
"Speaking of flavored milk, USDA will still allow fat-free and low-fat flavored milk in all K-12 schools, so long as they meet the added sugars limits noted above. USDA stated that companies representing more than 90% of the school milk market in the U.S. have already committed to providing options with no more than 10g of added sugars per 8 oz. by the 2025-26 school year.
"Sodium also will see a single, gradual reduction from current limits, to be achieved by the 2027-28 school year. At that point, schools will implement a reduction of approximately 15% for lunch and about 10% for breakfast from current limits on sodium.
"USDA maintained its whole grains nutrition requirements, and the standards will continue to make it easier for schools to offer meats and meat alternatives (yogurt, beans, peas, lentils, eggs and tofu, for example) at breakfast, in the hopes those items would replace sugary choices and provide a better nutritional profile. School meals will still emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains, the USDA said."
May 9, 2024 from the CPSC:
ZLINE Wall Ovens have been recalled because the oven door hinge can dislodge, releasing the spring, which can damage or break through the door trim, posing an impact injury hazard to consumers.
Consumer Contact: ZLINE toll-free at 833-256-3603 from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at awrecall@zlinekitchen.com, or online at https://zlinekitchen.com/recalls-walloven or at https://zlinekitchen.com and click on “Recalls” on the bottom of the page and then “Product Recalls” for more information.
Description: This recall involves single-door and double-door ZLINE built-in electric wall ovens with model numbers AWS-30, AWD-30, AWS-30-BS, AWD-30-BS, AWSS-30, and AWDS-30. The recalled ovens were sold in stainless steel and black stainless with a digital control at the top of the unit. The recalled product is approximately 30 inches wide by 24.5 inches deep by 51 inches high for the double wall oven, and 29 inches high for the single wall oven. The ZLINE logo is printed on the bottom face of the door. The serial number and the manufacturing date in YYYYMMDD format are printed on a white label located inside the right side of the oven. The serial numbers range between 207986920110001 and WOAR2112048400, and the manufacturing dates between November 2020 and December 2021 are shown as 20201101 through 20211231.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ovens until the oven door is repaired. Contact ZLINE to obtain a free replacement door and instructions on replacing it. Consumers can register online at https://zlinekitchen.com/recalls-walloven to begin the repair process. Consumers who require physical assistance may request a service visit. ZLINE is contacting all purchasers directly.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 95 reports of incidents of the door spring releasing or breaking through the top of the oven door. One minor injury has been reported.
Sold At: Best Buy, Lowe’s, The Home Depot and The Range Hood Store nationwide and online at www.bestbuy.com, www.build.com, www.costco.com, www.homedepot.com, www.therangehoodstore.com, www.overstock.com and www.wayfair.com from December 2020 through September 2022 for between $1,900 and $3,950.
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